The events of the last few weeks have
revealed yet another dangerous slippery road for Ethiopia�s
promising political leaders. There is potential to derail the entire
progress that the Ethiopian people have thus far achieved through
peaceful struggles. The practice of electing leaders to form and run
the government is a profound progress unknown to Ethiopians. This
giant step and progress is irreversible without total destructions.
Thus, the attempt to abort or to sabotage the momentum of progress,
and its cost would be immeasurable and unimaginable.
The political meandering as shown by
the political leaders of both the ruling party and the opposition
may or may have not been done in the interest of the Ethiopian
people. The peaceful existence of political parties may have bearing
to peace and stability in the country. But, the interests of the
Ethiopian people cannot be seen as equal to that of any political
party or its leader. Therefore, the political leaders who are
meandering in the political fields abandoning the interests of the
Ethiopian people may be slipping away. There have been excuses and
reasons for the retreat and weak position that some leaders have
inclined to take on certain crucial issues. The party leaders who
have reflected weaknesses giving excuses for their positions as
tactical when they are not, may not finish the journey they have
honorably started.
The recent political meandering by
our leaders gives us reasons to suspect and doubt. We may be forced
to reexamine anew the �politics of leadership� and the �politics
of democratic Institutions�. First, it may be necessary to
recognize and admit that we have entered a new political phase or
political movement known or unknown to Ethiopians. Reading the
various political views, it becomes clear that we have reentered and
are revisiting the �politics of leadership.� Political
differences that are not purely along ideology, but with tendency of
regional politics and interests are spreading into the opposition
beyond the camps of TPLF. This is happening amazingly at the time
when the leaders of the ruling party are compelled to change the all
Tigrean faces that has for long comprised the image of the
leadership in Ethiopia.
The dominance by the leaders of TPLF
of Ethiopian social, economic and political fields has been the root
cause of a decade and half long political struggles in Ethiopia. The
essence of Ethiopians� political struggles has been to rid this
political dominance and oppression by one group and military force
entirely made up of TPLF. However, before we celebrate the emergence
of multi party system, and democratic rule in Ethiopia, we have
ended the momentum of the struggle and abruptly entered into new
political upheavals that are threatening the new leadership that has
been formed and elected to run the government by the Ethiopian
people recently. It appears that our leaders may have fractured the
leadership or other external elements may have caused its fracture.
If indeed this new essential political body of leadership has been
in any way fractured, it would undoubtedly create a new political
upheaval that has potential to cause a wide spread instability and
civil unrest that no one can easily stop and prevent. The leadership
is an essential body not only to bring democratic changes, but also
to maintain peace and stability in the country.
Once again, in the recent events as
were in 1991, there may be external elements who would like to see
the political progress made by Ethiopians reversed. Ethiopians have
managed to bring profound political changes that is about to alter
the face of Ethiopia with new social and economic programs. The
environment in Ethiopia today may not tolerate the political party
leaders who may dare to betray and let down the Ethiopian people by
submitting to the spoiler schemes of the enemies.
Political party leaders should not
allow themselves to be toyed and used by external elements. The
political activists and party followers must recognize the fact that
the old political cultures of regional �Kilil� politics have no
relevance to the aspirations of united Ethiopian people. Political
thinking and differences have been mainly along specific divide
lines: �Kilil�. The regional conflicts that TPLF initially
invented and planted into the body of Ethiopian politics and
struggles has not diminished from the political debates even though
it has been rejected and abandoned. The ruling force has fueled the
political cultures of regional differences via Kilil based policies
and programs. It is this policy that the Ethiopians rejected as
shown in the results of the recent election. Ethiopians have formed
the leadership that is capable to create the democratic institution.
Let us hope that the leadership is an indivisible body as is
Ethiopia. Let us also hope that the leaders will continue to fulfill
the obligations and duties for which they have been elected.
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