Virus in election 2001.
I was preparing and writing, a summary of the ten articles, presented
by me in Asmarino.com by the heading focus on election 2001. All of
a sudden, the shock of the fall of the world trade center in New York
and the arrest of the 11 reformist and their associates, estimated to
be about 60 (from unconfirmed source) made me to be in stand still and
took me some time together my consciousness. I forward on this occasion,
my sympathy with those who lost their love in the tragic event on 11
September in USA and I wish this would give a lesson to the whole world
community, hate in heart is the problem for man kind and it is time
to replace hate with love. Now leaving aside the event of USA, I am
going to concentrate the most important issue to me the Eritrean political
case.
Until recently, I was mocking, bacteria infected the diseases of the
Eritrean politics, but this time I raise the level to virus infection.
Let me explain why I meant by the raising of the level from bacterial
infection to virus infection. It is believed that bacterial infection
is curable with the right and timing dose of medicines. But virus infection
is not as easily curable to date. Eritrean politics, in the past, I
believed could be corrected and I was believing that by intensifying
civic education we are to going reach a political atmosphere, which
is favorable for accommodation and tolerable. All that effort in my
side, which I tried to contribute my share by participating in healthy
discussions, especially my articles in focus election 2001, was meant
and still is meant to conduct civic education to create civil society
in Eritrea. I believe in permanent solution rather than temporary solution,
which is now the main problem in Eritrea. The Eritrean government and
the opposition groups are desperately fighting for power struggle, which
is a temporary solution.
Why the Eritrean government and the opposition groups do not choose
the simple and easy way to administrate Eritrea is not difficult to
understand it. The Eritrean government and the opponents chosen the
elimination of one other by exclusion method and both are inviting violence.
They didn’t realize that the best solution for Eritrea is to have all
at the same time. This is what I call the inclusion method. If the Eritrean
government and the opposition groups do not have a slight knowledge
what is meant by inclusion method I wish to participate in an intensive
courses or seminars about this subject matter. I wish to see by those
who love Eritrea from deep of their heart to arrange seminars and courses
about the inclusion method in Eritrean politics as the only reliable
method to our success. I can afford my time and energy for this noble
job to save Eritrea from political disaster.
To understand the difference and the impact in shaping the course of
events in Eritrean politics, it is imperative to understand the consequences
by what an exclusion method or inclusion method results. To begin with
let me first asses the press and web sites handling of the Eritrean
politics.
The pro government presses like Haddas Eritrea and Trigta are not willing
to accommodate that criticise the government. They use the exclusion
method. The opponents of the government revolt to these newspapers.
Because of the lack of diversify opinions in these news papers they
are boring and weak in content.
The opponents of the government newspapers like Tsegenay and Setit are
too much critique and they publish hate opinions to the government.
Though they are sensational, but the sentiment they harbor as foes to
the government is obvious and they are disgusted newspapers. Some time
they deserve to be shut up. They use an exclusionary method. But I don’t
mean they to be suspended or to be banned. I am for freedom of press
and I am not going to support or give my sympathy to an organization
or government that is anti free press.
Both, the pro government and opponents to the government news papers,
if they would have used an inclusion method they would have contributed
to the flourishing and advancing of freedom of press in Eritrea. There
is the press law. Therefore, to use it properly and to be honest to
the freedom of press, both the pro and con of the government newspapers
have to be faithful to freedom of press and they have to use an inclusion
method. If they don’t know what is an inclusion method they ought to
take courses.
The web sites that are serving the Eritrean people by presenting opinions
and valuable information’s are commendable. Shabei.org the well known
pro government web site is boring and it seems to me like the news paper
“Addis Zemen” during Haile Selassie and Derg era. Well, the editors
of Shabei.org are paid agents of the government and it is foolishness
to expect diversified opinion from them. Shabei.org uses the exclusionary
method and I don’t expect them in future they will be an inclusion web
site. Their roll in future Eritrean politics will be negative.
Awate.com is the most opponent of the Eritrean government. Awate.com
is based on hate to the Eritrean government mostly because awate.com
believes that Christians dominate the Eritrean government. Its hate
to the Eritrean government is obvious and awate.com is not expected
to include the Eritrean government into its political agenda. Awate.com
uses exclusionary method and I don’t expect it to correct its method
and play positive roll in future Eritrean politics that includes all.
Eritrea1.org is a web site that possibly could try to use the inclusion
method. That is the pro and con to the Eritrean government to participate
but in a selective manner. And there is possibility that Erittea1.org
to entertain that harbours a sentiment of hate to the Eritrean government.
Especially in this desperate moment after it lost its prominent figures
that ended up in jail the trend of Eritrea1.org could go the wrong way.
What I am afraid of eritrea1.org is, it may become a hate propaganda
machine against the Eritrean government. It depends on the wisdom of
the editors of eritrea1.org to keep balance, to avoid hate propaganda
against the government and to concentrate only on providing information’s
and serving diversified opinions. By doing so may be eritrea1.org could
be a successful web site that uses inclusion method.
Asmarino.com is the web site that is my favorite. Others will see the
positive comment that I write about asmarino.com as an exaggeration.
Therefore, I choose to approach it differently. What is positive with
asmarino.com is, it is an inclusion web site. It includes all side.
There were people who at some time criticized it as an opponent to the
Eritrea government. They failed terribly to prove it. The reason was
the opinions of the pro government were shinning like a sunrise in asmarino.com
besides the con government comments. The con to the Eritrean government
expressed their opinion in asmarino.com without reservations. It is
my believe that the only web site among the Eritrean web sites, it is
Asmarino.com which is going to be the champion and successful web site
in reconciling and bringing the Eritrean people as one family. The reason
is it is because it uses inclusion method.
From what said in the above comment shows us that inclusion method is
the success. The other method the exclusion method may bring some success
to one group and disappointment to the other group, but that is temporarily.
Example is, the Eritrean government and its supporters may feel that
now they are victorious and have the upper hand against their excluded
opponents, but that is temporary. The permanent victory and success
is not by excluding and crushing a certain segment of the society. It
is by inclusion and understanding to each other’s need. It was possible
and it is still possible to correct it now.
I believe that in Eritrean politics the problem is lack of philosophy.
The Eritrean politics is full of extra ordinary heroism, sharp and smart
politicians. But, all of them lack wisdom. It is tragedy to miss this
most important ingredient in Eritrean politics. That is lack of wisdom.
All our problems could have solved dramatically if we have wisdom to
use an inclusion method.
Some people say that we are in crossroads. I say that we have already
passed the cross road and we are in a highway road. Unfortunately the
highway we are now in is under construction and it is closed not to
pursue forward. By the way, you can ask me, if the road is under construction
then there is a sign not to cross it and how did we get in the first
place to that blind highway? I don’t know. Don’t ask me like that question.
The question should be could we out now and come back to the right track?
My answer is YES. Turn back to the crossroad and see which way is the
correct path to the place we want to reach. Of course we want to reach
to a stable, democratic, prosperous and developed Eritrea. How to get
there? The answer is by inclusion method.
Conclusion, for to day my analyses after the hazardous events of the
fall of world trade center, the imprisonment of the reformists and the
shut up of free press in Eritrea short cuts here to be continued some
other time. However, I would like to conclude by saying that, if the
Eritrean government believes the reformist are guilty, it has to present
them to due course of the law and let the people know what the charges
are. Open the closed presses immediately. Whatever excuses and allegations
are not acceptable. The Eritrean government have to be wise enough to
live with this modern world. We are not going to live like Talibans
in Afghanistan. If the Eritrean government lacks the capacity to release
balanced information on time let it ask capable person to contribute
in helping the Eritrean government. The Eritrean government should come
to its senses and has to avoid the exclusion method that is using now.
Instead it has to follow the secured way to success, the inclusion method.
On the other hand, the opponents of the government has to come to their
senses and they have to stop in harassing the Eritrean government by
unfounded allegations, sabotage, defaming and contradicting the Eritrean
government in all sectors. The opponents of the Eritrean government
have to give time and space to the Eritrean government to perform its
duty. I am strongly in opposition of the opponents’s method to eliminate
the Eritrean government and replace it by their own fantasy. That won’t
work in Eritrea. Eritrea is not going to be a test laboratory for government
forming. Therefore, I strongly call the opposition groups, they to correct
their method and choose to the best for Eritrea to work by including
the Eritrean government.
Finally the virus in Eritrean politics is power struggle. Do you think
there will be a medicine for this virus in Eritrean politics? I hope
so and believe so that inclusion method will be the remedy.
In my next article I will try to present the summarization of the past
ten articles of focus on election 2001. And from now on, I selected
a motto that I am going to use it until the election 2001 day. The motto
will be as follows.
Exclusion ends in violence. Inclusion ends in justified election.
God bless Eritrea
Tesfamicael Yohannes
Oslo, Norway.