My motto: Exclusion ends in violence. Inclusion
ends in justified election.
The following quotation is going to be permanent in Focus on Eritrean
Election. But next time it will be put at the end of the article with
a sample of the day’s quotation from “Perverting Elections”.
“It shall be unlawful for a foreign national directly or through any
other person to make any contribution of money or other thing of value,
or to promise expressly or impliedly to make any such contribution,
in connection with an election to any political office or in connection
with any primary election….
Title 2, United States Code Amended (USCA), Section 441e(a)”
For today, I am going to continue with the promise I made in part two,
Focus on Eritrean Election, to comment from the article “DEMOCRACY
IN ERITREA: A PROGRAMMATIC PROPOSAL By Herui T. Bairu, STOCKHOLM
August 8, 2000” in Asmarino.com. I said, “Mr. Hirue Tedla outlined eloquently
the purpose and significance of election of independents rather than
multiparty election as the first step to democratization in Eritrea.”
Mr. Hirue Tedla is one of the intelligent intellectuals Eritrea have.
I put aside for the gold medal he has in the race of confusing matters.
What I am going to be interested is; not on his personality and I swear,
I will never be his follower, but no matter with the mess he creates,
I am going to extract, the valuable ideas and intelligence of him. To
make use best out of it, to the purpose of use in Eritreaan politics.
That is my principal aim. Therefore, in the above document proposed
by him there are important information that we can make use of it.
Mr. Hirue’s proposal, election of independents to the Eritrean parliament,
is now widely accepted and confirmed by the 14th session of our national
congress conducted at the end of, January, this year. The election in
Eritrea, which is going to be led by tegadalia Mohamed Nur will be election
of independents. That is reality and we have to accept it. The question
now will be; is it going to be fair and free election? Is it going to
be an exclusionary or an all inclusive election? Is there going to be
reconciliation between the opposition groups and the Eritrean government?
Above all, can we imagine that, we Eritreans to behave in a civilized
way, to accommodate our differences and share the burden of the difficult
days we are going to face up to the election day? What about the reconstruction
homework, waiting us, side by side with the election? There are so many
questions that can be raised, but for the time being let us discuss
the above mentioned issues.
The analysis for the above raised questions, is going to be based on
the assumption that, the election of independents would be acceptable,
by the opposition groups, and the effort will be to work together, so
that, the election to be materialized without boycott or other subversive
sabotage acts. I would like to emphasize that, other means than to participate
directly to the election of independents, by the opposition groups,
will lead Eritrea to chaos and bloodshed and for that the responsibility
will be on the opposition groups. I have a reason to say so. This time,
to try to press the Eritrean government, to radically alter its decision,
in favor of multi party election will be futile attempt. It won’t work.
Why? Because, we have experienced how the Eritrean parliament works,
period. The best solution now is, to participate in the election of
independents and get in there, in the parliament and work within it,
to improve it, for the best of the country. The coming election, is
going to be, a golden opportunity, for all of us, to show tolerance,
comfort to each other, and to the utmost behave in a civilized manner.
The other bad solution is, to reject the election of independents and
remain opposition group outside the main stream politics of Eritrea.
Being out from the main stream of the Eritrean politics and opposing
the government by all means, will end to the destruction of our country.
Then the government will say “While the Dogs barks, the Camel marches”.
The other worst scenario will be, if the Eritrean government, with out
due consideration to the well being and comfort of its people, tries
to systematically exclude the opposition groups. I am taking in consideration,
the clause, that prohibits from participation in election, for those
who are accused of subverts actions of what so ever character, you name
it . It is this weapon of the government that makes the election of
the independents to be not free and unfair. But, this is simply my assumption.
I could be proved wrong by the keen and good gesture of the government,
to make the election free and fair. If that is the case then Eritrea
will be a happy country and that is my dream.
The second question is; whether the election is going to be an exclusionary
or an all inclusive election? This is in fact, a litmus test for the
Eritrean government to reveal its identity. If the Eritrean government
uses an exclusion method then we know that it is power sick, selfish
and we are going to expect more suppression against its opponents. On
the other hand , if the Eritrean government uses an inclusion method
then we know that it is genuine and we can trust it, to lead us, to
the final goal of democratization process.
On the other side is the opposition groups case. The litmus test for
the opposition groups is; are they going to participate in the coming
election of independents or are they going to reject it? If they are
selfish, power hungry opposition groups, then they are going to reject
the election of the independents and are going to work to remove the
Eritrean government by using exclusion method. On the other hand, if
the opposition groups are genuine and want the well being and welfare
of all Eritreans, then they are going to work with the Eriteran government
for the coming election to be successful using inclusion method. The
choice is up to the Eritrean government and the opposition groups. We
the masses, the people are going to witness, history at this juncture,
to be good for Eritrea using inclusion method or bad using exclusion
method. History is going to judge them. Don’t forget that, Afghanistan’s
disastrous fall, was due to the exclusion method used by the warring
factions. Now the interim government in Afghanistan had vowed to work
for an inclusion method and if they sticks to their words, for sure
their are going to succeed. But, if they fall to the trap, of every
political group’s sickness of power and try to use exclusion method
then they are going to invite violence. That is the vicious circle of
exclusion method.
The third question is about reconciliation. Is there going to be reconciliation
among warring factions in Eritrean politics? My believe is, Yes. That
is why I am working to introduce the venue to reconciliation is inclusion
method. Deep in my heart, I feel that finally there is going to be full
reconciliation among Eritreans. The good start is going to be the result
of the verdict of the border commission at The Hague. With that verdict,
we Eritreans are going to be united unprecedented in our history. To
understand the steps for reconcilation take the following practical
notion and procedures as an example.
To construct a house, that is a home for a family, the basics are: First
is, fundament, the next step is the walls and final is the roof. The
finished home gives warmth, comfort and security to the livelihood of
the family. The parallel to the construction of house, the construction
of Eritrea, the home of the Eritrean peoples family, the basics are:
First is, inclusion method, the next step is reconciliation and final
is multi party democracy. Therefore, to be complete as a country, one
people, one heart and one flag, then the procedures are outlined above.
There is no other way. On this occasion, I want to express my satisfaction
with EPLF-DP program that they included in their program an inclusion
method. It means that, they are in the right direction. We expect them
they to be genuine enough, to work with the Eritrean government, for
the coming election to be successful and convince us that they are genuine
opposition group by participating in the construction of Eritrea.
Conclusion, the two questions remained are about our behavior to act
in civilized manner and the home work waiting us to the construction
of Eritrea. My understanding about the civilized manner of the Eritrean
people is, no doubt on my side, all the time it is spoiled by the warring
factions, the political groups. I believe that the civilization of the
Eritrean people is messed by these warring factions. Still I believe
that the Eritrean people is curtailed not to show its civilization by
these warring political groups. As for the home work for reconstruction
of Eritrea, we should not delay it because we are opposing the government,
for its act, on disappointing us. All the help and the support we give
to Eritrea, we should do it for the sake of the courageous and proud
Eritrea people. We should not think that by not participating on the
construction of Eritrea we take revenge on the Eritrean government.
That is weakness of a fallible opposition group. I thing genuine opposition
group should be farsighted and plan long range aim to win the minds
and hearts of the Eritrean population by participating positively.
God bless Eritrea
Tesfamicael Yohannes
Oslo, Norway
The following note is, from the book “ROGUE STATE”, by William Blum.
“Perverting Elections”. Philippines, 1950s
Flagrant manipulation by the CIA of the nation’s political life, featuring
stage-managed elections with extensive misinformation campaigns, heavy
financing of candidates, writing their speeches, drugging the drinks
of one of the opponents of the CIA candidates so he would appear incoherent,
plotting the assassination of another candidate. The agency covertly
set up an organization called National Movement for Free Elections,
the better to promote its agenda, and trusting citizens joined up all
over the country. The New York Times was also trusting. It praised the
Philippine’s political and electoral development, declaring that “It
is not without reason that the Philippines has been called “democracy’s
showcase in Asia”.