Dawit Miteku
After
the demise of the dictator ‘Derg’ regime, the people of Ethiopia have created a
federal country where the citizens’ are part of a
single political community which is based on their own consent and free will;
are beneficiaries of a rapid and sustainable economic development. It took a
very bitter struggle and sacrifice to build the country we see now; a country
where democratic values are rooting. And this will always be part of history.
Today Ethiopia has recorded many positive results as a consequence of its
federal system. Nevertheless, some doomsday prophets and previous
regimes nostalgic oppositions did not deter from spewing negative commentaries
on the political system and the positive stride that it’s making.
There
are no rumors left unsaid by these extremist forces, which are busy blackening
the developmental and democratic order that’s being successful; disappointed in
the fact that the development and unity of the nation, nationalities and people
of Ethiopia is gaining strength. “What benefits will be gained in waging a smear
campaign that claims the federal system will disintegrate the country? How far
will it take them?”
As
it can be imagined, at the time of the demise of the dictatorial military junta,
there was other though challenges that demanded immediate attention. At the
time, progressive and democratic forces that believed federalism is the remedy for
all the political, economic, and social ills of the country stood on one side. On
the other side, there were forces who flaunted two polar extremist outlooks on
the opposite side of the spectrum.
At
the time, the fact that armed ethnic based rebels existed in numbers was one
issue. And these forces believed the solutions to the problem of the country
lied with secession, not fully understanding the country’s realities on the
ground. On the other hand, considering
federalism as a threat to the country’s unity, there were forces who worked and
operated to replace nation, nationalities and peoples’ equality and democratic
rights with ‘we know for you’ politics in the name of an antique version of
“unity”, pushing the country to the brink of nonstop chaos. As a consequence, there was the need to put up
a huge fight against these anti-Ethiopia forces and overcome these challenges
in a swift way in order to establish a democratic and federal state. The result
was a win for the progressive and democratic forces.
Even
after this, things did not become easy. The country again faced an
insurmountable amount of challenges. Out of these challenges, the fight against
the number one enemy of the county; poverty, took centre stage. And it’s
decided that this common enemy will be combated with the cooperative hands of
the government and the whole country. So, the government taking the leading
initiative moved into action in preparing the upping public mentally against the
fight poverty.
At
the time, identifying key questions like, ‘how is the fight against poverty
going to be undertaken?’ and ‘what are the key issues that would help win
against this common enemy?, were important. Although the government made the stage
open in ratifying the constitution, some previous regimes nostalgic and
anti-peace forces that were salivating at a chance of a short cut to power did
not want to accept the situation easily. Nevertheless, the transitional
government did not back down from making it clear to these forces, through
various efforts, that power emanates from the people. There were huge works
done in making sure power emanates and comes from the vote and consent of the
Ethiopian people.
At
this time, fighting off contradicting outlooks like, ‘the country should not
have a constitution’, and ‘a country built under the system of ethnic based
federalism won’t be good in any way’, became major hurdles for the government.
Yet, overcoming these hurdles, the nation, nationalities and people of Ethiopia,
through their own consent and will ratified the FDRE constitution. This
constitution, serving as their covenant document, has been able to answer
centuries old demands of the Ethiopian people.
This
act made it clear that they have no enemy other than poverty. The whole
Ethiopian people stood to fight against poverty, which had put them to
embarrassment and hand outs. They stood hand in hand with each other to fight
this enemy of theirs, who have been a ‘monkey on their back’. The people being
led by the government formulated policies and strategies; they start to record
before then unprecedented economic development in the country. Starting to move
out of the vicious circle of poverty, the country entered into a rapid and
sustainable growth and success. After the constitution was ratified and federal
system was implemented in the country, demands related to peace, development
and democracy started to be answered. Citizens’ right to self administration,
freedom of religion, the rights of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples to speak,
write and develop their own languages as well as to express, to develop,
promote and preserve their culture and history are guaranteed on a
constitutional level. Answering these demands was the cause for the age old
struggle of the Ethiopian people; and it was done successfully.
These
doomsday prophets were foretelling that the country would embroil into a
nonstop chaos, would face a threat of disintegration and the people will
massacre each other, if federalism is bestowed upon the country. Local and foreign
media outlets, political analysts and extremists has spewed utter nonsense by saying
the federal system does not help the country.
Of
course this is not the case of these Media and doomsday prophets not knowing
the country’s federal system will benefit the people, but instead a case of
choosing of siding with previous regime nostalgic extremist forces. Even though
the doomsday prophets and extremists said whatever they wanted to say, the
government and the people, not distracted by their confusion, they chose to
work for common development and strengthening their unity by making their
diversity their strength and beauty.
As
the constitution is the result of the people’s long standing struggle, it is by
taking this fact in to account that the constitution was ratified and put to
effect. Ethiopia’s culture, language and history are the creation of the sum of
Ethiopian people culture, language and history. And this reality is hosted, with its diversity
intact, by federalism system. And adhering to federal system is the only option
and solution for our country.
Some
doomsday prophets and extremists have sprung up with crazy scenarios and
analysis which suggests that the country will be in turmoil with instable
internal politics and its people will massacre each other. However, nobody shared
this conspiracy theory of theirs. It is known that the reason for this quite
obvious. This is because the federal system is built upon a strong foundation, i.e.
the consent and free will of the people; unlike what the extremist are claiming
to be. And it can be safely said that their outlook with regards with the
political system is distorted and wrong. And the nation, nationalities and
people of Ethiopia are playing a major role in strengthening the federal system
and the public’s unity. They have entered into a covenant to protect the
constitution. Yet, these so-called oppositions and extremists have chosen to
disregard the success of the federal system. Instead they are still working on
downplaying the federal system by exaggerating situations that can happen in
any society, without any sound evidence. What this sinister act of theirs show is that
they are trying to confuse the public by looking the positive stride of the
federal system from a distorted view.
But
the constitution that was enshrined through the blood of all the people of the
country being ratified, the Ethiopian nation, nationalities and people united
together are in ascending path. And the incoherent propaganda drummed by these
forces has no ears.
Nevertheless,
they have the nerve to say the federal system has failed. Some of them even
went as far as saying and writing the federal system has failed by citing some
of the disputes that erupt, for grazing land and water, between some of our
nation and nationalities of our country which has been going around for decades.
And
by claiming some Amharic speaking people have been forcefully moved from some
areas. They tell us myths and fantasy stories that don’t exist in the real
world. They don’t want to say that conflict is a social reality that exists in
any society. This is because this truth doesn’t play into their smear campaign.
Nevertheless,
conflict is a present phenomenon even in other developed countries, let alone
in a society that’s in a building process with regards to its awareness, like
our country. Not only this. It’s inevitable that man will enter conflict with
itself, its environment and with nature. And this has to do with scarcity of
the world’s natural resources. And Ethiopia is no different – as any country of
the world, it has deficiency of natural resources. Thus, conflict had and will
be a constant phenomenon.
However,
as the federal system has worked on this ongoing issue, unlike previous times,
the situation is changing. It has enabled the country’s nation, nationalities
and people to utilize their natural resource appropriately and for it to be a common
wealth with other neighboring people. However, the distorted views that were
put upon the people by previous regimes cannot be easily changed just like that
– it demands time, course and a change in mentality. Disregarding this
actuality, some shamelessly claim that it’s a ‘failed federalism’ just out of
their desire and irk to paint the political system in a negative way.
But
the federal system hasn’t failed. In fact the system is able to building the
strongest economy in Sub-Saharan Africa, which is benefitting the people
step-by-step, by sewing the people of the country in unity. So, it should be
noted that any failing of the political system only exists in the delusional
minds of the doomsday prophets and the extremists, and not in the new Ethiopia.
There are numbers of people who believe in and present the distorted the views
of the foreign based personalities, who has their own sinister agenda, as it
is.
All
in all, it should be understood that the political system that’s being build in
our country is self-correct system. As it’s known, every federalism political
system is not built in a day. There will most definitely be challenges. So, it
will face minor chinks that need to be ironed. The important thing is whether
these temporary challenges are solved capably. With regards to this, the
federal system that’s being built in our country has reached its current state by
giving timely response and adjustments to issues that arise in these kinds of
situations. By solving these challenges, it has been able to create a system
that enabled nation, nationalities and people of Ethiopia live with their
consent and free will.
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