Finding Oneself In A Democracy
It will be difficult for almost anyone in Ethiopia to find themselves in a democracy. The reason for that could be attributed to the fact that it is a new doctrine to the people who were transformed into communist adherents from feudal-monarchy adherents. There is a huge difference between feudal-monarchy on one hand and communism on the other, because communism tends to allow some kind of freedom in such a way that the people will not be exploited by anyone else per se. The government is for the people and by the people theoretically, although the people cannot elect a government to put in office. Historically, communist leaders had always been revolutionary people who were struggling to free the system from whom they believed to be reactionary leaders and when they succeed, their only difference is they will sacrifice their self-interest in the name of the people they are going to govern and the revolution they conduct. They unite their subjects, mostly lost and bewildered bunches, by making them rally around certain slogans that mostly demonize the previous regime in whatever form it was.
If we look at what happened in Ethiopia "land to the tiller" had been a powerful slogan that united everyone against the absentee landlords. The next step was to make good on the promise made and enable the then tenants and today’s small farmers to be able to own their land. The question, however, is even if there might not be readily available statistics, some tenants used to have their own plot of land on the side that they were farming for their own, while in addition they were working for the absentee landlords who used to allow them to keep two-third of the income generated. Some of the perks they were allowed were not paying property tax on the land they were farming, although they had to pay tax on the land they used to own. It does not mean there were not tenants who did not have their own land and were living reasonably well off with what they were generating. That was history and the then revolutionaries had exploited certain incidents to expedite their takeover attempt that might have stalled if the absentee landlords did not commit grave mistakes.
This particular group makes up more than 85 percent of the population in the country and when we introduce democracy, it should work for them too. At this point in time, the government in office is somewhat a caretaker government that goes out of its way to help this group, simply because they are backward in most of the things they are doing and that includes their production method, as well as the quantity they are harvesting, which is key, as that is what everyone is dependant upon for food, including the non-farming community. The non-farming community, especially the urban dwellers presumably ought to have more means of feeding themselves at their disposal, as it is applicable in most developing countries. These other resources depend on the advancement level of the various nations, where some of them have natural resources, and those that do not have natural resources such as Ethiopia are trying to come up with creative ways to generate more income so that they will have more buying power that is dependant on the foreign exchange they can generate by exporting. There are also various programs that will channel money into the coffer of the governments, although these days, such monies are strictly controlled and go directly for what they are allocated to. This is, more or less, the economic scene of the country that is emulating to become a democratic country that has a few more sources of income that had been hot issues recently, both from inside of the country and outside.
In a real sense, it is difficult to see what the introduction of democracy will bring forward in the country, except maybe buying and selling land might be possible. Buying and selling land have their advantages, yet, they cannot be the sole solution for a backward country such as Ethiopia, but their absence could exacerbate things. Therefore, there has to be some visible advantages that we can talk about, because the drive to bring democracy into the country at this point could rid of the nation and the public the administration in office that came to power taking advantage of an international incident namely the dismantling of the Soviet Union that changed the face of what the so called communist countries were doing. That was so because they were heavily dependant on the aid they were getting from the Soviet Union and that is what run aground the communist government in the country. Hence, the big appeal of democracy might be to get rid of the government in office that many see as opportunistic and parasitistic.
There is also a worst fear than living with the existing government that deserves credit for trying to do things right, in spite of the outcry that is facing every move it makes. This fear is the earlier ruling class that took some respite by introducing communism, without loosening its power on the government would definitely take advantage of the introduction of democracy to claim what it lost, which is total control of the nation by one ethnic group. What is happening currently is not different than that, but it is not possible to compare TPLF with the Amharas, because TPLF had introduced a seemingly workable party, which is EPRDF, even if it is the Tigreans who are still calling the shots and the damage they are causing abounds, although many observers are saying that it is almost non-existent when it is compared to what the Amharas were doing before the arrival of the Derg or even after that. In addition, there is unprecedented regional freedom, even if some are looking at it as fragmentation.
Because of that, there is fear in the country that is quietly grilling the public and the main reason why world powers might be lukewarm on the issue of Ethiopia’s becoming democratic is this fear of what would the Amharas do if the introduction of democracy get rid of TPLF or if it manages to tie their hands making the rest of the nation defenseless. That would happen if TPLF walks away and declare its region an independent country or they could form a federation with Eretreans who are basically Tigreans themselves. This issue is important because that election season is approaching and we are hearing new parties are being formed. Those who are forming new parties are runaway groups from CUD that had claimed to have won the 2005 election if that was true, and if the party did not have some solid proof of its being a threat to TPLF, it would have been difficult for it to claim that feat, not only in front of Ethiopians, but in front of the world that was not in a position to defy the claim without wavering. Moreover, this feared and suspected party had made a comeback recently and the members are talking big as usual. There is also no guarantee that the two parties that were formed recently by a run-away disgruntled members are not a proxy of the same old CUD machine that is determined to snatch whatever advantage TPLF is milking by tightening its grip on power.
This reminds most of us that, unless some things are changed drastically, the introduction of democracy in the country could do more damage. That would be so because the nation is not going back to the Derg’s era that had got rid of the feudal-monarchy system that had some touch of democracy since there were elections. In fact it would definitely take back the nation to where it was before the 1974 change, with some window dressings, because the new players will be more tactful in disguising their wrongdoings that will harbor looking after the interest of one ethnic group and maybe a few adherents and beneficiaries of the new system who are from other ethnic groups. The same thing could be applicable with the regime in office where ethnic groups other than Tigreans in EPRDF are said to be puppets who are either under the barrel of a gun or they benefit themselves from what is taking place.
This reality clearly shows the dilemma the nation is in and it is very difficult to say where the solution will come from. Yet, one decisive solution could come from the Amharas themselves who need a huge dose of soul searching that will enable them to realize the kind of handicap they are becoming to the whole nation, simply because they have found it very difficult to give up their old drive of controlling the whole nation for the sole interest of one ethnic group, which is their own. Everyone knows it, but there is not much anyone can do except to be aware of its existence at the top of the agenda of this particular ethnic group. The outcome is the making and breaking of the nation is in the hands of the Amharas, where if they only change their outlook, this particular country that is suffering from insurmountable malice would be on its way to find a long-term solution. Unless that is the case, we are not talking about Zimbabwe where one group that is calling itself veterans would have to milk the nation to death, simply because they were instrumental in liberating the nation from the European rulers. Even people of the same stock are not trusting each other and Zimbabweans, because of their being colonized, their education level might be better than Ethiopia, yet they are having the kind of problem that they are grappling with among very similar stocks.
When it comes to Ethiopia, there is a vivid difference if one ethnic group goes out to look after the interest of its own members only, because it would be very easy to draw a line. The worry is if democracy is going to put unprecedented power into the hands of such a group in the country, it will put others at a huge disadvantage that will end up taking them back to where they were, where people did not have basic rights except as a token, allowed by those who were in charge of them. That was taking place not only in the country of their birth, but that of all their predecessors. Therefore, the quick conclusion is to understand that the fear of going back to where the country was has to be eliminated for good. The problem is we do not have any means of doing that at this moment than allowing the government in office to continue doing what it is doing, because those in charge were also victims and there is no reason why they will not become worse victims because of what they had managed to accomplish. One simple solution that we can suggest here is the Amharas do not need to become politically strong, nor they have any kind of obligation that they have to be the political leaders of the nation. Consequently, if they love their country, their prized contribution would be to curtail their political ambition and let those who were oppressed when they were in charge decide their own future and fate without their interference. The only thing they need is a guarantee that no one will trample on their rights and democracy, where they will not have a domineering role to play.
If we look at what happened in Ethiopia "land to the tiller" had been a powerful slogan that united everyone against the absentee landlords. The next step was to make good on the promise made and enable the then tenants and today’s small farmers to be able to own their land. The question, however, is even if there might not be readily available statistics, some tenants used to have their own plot of land on the side that they were farming for their own, while in addition they were working for the absentee landlords who used to allow them to keep two-third of the income generated. Some of the perks they were allowed were not paying property tax on the land they were farming, although they had to pay tax on the land they used to own. It does not mean there were not tenants who did not have their own land and were living reasonably well off with what they were generating. That was history and the then revolutionaries had exploited certain incidents to expedite their takeover attempt that might have stalled if the absentee landlords did not commit grave mistakes.
This particular group makes up more than 85 percent of the population in the country and when we introduce democracy, it should work for them too. At this point in time, the government in office is somewhat a caretaker government that goes out of its way to help this group, simply because they are backward in most of the things they are doing and that includes their production method, as well as the quantity they are harvesting, which is key, as that is what everyone is dependant upon for food, including the non-farming community. The non-farming community, especially the urban dwellers presumably ought to have more means of feeding themselves at their disposal, as it is applicable in most developing countries. These other resources depend on the advancement level of the various nations, where some of them have natural resources, and those that do not have natural resources such as Ethiopia are trying to come up with creative ways to generate more income so that they will have more buying power that is dependant on the foreign exchange they can generate by exporting. There are also various programs that will channel money into the coffer of the governments, although these days, such monies are strictly controlled and go directly for what they are allocated to. This is, more or less, the economic scene of the country that is emulating to become a democratic country that has a few more sources of income that had been hot issues recently, both from inside of the country and outside.
In a real sense, it is difficult to see what the introduction of democracy will bring forward in the country, except maybe buying and selling land might be possible. Buying and selling land have their advantages, yet, they cannot be the sole solution for a backward country such as Ethiopia, but their absence could exacerbate things. Therefore, there has to be some visible advantages that we can talk about, because the drive to bring democracy into the country at this point could rid of the nation and the public the administration in office that came to power taking advantage of an international incident namely the dismantling of the Soviet Union that changed the face of what the so called communist countries were doing. That was so because they were heavily dependant on the aid they were getting from the Soviet Union and that is what run aground the communist government in the country. Hence, the big appeal of democracy might be to get rid of the government in office that many see as opportunistic and parasitistic.
There is also a worst fear than living with the existing government that deserves credit for trying to do things right, in spite of the outcry that is facing every move it makes. This fear is the earlier ruling class that took some respite by introducing communism, without loosening its power on the government would definitely take advantage of the introduction of democracy to claim what it lost, which is total control of the nation by one ethnic group. What is happening currently is not different than that, but it is not possible to compare TPLF with the Amharas, because TPLF had introduced a seemingly workable party, which is EPRDF, even if it is the Tigreans who are still calling the shots and the damage they are causing abounds, although many observers are saying that it is almost non-existent when it is compared to what the Amharas were doing before the arrival of the Derg or even after that. In addition, there is unprecedented regional freedom, even if some are looking at it as fragmentation.
Because of that, there is fear in the country that is quietly grilling the public and the main reason why world powers might be lukewarm on the issue of Ethiopia’s becoming democratic is this fear of what would the Amharas do if the introduction of democracy get rid of TPLF or if it manages to tie their hands making the rest of the nation defenseless. That would happen if TPLF walks away and declare its region an independent country or they could form a federation with Eretreans who are basically Tigreans themselves. This issue is important because that election season is approaching and we are hearing new parties are being formed. Those who are forming new parties are runaway groups from CUD that had claimed to have won the 2005 election if that was true, and if the party did not have some solid proof of its being a threat to TPLF, it would have been difficult for it to claim that feat, not only in front of Ethiopians, but in front of the world that was not in a position to defy the claim without wavering. Moreover, this feared and suspected party had made a comeback recently and the members are talking big as usual. There is also no guarantee that the two parties that were formed recently by a run-away disgruntled members are not a proxy of the same old CUD machine that is determined to snatch whatever advantage TPLF is milking by tightening its grip on power.
This reminds most of us that, unless some things are changed drastically, the introduction of democracy in the country could do more damage. That would be so because the nation is not going back to the Derg’s era that had got rid of the feudal-monarchy system that had some touch of democracy since there were elections. In fact it would definitely take back the nation to where it was before the 1974 change, with some window dressings, because the new players will be more tactful in disguising their wrongdoings that will harbor looking after the interest of one ethnic group and maybe a few adherents and beneficiaries of the new system who are from other ethnic groups. The same thing could be applicable with the regime in office where ethnic groups other than Tigreans in EPRDF are said to be puppets who are either under the barrel of a gun or they benefit themselves from what is taking place.
This reality clearly shows the dilemma the nation is in and it is very difficult to say where the solution will come from. Yet, one decisive solution could come from the Amharas themselves who need a huge dose of soul searching that will enable them to realize the kind of handicap they are becoming to the whole nation, simply because they have found it very difficult to give up their old drive of controlling the whole nation for the sole interest of one ethnic group, which is their own. Everyone knows it, but there is not much anyone can do except to be aware of its existence at the top of the agenda of this particular ethnic group. The outcome is the making and breaking of the nation is in the hands of the Amharas, where if they only change their outlook, this particular country that is suffering from insurmountable malice would be on its way to find a long-term solution. Unless that is the case, we are not talking about Zimbabwe where one group that is calling itself veterans would have to milk the nation to death, simply because they were instrumental in liberating the nation from the European rulers. Even people of the same stock are not trusting each other and Zimbabweans, because of their being colonized, their education level might be better than Ethiopia, yet they are having the kind of problem that they are grappling with among very similar stocks.
When it comes to Ethiopia, there is a vivid difference if one ethnic group goes out to look after the interest of its own members only, because it would be very easy to draw a line. The worry is if democracy is going to put unprecedented power into the hands of such a group in the country, it will put others at a huge disadvantage that will end up taking them back to where they were, where people did not have basic rights except as a token, allowed by those who were in charge of them. That was taking place not only in the country of their birth, but that of all their predecessors. Therefore, the quick conclusion is to understand that the fear of going back to where the country was has to be eliminated for good. The problem is we do not have any means of doing that at this moment than allowing the government in office to continue doing what it is doing, because those in charge were also victims and there is no reason why they will not become worse victims because of what they had managed to accomplish. One simple solution that we can suggest here is the Amharas do not need to become politically strong, nor they have any kind of obligation that they have to be the political leaders of the nation. Consequently, if they love their country, their prized contribution would be to curtail their political ambition and let those who were oppressed when they were in charge decide their own future and fate without their interference. The only thing they need is a guarantee that no one will trample on their rights and democracy, where they will not have a domineering role to play.
posted by Ethio-Probe @ 5:18 PM
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