Why Ethiopians Don’t Trust the TPLF (Aklog Birara)

by Aklog Birara, PhD
Commentary, Part II

Premise

I start this section with the fundamental premise that genuine commitment to fundamental human rights and freedom that will assure lasting peace and national reconciliation for Ethiopia–singularly the most critical governance gaps are nowhere in sight if left to the governing party and the divided, leaderless and clueless opposition. Why is this so important? In this century, durable peace and stability cannot be imposed from the top down by force by any elite to serve itself permanently. Recurring violations of human rights and freedom, manipulation of elections and recurrent rent-seeking by public and private officials diminish Ethiopia’s considerable potential to become a great and prosperous country. Skeptics wonder if Ethiopia would ever become a great and prosperous country. I have no doubt that it can be. For example, Ethiopia can serve as a major hub of agriculture-based industry producing world class textiles, leather goods, grains, processed and other foods to meet domestic demand and for export. It can serve as major tourist destination attracting millions of tourists each year and generating permanent employment for hundreds of thousands. It has substantial potential to export electricity and water to neighboring countries while satisfying domestic demand multi-fold. All these and more means new employment for millions, a strong domestic private sector and a growing middle class. For the government, it would mean more and reliable taxes and freedom from foreign aid. These and more require dramatic reorientation of governance, fair and free elections, a free press, shift in the paradigm of thinking and greater attention to and investment in civil society participation that is not encumbered by elite and intellectual manufactured barriers and divisions. These man-made barriers are hurting the country and the vast majority of the population.

Aklog Birara, PhD

The ruling party is not alone in deterring fulfilment of Ethiopia’s enormous potential. Equally, the quarrelling political and civic opposition groups abroad and at home have ceased to serve the national purpose of defending and advancing Ethiopia’s vital long term interests and promoting solidarity, national cohesion and shared prosperity. Whether they live abroad or at home, most of those who are educated have fallen into the TPLF trap of thinking, organizing and acting as members of tribes and sub-groups rather than as Ethiopians. ኢትዮጵያ ለራሷና ለመላው ሕዝቧ እንባ ጠባቄ ያላት አገር አትመስልም። These gaps in the way we think, organize and act towards one another have made the country more vulnerable than anyone of us is willing to admit or accept. We are all accountable for this in one form or another. We do not have to be Jeff Sachs, the well-known economist, who talks endlessly about sustainable and equitable development. Those of us with a modicum of education should know that sustainable and equitable development emanates from good and accountable governance and from the participation of committed and hardworking citizens who care for one another and for their country. Opposition groups and the Diaspora have failed to place Ethiopia’s and the peoples’ interests ahead of themselves. They therefore share the blame with the governing party.

ሕዝቡ ካወጣነው ከድህነት ጣጣ፤
አደራ ከህዋስ ታዲያ ከየት መጣ?
ኪራይ ሰብሳቢነት ከቁንጮው ከቀረ፤ አስራት ከዘከረ፤
ሕዝብ በመሪው አምኖ ልማት ከዘመረ፤
በሺታ ቸነፈር ሰቆቃ ባልኖረ።

የህወሓት/ኢህአዴግ አመራር ይህን በእንቅጩ የቀረበ ሰቆቃ አይቀበልም። እንዲያውም ይክዳል።

It is true that “double digit” growth can occur in any country that receives substantial aid but the benefits rarely trickle down; the primary beneficiaries are those who run the state and or are aligned to the state. No matter how one looks at it, 90 percent of Ethiopians are sickened by a state that is rotten to the core and would reject the current ruling party if elections were held today and administered freely, openly and fairly. Why is this so? The World Bank showed twice in 12 months that state institutions and officials are corrupt to the core. Nepotism, bribery and corruption are debilitating Ethiopians regardless of ethnic, religious or demographic affiliation. Given this debilitating picture, who stands for the national interest? Who really cares whether Ethiopians live a better life than the current one or youth are employed or forced to flee in search of a better life abroad? Who is accountable and responsible for the welfare of the country and its people? For people to behave and act as responsible and patriotic citizens, especially at times of national threat (the current situation), they must feel that they are treated fairly and with dignity and that the benefits of growth are shared. It is uncommon for Ethiopians to leave their country in droves as destiny.

Ethiopia is a country of resilient people. They have enormous pride in their country and have confidence in its potential to prosper. Yet, there is no trust in the governing party and officials know it if they open their eyes and ears. People have been expressing their desire and demands for justice, equality of treatment under the law, fair access to opportunities and freedom to debate, to vote and to negotiate. If the governing party and the rest of us wish a strong Ethiopia, it behooves us to accept the simple notion that Ethiopians deserve to be heard by their government. They deserve to live without fear and with the provision of basic necessities. Enduring peace emanates solely from a just, inclusive and participatory government and state. The acid test today is whether or not the ruling party is confident, bold and nationalist enough to open social, economic, political and cultural space for everyone. I say this because the TPLF/EPRDF paradigm of ethnic and religious division and supremacy is offering Ethiopia’s traditional enemies, especially Egypt, windows of opportunity to weaken and dismantle it. Some in the opposition repeat the same mistake by aligning themselves with the country’s traditional enemies that wish to weaken and or dismantle it once and for all. The chorus of anti-Ethiopian sentiment I heard in Doha represents this threat. It is real and imminent. The Saudi official on a visit to Khartoum who made threatening remarks about the Great Renaissance Dam on the Abbay River is not an isolated phenomenon. It is a coordinated chorus.

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