WHO ARE THE BLAMELESS?
By: O. Ujilu (Forbidden City, China)
It seems the near recent interparty infighting and tumultuous weeks cooled off and thinly veiled cloud of silence blanketing stranded Diaspora power brokers and kingmakers lost the game by their own ground. This outsourced political showdown in abroad will be remembered as a tragic event and display of savagery, moral corruption and a backlash in Ethiopian Diaspora politics.
It was demeaning to witness concerted purge, name-calling and opportunism took by surprise every nook and cranny of the Ethiopian society in foreign land. Behind a smoke screen of voice of the voiceless mantra, self claimed independent information houses did their best with a publicity stunt to drive the confrontation wild and mean. Those who had been credited to coin the one time popular phrase “KINIJIT IS SPIRIT” ate their own words and join the rank and file to unleash preemptive strike in a bid to secure the upper hand of Kinijit from the very man (Hailu Shawel) who pioneered and paid blood and sweat to build CUD from ground up more than anyone else. Nevertheless, “one who does not plant shall not reap” is the logical wisdom.
In the world of politics, deception and purge has long been wrongly understood as a mere sophistication and shortcut to satiate one’s thirst for power. In fact, in continent with a long history of ruthless despots, it is no wonder to see a new bred of self-serving gangs waiting on the wing. But what is humiliating was the response of the ordinary citizens who willfully support this madness or simply kept silence as if nothing is happen can’t escape historical justice. Nevertheless we involved or not, the effect of any political undertaking is going to knock every Ethiopians door directly or indirectly.
In the flourishing cyber world we are helping ourselves with plenty of disappointments and frustrations that mainly pointing finger at politicians. Many complainers insist politicians exclusively wreaking havoc on the progress of Ethiopian struggle and every one is willing to throw any conceivable blame on politicians alone. Indeed, throughout most of our political history the politicians have been for the most part the scapegoats.
I do share the angers and frustrations of my compatriots on some level. However, in my humble opinion, what we failed to recognize at the same time is the part of the blame that we have to share as much as the politicians do. We know that politicians do not survive in vacuum. In fact, they are backed by a range of backers – fundraisers, illusive cadres and con artists who took care of the dirty job, an army of mob that intimidate oppositions, propaganda machine that bent on fabricating and dispensing white lies to create confusion and gluttonous elitist who do the PR and cosmetic job to give a new face-lift for persons with dubious backgrounds. Aside from this power thirsty politicians where do this support come from is a crucial question that we must address. Regrettably, the answer is us – the people.
Let’s ask a question to ourselves, who supplied their life line to be able to crisscross North America to crack our unity? Who blindly applauded them even before comprehending what they intend to mean? Who threw gala party and supply special limousine while they were hell bent on threatening the very existence of Kinijit? Who wrote praising them to the skies for defying the legitimate hierarchy of authority? Who pays them standing ovation while they entertain a decision that defies all logic and dashed the hopes and aspiration of the Ethiopian people? Who said “YOU DID GOOD JOB” while they are campaigning against the very vision of CUD by deconstructing vibrant united people and recruiting militant cult that never ashamed of licking boots (e.g. Birtukan)?
Hence, “blame the politicians alone” is a rather illusive and unproductive gamble without addressing our own failure and share part of the blame as a people in letting a vibrant organization like CUD to tumble down. If we are going to succeed, one has to recognize the mighty power of the people to regulate and guide the direction of our struggle for a better outcome. An outcome in the interest of the Ethiopian people can only be achieved, if and only if we invest our energy, time and resources based on wise decision. We the people ought to take the driver seat of our destiny instead of letting to the mercy of a bunch of power hungry politicians. We have to put the check and balances in place whether our politicians are living up to their promises.
Undeserved praise will certainly turns human being into little gods. We shouldn’t have worshipping individuals just because they have a tag that reads Doctor, Professor, whatever or have the ability to talk 24 hours non-stop. As the book can’t be judged by its cover, politicians must undergo rigorous test whether one is capable of discharging public responsibility even before assigned to a leadership role. Indeed, what maters are not an overt impression but a substance and real intent. We should have been careful in praising someone because simply one recited the numerous evils of Woyane, for we are used to it. We should have been demanding on the job experience, dependable skill and unconditional love for Ethiopian people before even contemplating to handover leadership position for someone else.
I was actually taken aback to learn the CUD vice chair, Birtukan Mideksa neither has voters mandate nor scant experience in the field of politics. To make the matter worse, she was elected to vice chair position just after few weeks she joined CUD. Without question, this was a fundamental flaw within CUD to put such a green girl in the number two top seat of a party that garner overwhelming approval of more than 26 million voters in a nation larger than the size of Britain and Japan combined. It is unbelievable to find out such a vibrant party was not yet embracing the merit of experience and professionalism in the 21st century.
It seems useless to blame Birtukan for her overstretched ambition, but the people who elected her (if ever there was election). I am not against growing, but I firmly believe in healthy and natural growth. Her defiance to the orders of the chairman is not surprising, she probably felt inflated in getting more than the share of acclaim she fairly deserved. It is ironic that Diaspora cult embraced Birtukan while rejecting Dr. Taye Woldesemayat, a man who knows what he mean, consistently defied TPLF in the face of brutality and shackled hands and legs, professional in the field of politics and proved as one of the best leaders ever seen in recent history of Ethiopia as the president of the Ethiopian Teachers association.
So how can we not blame ourselves for we are flirting with politicians who aspire nothing but their own personal interest? So how can we not blame ourselves for not standing by the sides of true Ethiopians who sacrificed their all for the good of the Ethiopian people? So how can we not blame ourselves for not raising our voices when a group of power mongers divide us and sold our interest to the TPLF regime? So how can we not blame ourselves for we are not united to bring meaningful change in the political landscape of our nation?
So how long do we choose to sleep on our ignorance and shift the blame to the other guy, while we still command the ultimate power and the means to rein politicians to keep the track that lead nothing other than the sole interest of the Ethiopian nation?
We shall have a change of attitude and live up to the interest of our nation.Ethiopia will prevail.
