Imru Zelleke (Ambassador)
Thanks to the Semayawi (Blue) Party at last a light has appeared at the end of tunnel that leads to freedom. Those that have to be congratulated the most are the Ethiopian People at large who responded to the appeal in massive numbers with enthusiasm and dignity. They expressed clearly and without ambiguity their demands and aspirations.
A new phenomenon that gave impetus and dynamism to the movement is the overwhelming participation of the youth including the leadership. The highest accolades and compliments should be given to Engineer Yelikal Getinet and his colleagues for their courageous and exemplary leadership. They have overcome the negative paradigm of divisions and contentions that has so far infected the opposition factions, and appealed directly to the people. In fact it is time for the younger generation to take over the helm of the opposition; it is their future that is at stake. The elderly generation can give advice and share their experience, because the past is an essential element to understand the pre-existing conditions and to build the future on solid foundations.
This new advent on the political scene opens new challenges and pitfalls presaging critical events and conditions that must be met with clarity and absolute determination. I humbly suggest the following:
a. We should give up the notion of a “united” action. For the past forty years we have heard the word “unity, union, united etc.” that it has lost its meaning, and has become to mean to do nothing in unison, as the popular dictum “a committee is a gathering of people who cannot do anything by themselves, who together decide to do nothing”. A plethora of parties with hardly constituencies worth mentioning are more of a hindrance than a positive element. What is needed is a determined and genuinely patriotic group to leads the struggle for freedom. Semayawi Party has taken the lead with undeniable action let’s support them.
b. If the regime had a modicum desire to reform its governance, the current development would have been a good opportunity, unfortunately its reaction are negative and as usual consisting of intimidations and false accusations. As mass arrests and killings are likely to ferment further public anger, we have to look at what they could create to divert popular opinion and secure their survival. One way would be to use sacrificial lamb some the old honchos like Sebhat Nega, Azeb Mesfin and a few others for corruption, open some business space for loyal fellow travelers, and release some prisoners; a second way is to ignite some conflict with Eritrea or another neighbor in order to inflame the patriotism of the masses; a third way is to cause internecine conflicts and implement more coercive measures to impose their rule by share force.
c. Don’t expect any help from foreign sources; they have what they perceive as their national interest to maintain as long as things remain stable as they are momentarily. It is up to us to change conditions in our own country, and not by foreign forces.
d. The Semayawi Party and the parties who join them must be prepared to face these challenges with appropriately designed strategies and tactics, giving serious consideration to the strength and weakness of the regime, the foreign support and effective political and economic role, the present social and economic conditions, the dysfunctional federal structure imposed on the country, human rights, the rule of law and many other important matters.
e. The Diaspora could play an important role in providing professional and financial support to the movement inside the country.
I recommend that such support group be formed by all concerned, according to our capabilities and means at our disposal, without delving into partisanship and the like. Let’s do it !!!
June 3, 2013
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