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Local Elections For Direct Participation Vanished the zero sum games in Ethiopia

GebreTsadkan Kebede
Tigrai Online Feb. 21, 2013

Periodic Election is one of the most crucial and fundamentals of a democratic system. In Ethiopia , elections  play  significant role to safeguard the Constitutional Rights of all Nations, Nationalities, and People  in different angles. The fifth local election which going to be held  in April 2013 decisively contributes to safe guard both the human and democratic rights of  the citizens in the country.

The local election which will be conducted in April 2013 allows candidates to prevail seats in councils of cities, zones,sub cities and districts. This election has a great responsibilities to alter the state  and Federal  Government structure of the country and it would play a vital role in addressing  the challenges and arguments  prospect of good governance and speed up  to democratization process and the development  endeavors that have already been taking place across the country  sustainably.

The whole world know that democratic system is not the out come of the over night phenomena but the result of the long process and develops and improves through process. For instance, the highly developed nation US until the late of the 20th century didn’t allow women to vote their leaders. But they realized that nowadays women are able to seize the executive and the legislative bodies. Experiences assured that democratic countries such as the US reminds us that democratic process may be taken more than a century to implement and exercise effectively and efficiently.

How ever, even the word Democracy itself is a recent phenomena to our country and people as we were under the Monarchy for centuries and Military Governments for 17 years. So, democracy is an infant stage in our country and people.

This real fact is denied by some egotistical arrogant political parties who want to seize power by any means with out democratic elections. Normally, democratic elections ensure that the public govern themselves and maintain power in their hands. The contending Political parties should respect these human and democratic noble rights of citizens. The ultimate movement of the opposing political parties should promote their political agendas with the rule of the law and the constitution. They have to win the votes of the electorate only through peaceful means from the ballot box.

However, the die hard political parties not only denied these clear evidences but trying to change their tactic and strategies to mislead the world that the political atmosphere of the country is not conducive to them as they are singing the same songs with same intonations in the 2005.Probably ,if they couldn’t participate in the local election, they may be ready to call the Arab spring for their political consumptions. They are provoking that the election will be meaning less if they couldn’t participate in the election. What pity is it ‼

In the local election, more than 28 million Ethiopians are registered for vote to participate actively respecting the constitution and the rule of law to practice their democratic rights. Based on these facts, more than 1.8 million people are also registered in the National Regional State Of Tigrai to participate actively in the 5th Local Election. In the region, there are three political parties other than the ruling party which are officially having opened offices in the region. However, none of these opponent parties could not participate in the local elections by sending their observers during the registration of voters except TPLF. There fore , we can jump into conclusion that these political parties are not ready politically to respect the public as local election are the grass root for ensuring democratization system as it is the direct participation of citizens to elect their leaders and that creates a closed linkage with the system that the country desired to rule by. They couldn’t give due attentions and emphases to the local election but the mass are there.

As we know , on October 30/2009 political parties which had seat in the parliament had reached an agreement in the Electoral Code of Conduct and its implementation strategies following a series of discussions since September 31/2009.Many of them had premeditated and exchanged views in the draft electoral code of conduct. It is clear that this electoral code of conduct has been prepared and by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Associations IDEA while political parties come up with various choices of implementation strategies taking into considerations and the experiences of various countries.

The code of conduct would also help to avoid suspicious and hatred politics among contesting parties and to enhance healthy relations and resolves political differences through peace full dialogue. So What do we understand from this noble point of view ?? The code of Conduct is a common agenda, standardized and guide line for all political parties.

The political parties like ‘MEDREK’ and its alliances as they haven’t clear ideology and political programs as strong as EPRDF, they use this local election for commodity purposes to sucking ( to milking) properties of the innocent Diaspora who support them emotionally.

Speaking frankly, many of the political parties are established for personal supremacy and source of income. What ever the political atmosphere is conducive or not, the power is in the hands of the mass. The public is the supreme of the power .The constitution is the corner stone which enhances nations , nationalities and people are the sovergnity of the country to do every thing. The people of Ethiopia who are inside are highly advanced in addressing politics which in favored of them or not.

One of the coalition of MEDREK, The Justice for Democracy and Sovereignty Of Tigrai ‘ARENA ‘ Tigrai agitate that the political sphere of the region is not fertile to it. Like other alliance of ‘MEDREK’ has different political back grounds and interest beyond the interest of the people of Tigrai. MEDREK which is the coalition of different parties with different political interests still haven’t reached a common consensus even to establish a Front. So how it could lead the country with out having common political agendas and programs?

It attempts itself as the gang political party and to monopolized the power as a single explode cell theory ( party). Even some toxic diasporas contribute money to support this party to make a bloody demonstrations in behalf of them to destabilize the country like the North Africa and the Middle East Arab countries. They change their mission and tactics in different aspects. For instance, they associated the rules and regulations of the ante terrorist law , the law of NGOs and their registration, the law of press, the collapsing of the cell of ‘harkat Jahad ‘with human rights as they are their weapons to impose their evil political interests up on the ruling party. .If a party doesn’t give recognitions and respect to other parties, how do we call it‘s a democratic party. This is the practice of MEDREK. This party always requests to negotiate with EPRDF rather than including other parties. Presupposes it self as explode party and coalition of elites.

But practically, they have not common political interest and consensus among the coalitions in the country. Even the party does not show any politically flexibility as politics by nature is flexible. Since an old dog can not learn new tricks, regardless what they propagate to mislead the public, we crucially understand what is going in our country to ensure sustainable development and to realize the renaissance of Ethiopia.

Finally, the tremendous endeavor of the government is to make the up coming local and national elections free, faire peaceful and democratic is of a great importance to all parties that run their tasks in line with the code of conduct and the legal constitution of the country. Besides, the public at large are expected to contribute their respective share towards ensuring free, fair, peaceful election and further enriching the democratic culture in the country.

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