No More babysitting the so called "Loyal" Opposition.

“One of the main opposition movements in the Horn of Africa nation, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), announced it was pulling out of the race” said the news. Boycotting election is UEDF’s trade mark no surprise there but we bet they are basking on being named MAIN opposition after tattering in irrelevance. They will have a chance to attend embassy cocktails and foreign trips as an “Opposition” crying foul, sit on parliament and pick on EPRDF's report with unintelligible rebuttals. Come to think of it, they would not like our democratic process to move for the better. Then they will be forced to do the hard job of what a real party does in a mature democracy. Are we to be thankful for having a party known by its leader as if it is a private property (Beyen’s Party), who have not called any congress to elect its leadership or chart strategy to bring about a better change for their party and country, or produce any meaningful policy paper? They don’t have any political or organizational capacity to be called a political party let alone be a candidate to replace the ruling party but are crowned as MAIN opposition.

2005 has shown us how an opposition, drank by unexpected election gain, can go high wire and deface the process and destroy itself. It has also shown us how a serious opposition can make sea change to the process if it is determined to use the democratic space. One could not help but ask Kojo Namdi’s question of what could have happened if the opposition has taken up its seat. Crooks and short sellers don’t want us to think of that scenario, in humanly possible way, for they came, they gambled, they cut their loss and moved on leaving the citizen to clean the mess they created. They may have shaken our hope of having mature multi-party system in Ethiopia but not to the extent we are going to settle for the retarded opposition of Beyene’s UEDF. The democratic space deserves better, EPRDF deserves better and the people deserve better.

EPRDF has moved away from listening to its own PR and is making efforts to quantify its strength and short falls by reaching out to the people. Its supporters are taking up on their share of responsibility taking action proactively. UEDP-Medhin has charted a new course and to change the democratic culture of the country by institutionalizing opposition. It is making documented protest pointing to short coming of the process. It would have been better if they were brought forth on time so as correction could be made. The media and civic organizations should do their share of making sure the process is clean from the heavy handedness of the ruling party and loyal opposition’s tired old tactic of crying wolf.