Politics: Former President Speaks On Some Political Issues

Politics: Former President Speaks On Some Political Issues
The Reporter (Addis Ababa)
February 11, 2006 Posted to the web February 13, 2006
Kassahun Addis
The House of Peoples' Representatives listened to the report of the Prime Minister the previous Thursday. The PM's report was followed by a strong criticism by members of parliament in the opposition camp. The report was finally approved - despite the dissenting voices of over a hundred MPs.
The original report of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi contains little information about the situation in Oromia State. However, the major point of argument in the deliberation was this issue. Oromo MPs took the lion's share of available time to speak on the prevailing state of violence and political turmoil in the region.
The Reporter discussed the issue with the only independent parliamentarian in the country, Dr. Negaso Gidada. Dr. Negaso had been the president of the Federal Republic for some time until he resigned because of disputes between him and the leadership of the EPRDF. The discussion he held with The Reporter also touched upon the general political atmosphere in the country.
The situation in Oromia
Dr. Negasso believes that the issue of Oromia is an issue for the nation as a whole. "Violations of basic human rights, wherever this happens, are matters of great concern to the nation, and not just for the administration of the particular region," he retorted.
The government repeatedly contends that the issues that are surfacing in Oromia State are beyond its jurisdiction. The Prime Minister told parliament that the situation in Oromia is being effectively dealt with by the state government and there was, then, no request made by the state government for intervention.
The problem with conceptualizing whether federal intervention is needed in Oromia arises, primarily, due to the disparity in the way Dr. Negaso and the Prime Minister view the situation in Oromia. "For the past three months, human right situations in Oromia have been constantly deteriorating. There are serious and continuous violations of basic human rights; thousands of Oromos are harassed, beaten up and detained by local and federal authorities," Dr. Negasso maintains.
For the Prime Minister, however, the issue in Oromia state is that a few people, instigated by the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and other legally operating opposition parties, are tying to create havoc in some areas like West Wollega and West Shoa zones of the state. And the state government is trying to contain the situation in a manner that doesn't call for federal intervention.
"The violation of rights enshrined in the constitution amounts to disrespecting and disregarding the constitution. The constitution and the constitutional order are virtually endangered," Dr. Negaso said. "And these are enough to attract the intervention of the federal government," he added.
Although Meles Zenawi believes that the situation in Oromia doesn't pose a threat to the constitution and the constitutional order, he believes that there are certain cases where intervention is justifiably needed.
"The government would intervene in the affairs of states when the existing conditions created in them are a potential source of endangering the constitutional order and when state governments have a weak will to control the problem. It is when the state governments are incapable of doing so and lack the will that the government shall intervene," he told parliament and the nation.
A recent report by international human rights activist organizations indicated that marked human rights violations are visible in the Oromia state. One can see reports by Amnesty International and the Human Rights Watch group to grasp what is going on there, Dr. Negaso said.
Separate dealing for the Oromia issue
In the past few weeks, Oromo MPs, who belong to the opposition camp, have been trying to table the issue of Oromia before parliament. They have issued many statements expressing their concern on the deteriorating human rights condition in Oromia. And Dr. Negasso was actively involved in the effort.
The Reporter asked Dr. Negasso if the current problem in Oromia can be separately solved. The question was raised because there are similar alleged human rights violations in Addis Ababa, the Amhara State and others.
Negaso responded by saying that he didn't believe the problem in Oromia could be "totally" solved separately from others.
"If the general political environment is not conducive to democracy, if the regime continues to disregard human rights in every part of the country, then one can not talk of a total and lasting solution for the problem in Oromia," he said.
MPs have a better understanding of the conditions in their constituencies. They are well aware of the details in the particular constituencies; and that is why Oromo MPs collectively struggled to bring to the attention of parliament the situation in Oromia.
Local elections
Dr. Negaso is of the opinion that some of the problems in some parts of Oromia are caused, partially, by the delay of zonal, woreda and kebele elections.
"In some constituencies where opposition Oromo parties had won the May 15 national and regional elections, people are asking to be administered by the party they voted for on May 15. The people there don't want to see cadres of the ruling party, the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), running their kebeles and woredas," he said.
The people desperately need to be administered by the party they voted for on May 15 and to tell local authorities of their interest. However, the local authorities and cadres kept on telling the people that OPDO/EPRDF had won the election at the national and regional levels and would thus continue to administer the area. And this is aggravating the problem in the state, Dr. Negaso said.
"Elections are held every five years. According to the law, local elections should be conducted immediately after national and regional elections. It should be done before the rainy season," he added.
Not conducting local elections on time doesn't only antagonize the local people but also is in contravention of the constitution of the land, he said.
The government should tell the public that local elections are coming soon and at the same time should make preparations to conduct free and fair elections. "I think this would help a bit," Dr. Negaso explained.
The OLF factor
In the past, whenever there arose a political crisis and violence in the Oromia State, the government tended to blame the OLF as the sole cause behind all problems. Now, the Oromo National Congress (ONC) of Dr. Marara Gudina and the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) are also being made to bear the responsibility of creating havoc in the region.
"There is a tendency, on the part of the government, to externalize the problems of the Oromia State. Every time there are problems in the state, the government puts all the blame on some external forces," Dr. Negaso said, adding that such a tendency would benefit no one. The government should look into itself and examine what had been done by the ruling party itself, he said.
"When you point one finger at someone, the rest of your fingers will point to yourself. It is natural," he said, sending the message that the ruling party should also hold itself responsible for some parts of the problems.
Almost all Oromos have, in their heart of hearts, the desire to exercise their right to self-determination. And by coincidence or whatever, the OLF program deals with the same issue and when this party called on the people to rise against the regime, the people rose up. The people rose up not because they are members or supporters of the OLF but because the question of self-determination is their question, he said.
The people wanted and called for the release of leaders of the Metcha and Tullama Association. And, by coincidence, the OLF also called for their release. But that doesn't make the people members of the OLF, he added.
"If you ask for something which the OLF is also wants, does this mean that you are a member or supporter of the OLF? No, it doesn't necessarily mean that. The OPDO has many programs in common with the OLF. But that doesn't make the OPDO an OLF," Dr. Negaso said.
Towards political solution
After the government jailed leaders of the Coalition of Unity and Democracy (CUD), major political issue in the country have been the subject of controversy surrounding the legal method of solving the crisis.
The government seems to be determined to pursue the cases of CUD leaders in court regardless of internal and external pressures.
"I am one of those persons who think the current problem basically relates to the pre- and post-election politics and therefore needs political solutions," Negaso said, adding that it was practically difficult to solve the problem through legal and administrative measures.
One should see the whole problem in its entirety, he said. The pre-election periods were marked by problems. The playing ground was not level. The ruling party made use of the state apparatus and institutions in order to mobilize the public into voting for it.
"The election day was also marred by vote-rigging. Then came the two-month restriction on popular gathering that had had a negative effect on the public in general and on the youth in particular. And later on that led to the bloody incident of June 8th. A similar thing happened in November and many lives were lost. All of these were not instigated by one side. The government is also to bear the responsibility in part," he said.
The Carter Center and the European Union Observation Mission have clearly indicated the problems and limitations of the elections. So there were problems, real problems, he noted, adding that all these were political.
The government may rightly take some people to court if it had enough and concrete evidence attesting to the fact that they had instructed the youths to throw stones and bombs.
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"However, putting all the blame on the party and throwing all its leadership into jail and then pursuing legal means to end the case is not fair in the yes of many Ethiopians, including me," he said.
Moreover, Ethiopian culture has a room for dialogue, Dr. Negaso noted. "It is inherent in our culture that dialogue solves our problems. Cases that were taken to traditional courts are often dropped so that diplomacy, negotiation and dialogue may have chances," he concluded.