There are a couple of points to be assesed when we plea on behalf of individuals.
1. One of the major points which are missed by most Ethiopians is lack of prudence and wisdom of distinguishing between what is ADVANTAGEOUS AND DISADVANTAGEOUS for Ethiopia and Ethiopians.
At this time, like all other times, Ethiopia needs expertise of different professions. She needs administrators, politicians, professors, medical doctors, physicians and nurses, engineers, economists, etc. If an engineer is assigned to a politician's position, there can be a lot of constructions and beautiful buildings but there will be something important missing. Buildings and constructions only do not lead to development and peace. Money is needed for that. If an economist is assigned to a political administrator's position, there could be a good economic coordination but it may soon turn to a failure because of lack of governance. If a university professor is elected for a political office, it will be hard for the professor to explain all the national plans and ideas to people on a blackboard or computer or paper. As a typical example, preseningt the EPRP of 1970's and the late famous KINIJITwould be pretty enough! EPRP disappeared with the death of one HERO, Dr. Tesfay Debessai, who preferred to die by throwing himself out of window to exposing the secrets of his Party. The leaders of KINIJIT were imprisoned for having used the lives and blood of the innocent in order to come to power. The major problems in both cases were:
a. Poor and unwise political and civic administration and leadership;
b. Lack of a TRUE COMMON GOAL which is well and clearly defined;
c. Lack of skillful organization and coordination;
d. Lack of skillfully designed startegy;
e. Lack of EXPERIENCE of STRUGGLE;
f. Lack of COMMITMENT and DEDICATION; etc.
An expert who has followed up the situations of EPRP and KINIJIT very near could add many more valuable comments. But to be frank, if EPRP and KINIJIT had a well defined TRUE COMMON GOAL which is clear to every member and non-member, which necessarily provokes for commitment and dedication of the members and attraction of non-members, they would not have dissolve like this. As for KINIJIT, the following are some of the major mistakes:
a. Lack of patience until they find out all the results of the election;
b. Ignoring the strategy of Dr. Petros Beyene: "Bilt hitsan yeyazewn yizo yaleqsal! A clever/smart infant cries holding what it has already got in hand! " (From Ethiope, June 2005);
c. Inability to read the REACTION of the people and see how much they are supported after the results of the election are revealed to the public;
d. Agitating for a violent demonstration;
e. Organizing the few innocent youngsters to destroy public services;
f. Admitting their guilt to be released from prison (again lack of patience and a sign of lack of commitment and dedication - None of them could remeber consult Nelson Mandela; the teacher of the world);
g. The late mutual accusations, allegations and gossips; etc.
Specially, the late mutual gossips, accusations, allegations and blaming of the leaders of the KINIJIT and clearly proves that these peolpe did not have a well defined common goal and startegy. It frankly shows that the leaders of the parties were racing to grab the Chair to take advantage of the Constitution in order to suck the blood of poor Mother Ethiopia and its Children like mosquitoes just by sitting in the Chair for a couple of years. DO YOU THINK PEOPLE WHO COULD NOT LEAD A PARTY OF MAYBE, SOME HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OR A COUPLE OF MILLIONS, COULD LEAD A MULTI-NATIONAL AND MULTI-CULTURAL COUNTRY OF A POPULATION OF 81 MILLION? PERSONALLY, I doubt!
2. The other very important point is that most Ethiopians seem to have forgotten that in Ethiopia there are more than 85 nations and nationalities and ethnic groups, and all those natonalities are EQUALLY proud of being Ethiopians. Ethiopia is a country of every Ethiopian nation and nationality, and every ethnic group. So, every Ethiopian supposedly has EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to CLAIM EQUAL RIGHT as any other fellow Ethiopian. At the same time, every Ethiopian has a right to claim that BELONGING TO A CERTAIN ETHNIC GROUP AND NATION AND NATIONALITY. If that is so, every leader of Ethiopia in history belonged to a certain ethnicity, nation and nationality, and that should hold today too! Ato Melles is Ethiopian like all other Ethiopians, for except he is too smart and clever for the those who think they are smartand clever!
3. THE OTHER MAJOR POINT BEING MISSED BY ALMOST ALL ETHIOPIANS IS FORGETTING THAT THE EPRDF HAS PAID LIVES OF HUMAN BEINGS INSIDE ETHIOPIA TO GET TO THIS POSITION. THEY DID NOT ESCAPE TO THE WEST SNATCHING THE MONEY OF THE COUNTRY OR DENY THEIR COUNTRY ASKING FOR POLITICAL ASYLUM WHEREVER THEY HAD BEEN SENT FOR FURTHER STUDIES ON THE COUNTRY'S EXPENSE. SO THEY DESERVE THE POWER! IT IS VERY SAD TO SEE PEOPLE SHOUTING LIKE FOREST BIRDS TODAY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE DEMOCRACY AND RIGHT REALIZED BY THE EPRDF! WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN WHEN THE STREAMS OF BLOOD OF YOUNG EHTIOPIANS WERE FLOODING ON TOWN CENTERS, MARKETS, STREETS AND CRSSROADS OF ETHIOPIA? THE ANSWER IS SIMPLE: THEY WERE HIDING IN THE WEST DENYING THEIR COUNTRY FOR THEIR BELLY! SHOULD ANYONE FEEL THAT THE EPRDF IS VIOLATING HMAN RIGHTS, LET THEM DEPICT THEIR DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT TO THEIR COUNTRY AND PEOPLE, NOT BY DISFIGURING THE PICTURE OF THE COUNTRY SLEEPING IN SPRINGBEDS AND EATING CAKES IN THE WEST, BUT BY SLEEPING IN CAVES AND UNDER TREES AND FEEDING ON ROASTED BARLEY THERE WHERE THEY CLAIM THERE IS A PROBLEM.
4. Another point which is totally forgotten by all Ethiopians is the HISTORICAL FACT of the so-called the Treaty of Wuchale signed between Minilik II and the Italian Government in 1996. Emperor Minilik's goal in selling Eritrea to Italians was not earning weapons in return. It was to WEAKEN THE POWERFUL KINGDOM OF NORTHERN ETHIOPIA AND MAKE TO SURE THAT THE POWER NEVER RETURNS TO THE NORTH ANY MORE. The death of Yohannes IV was mysterious and that mystery is hidden in the RED part of the Ethiopian flag. Emperor Minilik II had put all the strongest war leaders like Ras Alula of Tigray, and that of Gojjam and Gondar in custody in his compound in Addis Ababa. Emperor Minilik II told them that he wanted them to rest because they had worked very hard during the Italo-Ethiopian Battle of Adwa. Therefore, Ethiopians should not blame the TPLF and EPRDF for letting Eritrea take its referendum. Also, Minlik II sold the port of Djibouti to France for a railway from there to Addis Ababa. Where were all those people who shout at the EPRDF now when Colonel Mengistu refused to negotiate with regard to the prot of Djoubuti? Is that also the problem of EPRDF? IT MIGHT BE because some gossips and allegations of the EPRDF are worse than this.
5. Yet again there is another important point. It looks that some people have forgotten the historical significance of Axum, Lilibela, Gondar, and Mekele. Thus, it is not new for a Tigrean to be a leader of Ethiopia. Anyone who doubts can read the history of the Kingdom of Nubia and Axum. I can not say any better than those.
6. Another very significant point is the ignorance of all Ethiopians and Eritreans. We are respected more by other people in the world than by one another. We are the only owners of our alphabet in the whole of Africa. Our alphabet is one among the few alphabets of the world and one of the oldest ones. Additionally, Ethiopia is the so-far-uncompeted origin of the oldest human race on the planet. Lalibela is one of the 'SEVEN MARVELS' of the world. How many of us know that? I do not knwo! So, others are more interested in us than we are in ourselves. Others know more about us than we know about ourselves. How sad! We do not know that we are the STRATEGICAL FOCUS of the game of the politics of the world. I AM A 100% SURE THAT NONE OF US UNDERSTANDS THATTHE CAUSE AND FINAL HIDDEN AIM OF THIS BLOODY ETHIO-ERITREAN CONFLICT IS MUCH DEEPER THAN THE SO-CLAIMED BORDER ISSUE! IT GIVES A CHANCE FOR THOSE WHO CLAIM TO BE ADVANCING PEACE TO ESTABLISH THEIR STARTEGICAL SITES IN THE NAME OF
P E A C E P R O C E S S! WILL THEY REALLY BRING US PEACE? LET'S SEE IT!!!
7. Finally, as Jesus said, "No prophet is respected in his own country!", it is only US, ETHIOPIANS, who undermind ATO MELLES. This is not to show my love for Ato Melles. WHETHER OR NOT WE ACCEPT, WHETHER WE LIKE HIM OR NOT, IT HAS BEEN LONG, IF THERE HAS BEEN ANY, AND IT WILL ALSO BE LONG, IF THERE IS A HOPE OF ANY, IN ETHIOPIA TO RISE A POLITICIAN LIKE ATO MELLES. THE CAPABILITY OF ATO MELLES WILL BE MANIFESTED AS SOON AS HE LEAVES THE POSITION! UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS MORE APPARENT FOR NON-ETHIOPIANS THAN ETHIOPIANS. I am not saying anything about the people who work under him. Below, there is a quotation from an elderly taxi driver in Addis Ababa in June 2005 just before the time the result of the election was revealed:
"I am not Tigrean. But I am praying to the Lord so that all those collections of useless pests under him would be wiped out and Mellesse remains untouched. Personally, I will feel hurt very much if this election affects Mellesse."
To conclude my article, as a matter of fact, I do not believe that the so-called "AMNESTY" should be instrumental to any political party. Ato Melles said once, "No one can escape the law! For example, if I am misusing the power and responsibility entrusted to me by Ethiopians, I am bound to being convicted by the law!" Similarly, those people who act lawlessly and unconstitutionally undercover of "AMNESTY" and "HUMAN RIGHTS" in order to promote political advances of certain ethinic and tribal parties and political groups are still bound to attaining the proper justice under the law and constitution of Ethiopia.
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Gabriel Welde.
12/21/07