My Comments on the Confusing article by Kuchiye "Why it is strenuous to be an EPRDF fan." (http://www.abugidainfo.com)

Washera_2000
January 7th, 2008 at 1:14 pm

Dear Kuchiye:

I have followed your writings from way back when you used to scribble in the comments section of the one blog we both loved, Weichegud. You have come a long way, baby! You are now writing articles. I encourage you to keep it up.

I commented extensively on your article on why you decided to become a Kinijit supporter. I don’t think you read it, or may be it does not make sense to you. I hate to burst your bubble, but there are some basic confusing remarks in your present treatise as well. Let me go on one by one.

1. I agree with you on the question of our access to the sea. In fact, I have been advocating that EPRDF needs to pay attention to the needs of the Afar people whose border extends all the way to Massawa. I believe in initiating negotiations with the Eritrean government even as we remain bogged dawn with the Badme issue.

2. I disagree with you about your “piece of land that is of little consequence” allegation. The Badme issue is by no means over yet.

3. It saddens me to see you talk about “divide-and-rule” and “mafia-type interest groups”, when you describe EPRDF’s ruling style.

4. You muddy the waters further by stating that “EPRDF dared to take a chance at democracy” only to spoil it by “killing of peaceful demonstrators, the mass arrests, the ban on independent media.” Did you expect a “mafia-style” government with “divide-and-rule” philosophy to “dare take a chance at democracy?” Or were you setting up the statements to help you with your atrocious conclusions? Did you forget the remarkable achievement made by the Shimagiles and the Ethiopian government to release the Kality prisoners, most of whom are freely going about establishing their parties in this Ethiopia, while others continue their tourism abroad? This in the same Ethiopia that you claim is ruled by those who have "...fear of creating political space to accommodate genuine opposition". Ask w/t Bertukan Mideksa if she shares your opinion.

5. You allege to know EPRDF’s political philosophy “that is founded on ethnicism, propaganda strategy that boarders fear mongering, economic policy that endows the ruling party and its clique but denies the citizen, fear of creating political space to accommodate genuine opposition, habit of holding others accountable for its own ills.”

6. You then borrow a line from (sic) Dr. Berhanu Nega, “For EPRDF, human and democratic rights are inconvenient truths that have to be recited on world political stages to satisfy the minimum requirement of donors.” to put your appalling finishing remark, "the absence of press freedom and the totally suffocating political climate Ethiopians are forced to live in.” Have you been to Ethiopia recently to witness the "suffocation" that you refer to both to the people and the press?

What is even more astounding is your unsubstantiated optimism expressed thus; “there is still time to right the wrong and to build a vitally necessary level of trust between all the parties who have vested interest in Ethiopia.”

You started off by telling us about attributes you consider important in any decent human being, “Keeping an open mind, avoiding being judgmental, believing in the power of discourse, self respect, respect for the values of others, sensitivity to real or imagined fears–” You don’t see how your statements in numbers 3 to 6 contradict the basic tenets of decency that you advocate in the second paragraph? Where is the respect and fair judgment you offer the EPRDF government? How can you expect any fragment of goodness on the part of EPRDF to listen to you when you label it as a “divide-and-rule” and “fear-mongering” regime that according to you is performing unconstitutional acts regularly and repeatedly? Where do you find the optimism to work with such a regime?

I may agree with you on re-visiting our land policy and even willing to look into the issue of ethnic federalism. I am an ardent supporter of free market economy and I am anti-secession. But your arguments fall short on many counts.

I respect and applaud you for your “self-assessment” exercise you have indulged into. I respectfully ask you to re-examine your flowed thought process.

Please do go back and re-examine your values with a clear-headed and sober mind and body. Give EPRDF due credit for the good it has done and figure out a way to work with it with respect and brotherhood. Then and only then, will your optimism take root and your contribution to a lasting democratic legacy to our Ethiopia be a realistic goal.

Thank you for your misguided, but thought provoking remarks.