Only in Meles' Ethiopia

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Only in Meles' Ethiopia

Paulos Yrgaw. pyrgaw@yahoo.ca, Sept 05, 2012

A new chapter is in the offing. The preceding chapters however, in the post-Dergue era heralded unprecedented political stability, prosperity and the enactment of a maturing pillars of democratic institutions as well. If anything, it is a testament to the larger than life legacy of Meles Zenawi and the ruling party. As the surged anxiety and marauding heartbreak in the aftermath of Meles' untimely death let up, Ethiopia is to step on a new horizon where the desensitized eyes are to meet a new reality, a reality that "betrays" a status quo that has defined Ethiopia's long history.

Sure enough, the macro and micro-anatomy of power in Ethiopia has been vacillating between the Amharas and Tigreans where the former assumed power by virtue of entitlement and the latter assumed power by mobilizing the masses as the nation was under the grip of a military junta. When the kernel of the ruling party is based on the equality of nations and nationalities in the political participation of nation building, the accumulation of power with in T.P.L.F has always been transient and a means to an end never an end by itself. To be more precise, it has always been unescapable fact that the epicenter of power is meant to diffuse into the periphery where the ascension to the highest echelon of power of the soon to be Prime Minister is a testimony to that effect.

The new reality that has been groomed for the last two years is a milestone in itself to say the least. It can only happen in Meles' Ethiopia. For the first time, in the history of the nation, a cerebral academic who hails from the Southern Nations with a Protestant confession of faith is about to assume the highest office on the land. The 47 years old, Hailemariam Desalegn has already garnered a reputation of a no-nonesense guy with a penchant for pedantics marinated with a strong work ethic.

It sure is incredibly difficult to fill in Meles' shoes, however, Hailemariam Desalegn and the Ethiopian people find consolation on the fact that, Meles Zenawi has solidified the political, social, economic and other institutions where it will be less daunting and challenging as the new Prime Minister rolls up his sleeves to carry on where Meles Zenawi left of. Moreover, as we have witnessed with in the last two weeks the unprecedented commitment of the people to push forward in a bid to elevate the nation onto a middle-income nation; more peaceful in an otherwise volatile region; Hailemariam Desalegn has every reason to be at ease as he steps on the billboards of history.