Thirteen years have passed since EPRDF is ruling Ethiopia . As is the case under any regime, there are many progresses made but a lot still to be done. The government should and must bear responsibility for the lost opportunities, which are really many. Disclaimer won�t cut it.

 

I would raise two basic questions, which we should all raise and attempt to address in all honesty.

 

1)       Do we want to see Ethiopia march on the road to a genuine democracy?  A democracy whereby when citizens speak they are sure to be heard.

2)       Do we want to see Ethiopians focus on their Ethiopia-ness while still maintaining their indigenous heritage?

 

The fate of Ethiopia hinges upon the answer we, as a people, give to the above questions. Lip service answers won�t cut here too. Honest answer and attempt to address them will. The huge responsibility lies primarily on the government and to a lesser degree on the opposition political parties. I am not fond of the political parties in exile. Granted, they may have a positive contribution to the political discourse of the country if they intend to do so. Frankly, if we are honest to ourselves, Ethiopians living abroad by definition lack the familiarity of the body politic, the social life, and the cultural changes taking place in Ethiopia lest we find ourselves arguing � no change has taken place� since they left Ethiopia �years� ago. Such an argument is a fallacy.

 

I am not stating they do not follow what is going on in Ethiopia . They do and they do so earnestly. But, that is not a substitute for living day in day out as Ethiopian in Ethiopia . Look at the problem in Iraq . Part of it lies in the composition of the governing council many of whose members have lived abroad and really are out of touch to the realties on the ground and consequently have a shaky legitimacy.  So, my sincere advise to the politicians� abroad is this: Just help those at home to undertake a political movement from the ground up. Help them financially, materially and when asked offer sage wisdom.

 

Let me address what I think should be expected of the government and the opposition parties.

 

The government

 

The government, more importantly the PM and the few top �lites who immensely benefited from power, should take a hard look at what Ethiopia has become since they took power. Priding themselves and trumpeting on the few achievements they have made would not make them a government of the people, by the people, for the people, while millions of Ethiopians lives under abject poverty and in total hopelessness. The Ethiopian people deserve and need this ideal form of government, and not a government of the people, by the ruling political class, for the selected few, which is what we have in Ethiopia . Besides, Ethiopia has a completely disillusioned citizenry, which stays out of the political process. The reasons: 1) Ethiopia has no political culture 2) There is no trust in the political process, and the government is doing all it can, it seems, to see to it that such trust will not exist.

 

The government, the opposition parties, and the people know full well that the present condition of our society calls for a major reconstruction. Our numerous economic, social and political problems persist and worsen. I have no doubt that Ethiopia has the intellectual capital and the economic and spiritual resources to tackle these problems. The problem is our power seeking and power-holding politicians are evidently unwilling to take the needed actions. All too frequently they are mostly interested in gaining and keeping power at the expense of the people.

 

 It's about time for politicians who have the intestinal fortitude to speak truthfully and act independent of party bosses. It is time for those with patriotic vision to step forward and begin the process of building a nation of government by the people for the people rather than incessantly focussing on nationalities and tribes. Nobody said it is going to be easy. But, it requires a willingness to take the steps necessary to embark on such a journey. In reality, in the short term, it means putting forth a clear enforceable directive to the party functionaries �we are ready to win or lose in a clean election: no more intimidation, no more election marring�. It ONLY requires such a directive with a commitment to hold accountable those violating the directive. 

 

Opposition Parties

 

First and foremost, the leaders of these parties must seriously examine their true intentions. Do they simply want to replace EPRDF and be EPRDF but under a different name? Or do they really want to bring about a real change?  I assume they would want to bring about a positive change. How can they bring about the needed changes?

 

They must unite and effectively organize the citizenry. They should use the willingness and generosity of Ethiopians abroad to mount powerful grassroots efforts to reach out to the millions of concerned citizens ready and able to bring about the needed improvements. They must start a social movement That is, work hard to form an alliance of people and organizations that share a dissatisfaction with the present state of affairs and have a vision of a better Ethiopia . Again, nobody said it is going to be easy. In fact, it is hard and difficult. A true and real social movement requires persistent collective actions in which the populace is alerted, educated and mobilized, over years and decades, to challenge the power-holders and the whole society to redress social problems or grievances, and restore critical social values of justice and equality. In the present Ethiopian reality, the magnitude of the effort needed to bring about the political changes requires the participation of many individuals and organizations, a mega-coalition -- a coalition of coalitions.

 

Depending on the actions of the government, the struggle would or would not be arduous. The outcome is certain: however long it will take the social movement will eventually succeed. So, my message to the opposition: Think long term, it is a cause worth fighting.