By Nathnael
Abate M/ Norway
In most parts of our modern world democratic governments
hold free, fair and regular or periodic elections to improve the administration
system in their countries, thereby
guaranteeing citizens the opportunity to change their leaders and to support
new policies. Non democratic regimes, like a government of Ethiopia hold
regular election but citizens are systematically forced in different ways to
vote for them. Democratophobic
government of Ethiopia holds regular and symbolic election in the name of
democracy to learn new suppression techniques and to identify its supporters
from non supporters. An identification of its allies along with the newly
gained knowledge or technique from election will help the regime effectively to
suppress critic voices and monopolize the country’s political or government
power under its arms in future ruling years. Woyane of ‘Z Tigray’ regime hold
periodic election not democratically to transfer government power and political
authority into the hands of popularly elected or winner party but uses periodic
election as instrument periodically to terrorize citizens of the country. The
terrible consequences of Ethiopian elections are violations of democratic and
human rights, cause of deaths for many and mass arrest. In Ethiopia elections
or peaceful forms political struggles have never brought any limit to the power
of ruling government, improvement in human rights situation or reform in
government’s administration system. It had gone from bad to worse and from
worse to worst.
The TPLF of Ethiopia symbolically holds periodic
election every five years and the so-called constitution states that electoral
institution to be free from any sort of government influence. However the
electoral institute is not only influenced, nevertheless since its
establishment it served as the survival gear of the ruling government. Article
102 of the constitution states independence of national election board to
conduct in an impartial manner free and fair election in federal and state constituencies.
It continues to state again that members of the board shall be appointed by the
HPR upon recommendation of the prime minister. Here we can observe that the
first part statement of the article clearly contradicts with the concept or
notion of the second section. The first part of Article 102 tells us the
election boards shall be independent and free from any form of influence. On
the other hand, the second subdivision says the election boards shall be
recommended by the prime minster and then later on elected by the votes of
house of HPR. The prime minister is in charge of recommending his/her trusted
friends or loyalists who are willing to execute whatever is ordered. The
process of nomination and establishment of election board is just an
appointment of the loyalists to certain position in separate suppression
institute inside the circle of TPLF. The appointed officials are directly
influenced by prime minster or other higher governmental bodies. This makes the
country’s electoral system and process, electoral computations and vote results
partial and biased. The contest and winning rooms for opposition parties are
limited as well as votes are rigged by the electoral board since the election
board is directly established by the Government to serve the will of government
not to execute election and its process fairly. The malfunction of electoral
board is an open threat to build democratic system.
In addition to the influence of National Election Board
on the opposition parties and the outcome of election results, the harassment,
assault, false accusation and imprisonment, severe restriction on freedom of
speech, intolerance to open discussion and other negative influences of government
hinders oppositionists from effective electoral computation. Oppositionists
lack resources and budgets for their awareness creating campaign in nearest or
most remote areas of the country. In reality power hungry TPLF doesn’t want efficacious
computations of the opposition parties as result it holds back resources or
finances which are allocated for the opposition political parties. Also there
is campaign finance abuse by TPLF
and agents, dependent electoral board and no balanced access to the media for
all opposition political parties and candidates.
During the campaigns for election the importance of freedom
expression is undisputable. Individuals should express their will and political
opinions freely, take part in campaigning and at end elect the party that they
choose and trust. In contrast, the TPLF regime has severely restricted freedom
of expression and opinion, association and peaceful assembly of individuals,
groups and organizations. This makes a tremendous roadblock for opposition
political organizations to create awareness for public about their mission,
vision and policies. Lack of open public discussion reduces the participation of
citizens in their country’s socio-political affairs which in turn affects democracy
building process according to an accepted international election standards and
rules. In fact there exist electoral law to make the election
peaceful, free, fair and democratic on the paper. But these laws are
interpreted in the way they are convenient to keep the interests of TPLF. The
so called Electoral Law of Ethiopia bears the following code of conduct of
election and objectives. Let’s consider realities on the ground and the stated
law as follow
1. To
promote tolerance in a democratic electoral operation; under no circumstances
TPLF and its system has tolerance in electoral process or in opposition
opinions. TPLF never promoted tolerance either democracy instead every single
opposition voices are systematically and openly suppressed. TPLF shoulders are
not able to carry any political opinion that goes against them.
2. To foster
free political campaigning and open public discussion; so far no opposition
political groups had any free campaigning. Most opposition parties’ leaders and
campaigners were humiliated attacked in Gondar, Wolayta, Oromia, in the capital
Addis Ababa and many other parts of Ethiopia. No opposition political party is
allowed holding open public discussion. The ruling minority junta is scared of
allowing open public discussion. Also in the country where freedom of speech is
severely restricted, it is impossible to hold open public discussion. Woyane
knows well its fate, if open public discussion is held.
3.
To enable the conduct of free and fair election. On this section it says any political
organization including TPLF itself or private candidate must therefore respect,
publicize, educate the electors and guide its candidates, representatives and
supporters to respect the code and take necessary actions to realize it. But
none of the listed codes are respected by the TPLF of Z Tigray and these laws
are simply written on the paper to fool or attract foreign donors and to
establish symbolic opposition parties which are not allowed to go beyond the
stated limit.
In general the hope
of removing Woyane of Z Tigray from government power and democratically
transferring political power in to the hands winner political party is
impossible from palpable evidence of Ethiopia’s political situation. This cumulative reason brings us to the conclusion
that the outcome of Ethiopian election is predetermined. The above listed methodical fortification,
open and hidden barriers are all the techniques which TPLF use to hold back opposition
political organizations from effective electoral computation before election. At
the time of election processing an illegal interference of TPLF government in
the process of election such as vote counting and publicizing the election
result is clear in addition to electoral board frauds. Both the governments’
illegal interference and election board dishonesty makes the electoral fraud to
be outlawed jointly by the government and electoral body or legislation. The
electoral fraud of Ethiopia includes the fabrication of electoral results,
increasing the vote share of TPLF and reducing or weighing down the vote share
of opposition parties.
Shortly after symbolic TPLF election ends post
election terrorization of oppositionists and non allies of government starts.
Government targets defenseless non-supporters, opposition parties (leaders,
members and institution) and anybody who criticizes the system. Those who are
found to be anti-TPLF coalition government or being in connection with
opposition political parties will suspended or sacked from their jobs, dismissed
from their positions, denied access to employment or other opportunities and in
most cases systematically persecuted and sentenced years of imprisonment. For
instance an iconic Ethiopian politician and opposition political leader Anduale
Aragie was one of the victims of post election persecution by the government. Another citation is post election crackdown
of government in 2005 in capital Addis Ababa during peaceful protest of the voters.
The peaceful rally was interrupted by police brutality which led to death of
hundreds of innocent and arrest of 1000s including figure opposition political
leaders. Election 2005 was the event that led TPLF to devise a new suppression strategy
to control powerful opposition politicians, journalists and political activists.
After a few years later TPLF introduced the so-called anti-terrorism law to
hunt down any dissents. Anti terrorism legislation enabled TPLF to arrest
famous opposition figures, journalist, human rights activists and others. These
Ethiopians were persecuted and imprisoned for no crime but only for holding
different political opinion and view.
TPLF regime has made evident the notion that
elections alone cannot establish and bring democracy in Ethiopia. To build
democratic system and establish strong democratic institution in Ethiopia it is
essential to remove Woyane by armed struggle either through public disobedience
and all other possible ways. Without democracy's other essential elements such
as consent of the governed, constitutional limits, the protection of human,
minority and democratic rights,
accountability and transparency, a multiple party system, economic freedom and
the rule of law elections alone cannot guarantee the freedom and democracy. It
is well known that the democratic institutions in Ethiopia are very weak and
elections are easily used by violent and dictator regime to monopolize government
power for life long. Therefore it is essential to create unified web like
network of opposition outside and inside the country by using all available
measures and techniques to bring an end to long-standing dictator regime of
Ethiopia.
Facebook Nathnael Abate
Twitter @nathysaint
links
http://dhugasho.net/2015/03/28/fallacious-election-of-ethiopia-and-its-disasters/http://ecadforum.com/News/fallacious-election-of-ethiopia-and-its-disasters/
http://www.zehabesha.com/fallacious-election-of-ethiopia-and-its-disasters/
