2005 (Ethiopian Calendar Zemene
Matteos) has been dramatically eventful. Almost a year ago with the
former PM passing away we have witnessed the most extraordinary
spectacle of ordered, organized and enforced mass hysteria ever seen in our
poor land. In the reverse sense it is comparable to the extraordinary edict of
the Derg prohibiting any wake keeping, crying and holding funeral ceremony for
the people it murdered and buried in mass graves. Thus, under the
pseudo-Marxist regime to cry for your dead was an anti-revolutionary act, while
under the pseudo-democratic TPLF regime mass demonstration of sorrow, crying
and self flagellation is an obligatory pseudo-liberal-capitalist-democratic
conduct.
In our long history self-respect and
honor had been principal characteristics of our national ethos. However, these
recent developments have been the most self humiliating and self demeaning acts
that have ever been inflicted on our people. Even the Italian occupation did
not impose such break down of our spirit, the patriotic forces fought the enemy
until final victory. In the following years we rebuilt the nation to a point
where we reached a take-off point, that unfortunately took the wrong
turn. Thanks to the great revolution that was supposed to bring
equality, wellbeing and happiness in a just world, the Ethiopian people have
been subject to the worst abuse and political slavery for the past four
decades, which culminated in this sad tragicomedy of enforced mass crying. Not
that there was democratic freedom during the preceding monarchies, at least there
were moral canons derived from Christian ethics that defined the rule of the
Monarch. Espousing half-baked modernity has deprived us of any kind of
individual freedom, more than any previous era. Our well-being is simply
quantified by statistical numbers and not by the freedom of our spirit. Our
happiness is measured by the amount of stuff we consume and by the garbage we
produce. Our welfare is gauged by whatever numbers the regimes in power choose
to publish, and is convenient to them and foreign bodies. The new moral
standard being that so-called economic development supersedes Freedom and Human
Rights.
By the same token we are told that
Ethiopia has undergone a tremendous economic development of 11 percent a year
for the past decade. No mention is made that it has received about 38 billion
US dollars in foreign aid plus other 10 or more billion from China, India and
other bilateral grants and investments; nor of the 16.5 billion US dollars
siphoned out of Ethiopia in the past decade. Yet, the beneficiaries of all this
input have been a very small minority composed of the members of the regime and
party-cum-state owned businesses and their acolytes. The vast majority of the
population, about 95 percent, have been denied all Human Rights including that
of property, and rendered vagrant in its ancestral land; reduced to menial
labor, and pariah to state whims and edicts. Cronyism, nepotism, pervasive
corruption at all levels, inefficiency and waste have been the trade mark of
the governing regimes. Millions of people depend on food aid and many still die
of starvation. With all that money pouring into the country, supported by the
huge presence of foreign nationals as aid personnel, investors and other
functions, it is not surprising that large infrastructure works, industries,
and agricultural concessions have nominally boosted the economic development to
the highly inflated figures of 11% growth of GDP claimed by the regime. The
question is whether the vast majority of the Ethiopian people are the beneficiaries
of all this development, or whether it benefits only the members of the regime,
their party affiliates and foreign acolytes, which has been the real
case.
In spite of all odds and hue and cry of
the opposition in the Diaspora, that for implausible reasons hopes to gain
power someday, the situation in the country seems to be normal. In fact the
regime has been successful in projecting the image of a real multi ethnic
governance. Just as the commanded mass crying, I assume that the new
triumvirate (the two kililites + TPLF), will soon order a multi-ethnic mass
laughter. The new Premier has declared that it will be a collegial leadership
and not a one man show. Which is to be expected, because I find
it improbable that the TPLF, holding major control over all sectors, will
relinquish power so easily, nor do the two newcomers have the experience
and the political clout to make fundamental policy changes.
Nevertheless, two new elements have
been introduced on the political scene. First, at least in appearance, a new
team composed of non-Tigreans has come to the forefront of the leadership, and
second some rift has appeared amongst the core leadership of the TPLF. However,
none of these factors have shown any change in the behavior of the regime so
far. The promotions made in the military in the absence of a Head of government
and the mere blessing of the putative President, is a clear indication that the
real power still remains with the TPLF leadership.
As to the prevailing mood in the
country, the exaggerated funeral proceedings, has probably embittered further
the mood of the people, who are largely opposed to the regime. Particularly, in
view of the many social, economic and especially political trends that are
developing in the country. There is a serious lacuna within the political
dialogue, if not a generational incongruity. With a rather bleak view of the
opposition from abroad, and not knowing much about the ones in the country,
predicting the future has been a hazardous task, particularly since the
moribund opposition is still anchored in the failed history of its own making.
For its part the regime shows serious ambivalence in some new policies that it
seems to be introducing in its governance, like allowing the parliament a more
active role, initiating an anti-corruption campaign, permitting political
demonstration, yet, at the same time carrying its campaign of arrests and
harassment of the opposition. Journalists are arbitrarily jailed, student
movements persecuted, and conducting blatant violations of basic human rights,
contradicting the image of good governance that it wants to show.
Now comes the surprise, the young
generation who have been victimized by the vehement tumults made
by their elders, have risen to take their future destiny in
their own hands. The Semayawi (Blue) Party led by the youth, showed a broad
popular support with the mass demonstration it made on June 9,
2013. Their age group representing seventy percent of the
population, their movement has the potential of creating a political
Tsunami. Reading some of the statements they made they have shown
courage and maturity. I think that the appearance of this new element signifies
a new trend in the political dialogue which so far has been stifled by the
regimes intransigence to any reform.
The fate of the Ethiopia is still in
the hands of its people. In the meantime let’s support the Semayawi Movement.
Imru Zelleke
15 June 2013.
