From Yilma Begashaw
1. Why Congratulations?
1.1 EPRP is the only Ethiopian Political Party that has never sided with any of those successive repressive Ethiopian regimes since its formation 34 years ago.
1.2 EPRP is the Party that has never surrendered the Ethiopian sovereignty and our people’s interest to foreign powers for short term self interest.
1.3 EPRP is the only Party that never perished since its formation despite combined excessive internal and external pressures from the enemies of our people.
1.4 EPRP is a Party that has never changed as far as the lasting long-term democratic interests of our people are concerned.
1.5 That is why I am obliged to forward these congratulatory remarks, for the sake of fairness, honesty and true testimony.
2. Who is EPRP? What is EPRP?
2.1 Introduction:
It may look patronising to ponder these types of questions to those who know the EPRP since its formation. But 34 years is nearly the average life
expectancy of our people in the contemporary Ethiopia. During those good years, over a million innocent citizens have lost their precious lives in the hands of successive brutal dictatorial regimes, during their genuine struggle for democracy. There is also the youth group that is born since, some of whom is being poisoned by the venom of the repressive regimes and their cadres with distorted and biased accounts of the truth. Thus, please allow me to air few personal comments about the question of the EPRP.
2.2 Before the formation of the EPRP, there were lots of repressions arising from the policies of the Feudal regime headed by an Absolute narchy, grossly affecting the lives of the Peasants and the Working Class. The economy of the country and our people’s welfare could not advance due to the rigidity and failure of those aristocratic Feudal Systems. Famine, displacement and mass death became rampant. Experience from such countries as the Soviet Union, Canada, Vietnam and Cuba showed that protracted struggle of the oppressed masses can bring down oppressive regimes.Ethiopia could not be an exception to sit idle in the face of gross repressions.
The 1953 attempted coup d’état , led by General Mengistu Neway, who was the Head of the Emperor’s Royal Guard (Kibr Zebegna) was a testimony. General Mengistu was one of the few most privileged top Officials of the time. His brother, Germame was highly educated in the USA and was in the ranks of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Kwame Nkrumah. Workneh Gebeyehu and the other members who joined the struggle were all privileged members. However, their conscience did not allow them to drive luxurious cars on the corpses of the starving fellow citizens. Starving people were harrased to pay tributes to the land lords. There was a saying: ‘diha yemibelawn yita enji yemikeflewn ayatam’., meaning, the poor may starve but will still have some thing to pay. They rebelled and paid heavy life sacrifices. Dead corpses were brought to Addis and were hung (notably those of Germame and Workneh) and those that were captured alive, notably General Mengistu, received a death penalty from the Emperor’s regime. The 1953 appraisal was a turning point as far as a protracted struggle was concerned, to liberate our people from the repressive absolute Aristocracy. It set a very good example. University and high school students soon started ferocious struggle against the regime. In the following years, teachers and workers joined the struggle for democracy and justice. It was out of this objective reality that the EPRP finally emerged to lead that protracted struggle. It is perhaps worth mentioning that this Party called the EPRP was supported by almost all most distinguished and self-less members of the society, including Professors, Doctors, Engineers, Managers, Teachers, Nurses, students, workers, farmers, etc. without the barriers of age, gender, nationality or class. This, I think, is who the EPRP is and what it has been up to.
3. Consistency in the Main Principles of the EPRP
Based on past lessons, the EPRP has made a number of changes to its policies and strategies. Few of its members have abandoned their Party and joined enemy camps. However, the EPRP as a Party has always maintained its independence. As mentioned above, it has never sided with repressive regimes for its self interest. Compared to those organisations that sided with the brutal military dictatorship or the ethnic based Woyane Fascism and extended the sufferings of our people, the EPRP has an undeniable perfect record of consistency in its struggle for peace, democracy and prosperity of our people.
4. What do we Learn from the EPRP?
4.1 Those who struggle for the betterment of their people can die, but the struggle will continue until the inevitable eventual victory for our people.
4.2 One can make few financial and material gains by siding with repressive regimes. But they will always live with guilt. Their children will feel
ashamed through out their lives. The Almighty God will give them their due punishments
4.3 On the other hand, those who care for their people, those who struggle for the oppressed people and those who genuinely pray for such people will live and die happily, with grace, dignity and good history.
4.4 EPRP is not fighting for political power. EPRP always admits that it is beyond the isolated struggle of single parties to defeat the combined internal and external enemies of our people and the sovereignty of our nation. It always calls for the united struggle.
4.5 Our beloved country at the moment is in a grave problem. Our future is uncertain. Our enemies will never sleep.
4.6 Let us forgive each other for the past mistakes and join hands to free our people before the Dawn of this endangered Millennium.
4.7 Our people have suffered enough and let us contribute to making the coming Millennium a better era to live in, with democracy, peace and prosperity.
May Our Almighty God be with Us and guide us through our good objectives.
