WHAT IS GOING ON?
REMEMBER THE OLD ADAGE:
OPPOSITIONS DO NOT WIN ELECTIONS; GOVERNMENTS LOSE THEM. BUT . . .
6
My fellow Ethiopians, it is not only the losing I object to; but it is
the celebration of losing to dictators and traitors who fraudulently came onto
power as nationalists and looked men and women who had love of their country
and fear of God but looted and destroyed our country, its history, divided the
nation and went away with their millions leaving us divided, terribly weak and
humiliated. The present EPRDF government is much worse than its predecessors too
and yet, we are all sitting in our comfortable homes watching the mayhem that
is now taking place in our country. We may be weak or feel hopeless, but at
least we should know that we must be in the fighting game to liberate Ethiopia.
This characteristic now seen as the quintessence of Ethiopian-ness would have
been incomprehensible to our ancestors. One Nation;
Two Ways Of Life. Cry Ethiopia!
Until a generation ago, we, Ethiopians saw ourselves as an aggressively
ambitious and brave nation. We were bold, proud, courageous, fighters, ardent
& cruel in war against our enemies, having the fear of death and loosing
our sovereignty in disgrace. The recent war with Eritrea is one of the good
examples, which also proved our unparalleled bravery and history. We were not
and are not vindictive, but were rash, vainglorious and very suspicious,
especially of foreigners whom we despised. And that is why many western
countries are now busy collaborating with the evil regime to divide, weaken and
destroy us all. Like many vices, this one is the perversion of a virtue. There
are many Ethiopian attributes of which we are justly proud too. Yet at present
these instincts elided into a general indifference to winning anything at all
in politics except in athletics, thanks to King Abebe Bikila, Mamo Wolde,
Miruts Yifter and the present Emperor Haile Gebreselassie, Prince Qenenisa
Bekele, Gezahegn Abera, Queen Derartu Tulu, Princess Berhane Adere, Fatuma
Roba, and Co. Who else won for us? Cry Ethiopia!
We were and all, stood upright and respectful in the eyes of foreigners
not because we told them so, but because whatever race colour or creed we were,
being Ethiopian means being special, free and proud for over 3,000 years. Our
fathers and grandfathers were known for their effortless pride and superiority.
We have somehow kept the effortlessness, but completely dropped that Ethiopian
pride and superiority. Oh yes, very few of us preserved while the vast majority
of Ethiopians and the young generation have totally lost – rather like those
grapes that survived in the New World while the philloxera blight wiped their
ancestral stock in Africa and Europe. As a result many recently born countries
are as we used to be: a successful people resented for their self-belief when
unfortunately we are not. We were renowned to be the food basket of Africa and
a land of milk and honey where Muslims, Christians and all foreigners lived
together in peace, love and harmony. Now our patriotism is expressed in that
self-mocking Ethiopian way which says; “we are not
serious about anything to do with our people or country and are not proud of our
history; it is a bit of a gag”. The worst of it is that we hopelessly
but positively revel in our failures. Hence I am worried, and sick of the way
we revel in our own hopelessness and failures. There is nothing shameful about
wanting to win a war, hunger, disease and a general election. We don’t win
these things; celebrate them because we are only interested in money or
political position. Oh the shame of it – the years of neglect, the wasted
opportunities! Now we are busy fighting each other instead of our enemies. What
is going on Lord? Cry Ethiopia! Cry out loud!
Mind you, if the Belgians and the Dutch can do it, why can’t we? Look
at them – tiny countries that were born a hundred years ago and are land of
potato fries, cheese and unresolved child murders. Look at our small neighbour,
Kenya who beat the hell out of the dictators through the ballot box and formed
a democratic government. Ethiopia, a civilized country which is three times
bigger than Great Britain, long renowned to be the first home of Christianity
and refuge for Islam, food basket of Africa and land of milk and honey,
unparalleled history, wonderful culture and home of many wonders of the world
and the first hominoid of man. Why can’t we? And why can’t the country that
produces the greatest athletes on earth, founded African unity by few
Ethiopians like ex-Ethiopian Foreign Minister Ketema Yifru and chosen to be the
seat of OAU and now AU and many other international organisations could not
find a single party or group to win it for Ethiopia? Well, let us hope UEDP
(United Ethiopian Democratic Party) with other democratic political parties
will in 2005 right, the wrongs of the past 30 years. If they, do manage to
successfully pull it off, what then? Surely there will be dancing in the streets
of Addis, Ambo, Tipe, Mekele, Gondar, Adwa, Desse, Awassa, Dire Dawa, Nekemte,
Adigrat, Debreberhan, Debre-Markos, Bahirdar and many other cities, towns and
villages where Meles massacred innocents for the past twelve years. Cry
Ethiopia!
Oh yes, there will be celebrations too in the west. Yes it would even
make other foreigners very happy to see Ethiopians winning for Ethiopia.
Therefore, if you want to wave the real Ethiopian flag that Meles once called “only a piece of cloth” and “YeChew
Mequateria” again in 2005, it is high time to get organised and unite
behind opposition parties of your choice. I think and although I am not a
member, I am settling with (UEDP). This is because I see a winning hunger and
strong spirit in them than many opposition parties out there. If they succeed
that, a grateful native and the nation as a whole should bestow on these
remarkable citizens who have sacrificed to achieve that victory. I also like
the idea of my future children being able to claim, without blushing that my
father Dr G Bekele were behind those successful struggles. I hope this goes to
many of you out there who have been and are in the struggle. Politics is like
football. If you spend too much time in the outside left position, you get left
out. As simple as that! Therefore, with
courage and unity, we can turn differences within all tribes, religions and
political parties into the source of strength against the regime. Hence I urge
all political parties and individuals to strive to achieve that. If we can’t do
this, I warn you that, we will be in a great trouble for many more years to
come. Cry Ethiopia! Cry!
We must admit that we are
weak and divided. Hence I am grown exasperated because of this too. Most party
members, supporters and individuals in the Diaspora wrecked new political
culture. They are not brave enough. They are completely visionless, they don’t
know about the problems that our country faced and they don’t care. These are
without any political principles, courage and love of mother country at all but
intent only on climbing the power ladder at all costs. Others like Dekialula
& Co are here to weaken democratic parties and individual’s struggle,
principles by working tirelessly to return us to the rotten TPLF’s era of the
past. They have no eyes or ears for Ethiopian unity or democracy. They are
selfish racists who are only interested on the present oppressive, dictatorial,
and traitorous apartheid system but these times under chosen leaders that they
seemed to worship like God. That is all they want. And the only thing they have
in common with the rest of Ethiopians is only to get rid of Meles not the EPRDF system. This
shows what kind of trouble democracy has in our country and how backward we
really are. As a result, we seem to be all over the road in politics, our
struggle and our two tires are blown now hence we are struggling to regain
control over our party’s activities in the west. This is a depressing moment for the integrity of Ethiopian
politics. We simply are not hungry enough to be united with all our differences
to fight and win over our common enemies and save our country. Therefore, I am
convinced that, unless God, somehow, intervenes in our situation be it with
individuals and political parties, we are heading towards tragic ends. And that
makes my stomach churn. Cry
Ethiopia! Cry!
As you all know, some people believe in nothing but power. They are in politics, though they have not read or studied political science but they are there only to line their pockets and then retire in the west. These are the composite of the glitz, the bullshit, the greed and the utter lies of our sick generation who had sold their souls. My message to all ordinary political party supporters and other Ethiopians in general is to fight back, don’t accept excrement hurled at you. Pick up and hurl it back. Tell the party leaders & others what you felt and challenge them if and when necessary in a civilized manner. It is no good ignoring mistakes and saying ok. We either reach an agreement and talk wholeheartedly as one nation or go our separate ways. There is no need of quibbling all the time. We had enough of pretenders and false prophets. Getting rid of murderous barbarous, genocidal regime like the EPRDF and its leader takes toughness, unity and courage not ignoring our people, parties and fighting each other. Silence will be just as bad and as telling too. Schism, gossip and backbiting have become our culture. There is a great deal to be said about the hypocrites particularly for democracy. If the secrets of all our heart were divided, who may abide it? We are terribly and ruthlessly divided on most issues. We have an immature attitude to politics and the struggle too. We may be right at times but possibly unwise on many things. It is very frustrating that we are so divided at a time when our country is on death penalty and our nation is starving and dying in millions. Therefore, we are in another dilemma, which only All Mighty God can only solve it. Even if we manage to get rid of the present dictators and traitors by miracle or as my sub heading says, it will be as Ethiopian university students once said, “Gulecha Biqeyayer Wet Ayatafitim”. This is of course if we continue to behave as we are now. Why God? Cry Ethiopia!
As I
can see it, at stake is not just the thoroughly tainted reputation of the
government, but also the trust on which our so-called democratic system and
Ethiopian unity is based. For fact, the Alabamian Marxist doctrine is not
working and will never work. Therefore, the end game for Meles Zenawi is now
under way. After nearly twelve years of debate, argument and fighting his
regime and among us over the means of ousting the dictator and other anti-unity
groups, their demise is now as eminent as it is inevitable. On the other hand,
our weakest points is we in Diaspora and elsewhere are not united yet and are
afraid to speak out to bring out better governance in our country. We lack the
bottle for battle against our enemies. As we are well aware, “cooperation
in this battle is not a matter of choice because the survival of Ethiopia and
its 67 million people are at stake.” Party members,
supporters and individuals, in my opinion, are not prepared for the "nastiness and vindictiveness" of Meles Zenawi's politics. We are only talking all the time
and are in complete shambles and have contempt for democracy to bring down the
dictators and traitors. Oh God, why are we useless and reckless for our own
affairs? We all have become Ethiopia’s biggest problems. Cry Ethiopia! Cry! Cry!
I also suspect that opposition parties, their members and
supporters in the Diaspora are stupid enough to believe that EPRDF regime will
fall down like bricks or brought down to its knees without struggle and
sacrifice. These empty logics and dreams can only lead us to nothing but
division, humiliation and defeat in the end. Hence party members and supporters
in the Diaspora need to raise their games if they are to win voters' trust in
Ethiopia and elsewhere. We cannot push all our weaknesses under the rug anymore
in the hope that it won't be found or hurt us and at the same time expect to
win the 2005 general election. Money talks they say too. Therefore,
money and manpower in Ethiopian politics has its own moment because political
voters assess parties and their candidate's viability not just by their size of
the coffers. Those who appear to have the best chance of winning them attract
more money and supporters while those with less money and few supporters lag
behind or drop out. By rising ahead in all campaigns so early (UEDP) and other
political parties will be making a statement about their intention to dominate
the race from now to the Election Day. I am confident, change of government in
our country and victory over tyrants are in the air. Therefore, let's hope
(UEDP) and other democratic parties can rise to these challenges. I hold firm
belief that I do not have doubt about the good faith, sincerity and conviction
of (UEDP) and other democratic parties. I hope too, that these are undeniable
clarity. If not, Cry Ethiopia! Cry!
There are no doubts though that we all have a feeling of
hope, anger and a surge of energy. Furthermore, we all have a strong belief
that we can transform our own demoralized beliefs, attitudes and our lives. But
we did not realize that the next two years are going to bring even bigger
problems for major opposition parties than some smart, bigheaded, and
pretenders mouthing off. Therefore, everybody needs to get real about what we
should sacrifice if we allowed that opportunity to slip through our own
self-indulgence. The questions now, are we really genuinely interested in
self-assessment, self-improvement and support UEDP and other parties to
liberate Ethiopia? Or do we get our kicks from being part of the political
playground in strange crowd? After all, we may continue to ridicule Meles and
thereafter-even start blaming the "Witches" for our weaknesses and failures. We would
go down in flames, ushering in yet another new era of EPRDF power after 2005
too. If we fail to win Meles and his cronies, they will continue to demolish
the public ethos and the country. I do not think we should permit these. You can't get
a more damning indictment than that. If these happen too, it will go as a bad
century for progressive politics in Ethiopia. I will not wish to witness that. Cry Ethiopia! Cry!
Therefore, the big issue or question for us at this moment is
not how to topple Meles but whether UEDP and others can continue to build the
levels of trust and respect that they have been enjoying for the past few years
and decades. It is a truism that it is far easier to build something up than it
is to knock something down. People understand that from their own experiences.
We seemed to have grown a bad seed and I am sure that seed will grow but will
bring bad fruit enough to destroy our country and us. Hence UEDP and others
have no more pressing and challenging priority than to win the confidence of
its members and affection of its core supporters. Nevertheless, ordinary people
like you and me - not politicians or political parties have the power to change
things. I also think and work towards total victory over Ethiopian enemies.
Therefore, I do not think that only “winning”
is the most important thing. I think and believe winning is the “only” thing in Ethiopia’s case. Hence let us not
flirt or compromise with backward Ethiopian enemies like the Dekialulas and
opposition political parties who have divisive, weird and unworkable political
manifestos. Can’t we do better without them? Cry
Ethiopia! Cry!
Opposition
leaders have to inject … blood into their parties and in particular to their
support committees in the Diaspora too in a bid to secure more financial
supports, win friends and voters to save our country. The opposition leaders
need to listen too, pay more respectful attention to Ethiopians in the Diaspora
and engage with its unhappy well-wishers. As well as listening to advices and
criticisms, they have got to find a way of addressing the public more strongly
and credibly. They have to find a way of being more grown-up in public. They
need to work hard on their public relations if any, activities too to be able
to tackle our enemies, opponents and win the game. To do that, they need those individuals
with calibers not morons and knaves they seemed to have been surrounded with in
the past. I want them to appoint people who are going to change Ethiopia or at
least improve our communities everywhere to raise funds not those who are
spreading malicious gossips & spend their times fretting and fighting. Let
us stop favours and partialities. The big question therefore is how we can get
better ones for these tasks. I know how, but I cannot go to details in this
article. Cry Ethiopia! Cry!
As Robert F.
Kennedy once said too, "progress is a nice word.
But change is its motivator and change has its enemies." Hence many
people reject get-it-done, make-it-happen thinking with out action from their
leaders. Because all humans want to slow things down so they understand them
better. The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve
change amid order. But we are destroying the very concept of personal
responsibility – the root of any civilized society. We should vow that enough
is enough, and restore the idea of personal responsibility, which also means
personal dignity, to its rightful place in the lives of us all. Let us work as
a team than as individuals in everything we do. Let us select and elect the
best brains (educated or otherwise) to run the affairs of opposition political
parties and in the process Ethiopia. Let us get rid of pretenders, power hungry
and ethnic-minded individuals. Can’t we do that? Cry Ethiopia!
Brothers and
sisters, the happiness of every country depends upon the character of its
people, rather than the form of its government. Speaking about character they
say, "every man /woman has three characters -
that which he exhibits, that which he has, and that which he thinks he
has." A man never discloses his own character so clearly as when he
describes another's too. Therefore, let us make sure that those whom we elect
for positions have the right calibres, loyalty, knowledge and experience
required of them for the tasks they are assigned to carry out in the name of their
parties and in particular Ethiopia. Above all, let us have democratically
elected leaders chosen by the masses not by few as suggested and published on
Ethiomedia.com sometime ago that said, only hand picked individuals by few
supporters and not by the majority of Ethiopians as they blatantly and wrongly
put it “Sefiw Hizb”. You
don’t select and elect future leaders in chat rooms just because they scribbled
few things, published articles or even books. You elect leaders though legally
formed political parties and ballot box. Otherwise, we will be mad again
forming up another monstrous group as a government that is made up of
unelectable and arrogant machos and dims that could probably become much worse
than the Derg and the present EPRDF. I thought we have learnt enough lessons
from TPLF who were trusted by Tigrayans and later by others but not
democratically elected by the majority of the Ethiopian people. Though I admire
few of the names put forward, but no voice for Sefiw Hizb? Who wants another
round of TPLF system again? Hmm. I do not agree with that method. Cry Ethiopia!
Winston Churchill
once said, "The nation had the lion's heart. I
had the luck to give the roar." The UEDP leaders and other
opposition political parties in Ethiopia had the lack to be in Ethiopia at a
testing time like this and are giving the roar under difficult circumstances as
we all know. I wish I were there with them. Nevertheless, I would not like to
do them injustice by saying they were perfect in everything they did so far. Some
of them are young parties therefore there are a lot of new things they can
learn still and others from their past failures. But unless I have gone deaf
or became allergic to the West's Communication devices recently, I could not
hear any "roar" from Diaspora
representatives for many months and even years. As Andrew Jackson said too, "one man with courage makes majority." If
I, and few others, could achieve that single handily, all party supporters and
representatives could have done much better. My advice therefore is if united,
we could be one strong Ethiopian family. If we are not united or not roaring at
our enemies, cry Ethiopia! Cry!
Therefore, it is
a blessed thing that in every age some one has had the individuality enough and
courage enough to stand by own convictions. Unlike some, I too dip my pen in
the blackest ink all the time, because I am not afraid of falling into my
inkpot. Hence I urge those UEDP and other parties, members, representatives
& individuals to have the "lion's heart"
and lead us to victory. I say too please be active, sociable, tolerant and
open. Be creative and humorous too because these often consists of merely
turning up what is already there. Did you know that "right
and left shoes" were thought up only a little more than a century
ago? Now look at the demands for them all over the world. Even Meles Zenawi's
shoes have two distinctive initials "E &
E" these days. Not for left and right of course. I am not sure
about the second E, but the first E refers to Eritrea, his beloved country. I
think we too should know the second E, and what are good, bad, right and wrong
for E=Ethiopia after many years of divisions oppression, & terrible
failures. Cry Ethiopia!
Therefore, let us
be true Ethiopians and kind to each other than ignoring one another, fighting
each other and siding with our natural enemies if we really wish to save
Ethiopia. Let us support our soldiers and some Tigrai region officials to stand
against Meles about Badme. Let us open up our natures, throw wide the doors of
that wonderful God given and blessed Ethiopian hearts and let in the sunshine
of good will and kindness. Let us fight tyrants, dictators and traitors to
leave democratic legacies behind for future generation. Let us train our minds
to desire what our country's situation desperately demands from all of us. I am
sure we can do it. We must all realize too that we expect to pass through life
but once. If therefore, there be any kindness we can show, or any good thing we
can do to any fellow Ethiopians or Ethiopia, sacrifice our lives, let us do it
now, and not defer or neglect it, as we shall not pass this way again. Let us
die with Ethiopian pride and dignity as loyal Ethiopians like our martyrs and
brave ancestors on our feet than in disgrace as traitors on our knees. The late
Bob Hope once said, "If I had to lay an egg for
my country, I will do it." I, G Bekele will do it too. Will you do
that brothers and sisters? The time to save Badme and other Ethiopian sovereign
territories, in general Ethiopia and the millions that are dying of hunger
& disease is now or never. Aren’t we Ethiopians? Cry Ethiopia!
Oh God, our country is being slowly destroyed by too many
pretentious liberalism, and obsession with power. Change means movement,
movement means friction, friction means heat, and heat means controversy. The
only place where there is no friction is in the outer apace. Therefore, what
matters today for us Ethiopians is not the difference between those who believe
in democracy and those who do not believe, but the difference between those who
care for Ethiopia and Ethiopians in general and those who don't give huts.
Hence let us unite and have tolerance, the positive and cordial effort to
understand another fellow Ethiopian's beliefs, practices and habits without
necessarily sharing or accepting them. Let us change our wrong ways and wrong
attitudes of doing things too.
I am sure that we have come a long way not to do that and jeopardize our just
causes in the process. To everything there is a season and a time to every
purpose: a time to mourn and a time to renew, a time to reflect and a time to
move forward. For us Ethiopians, now and more than ever before, this is a time
to unite because we have travelled too far to seek peace, justice and democracy
in our country, travelled too many miles together in search of freedom in the
west, east north and south. We are scattered all over the world most of us not
even be able to return to our country to visit or be with our families. We have
suffered enough. Hence for us now to lose sight of our destination will be a
disaster that will haunt us for the rest of our lives. Together, we have climbed
too high mountains of hope and failures at times. But now, for us not to
achieve our unity and victory in 2005 General Election will be the worst shame
and humiliation for our nation. Cry Ethiopia!
For
God sake, what kind of place was Ethiopia in the past 30 years that it allowed
one after the other, vicious abuses led by crazy, violent, ruthless, reckless
and power hungry individuals like Mengistu and Meles with obvious psychopathic
tendencies? What kind of creatures are these men who has no qualms about
risking their lives and sacrificing thousands of their followers in a bid to
ensure their own political future? Meles in particular, must be politically
ignorant and ideologically confused to give away Badme. As a result he has been
digging his own and that of his supporters graves. He has gone mad. Hence in my
opinion, without fighting and challenging our enemies or opponents head-on,
creating a tangible connection between members, supporters and party leaders
beyond narrow concepts of consultation and participation, the process of
alienation and disengagement from mainstream politics and institutions will
continue. There will be no victory over dictators and tyrants too. Therefore,
if we continue as we are, I am 95% certain that we will never make it in 2005.
I am certain that, if not careful, we will lead ourselves into the next general
election self-inflicted disaster. UEDP’s and even other opposition political
parties strength of leadership and sense of purpose are improving and achieving
great things for our country but not enough. Hence let us avoid elements of
vagueness and disagreements that surrounds UEDP’s and other’s new concept and
struggle. On our part,
we have done too little too and are some way down slipper slope but
still not too late to support these parties and work for total victory. Hence let
us support them to give us directions; pull us towards unity, democracy and
reason to hope. Then there will be a reason to vote for them. It is time to
affirm principles that unite not divide. Last but not least, remember that, “Ethiopia’s
problem will not change until we do”. “And the biggest obstacle of winning the
next general election is not TPLF or EPRDF at all but it is the weaknesses and
divisions of our opposition political parties, members, supporters and individuals in the Diaspora and elsewhere”. Finally, I say good luck to all opposition parties
in action. God Bless Ethiopia and her loyal children!
“UNITED, WE ARE ONE STRONG ETHIOPIAN FAMILY”
DOWN WITH SHABIAN AGENTS, DICTATORS & TRAITORS
LONG LIVE MOTHER ETHIOPIA!
…
Email
genuine comments and constructive criticisms to: teferi_7@hotmail.com - ThanQ!