Power Struggle in Ethiopia: Democrats Led by OLF of Jawar Mohamed vs Prosperitans Led by OPP of Abiy Ahmed!
By Fayyis Oromia*
Nowadays, the power struggle in Ethiopia is consolidating towards two main camps: democrats led by the OLF mindset of Jawar Mohammed and prosperitans led by the OPDO mindset of Abiy Ahmed. Other political groups are doomed to choose one of these two, there is no other viable third bloc to challenge power of the incumbent in Finfinné palace. Especially, political elites in Amaranet bloc and Oromummà camp are confronted by this compelling choice between the two. I think, it is difficult for the Amaranet bloc to settle for one of the two “evils”, because Amara elites look at them as enemies. For the Oromummà camp, it seems that Jawar is a better alternative for Abiy failed in fulfilling the known Oromo demands. Particularly, he failed in promoting Afàn Oromo to primary working language of the federation, thus considered to be unloyal to Oromo cause.
To be pragmatic, future Oropia (Oromummà-.- led Ethiopia) needs only two political organizations: the ruling prosperity party of Dr. Abiy, who seems to be comfortable by keeping Amarigna as a primary working language of the federation at the cost of Oromiffa, which legitimately should have been the primary working language and republican party to be forged by the pro-Oromummà forces like the OLF and OFC in order to promote Oromiffa to its legitimate primary position. The main diffirence between the Ethiopian Prosperity Party (EPP) and Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) is not only their vision of geo-federation vs con-federation, but mainly their pro-Amaranet vs pro-Oromummà stand. The EPP is pro-Amharanet party, whereas EDP will be pro-Oromummà party. The OLF has to foster such pan-Ethiopian democratic party, which can be led by the Oromo similar to the currently ruling prosperity Party. Such inclusive democratic party can challenge the incumbents in the future, be it in ballet Box or bullet of barrel.
Fact on the ground shows us that there are two lines of opposition movement in Ethiopia: the line of multi-national federation (con-federation) as a prelude to an independent Oromia and the line of multi-regional federation (geo-federation) as a prelude to an integrative Oropia (democratic Ethiopia). The first line is promoted by Oromo republicans like the OFC (moderate Oromo republican) being satisfied by achieving genuine multi-national federation and the OLF (radical Oromo republican), who wants to push further up to fostering republic of Oromia. The second line is entertained by Oromo prosperitans like those in OPP (liberal Oromo) having multi-regional federation as their final goal and in Ezema (conservative), who wants to get rid of any federation and secure an integrated democratic Ethiopia (integrative Oropia). Any force struggling for democratization of Ethiopia is doing a bid of transforming Ethiopia to Oropia, be it by default or by design.
Common denominator of the two lines are FREEDOM from system of domination and DEMOCRACY (including referendum on the two lines). It seems now we got our freedom to some extent and the next phase is a transition to democracy. Both the above routes and their results are not disadvantageous for Oromo people. Thanks to Waaqa, the two camps could agree on the two common factors and cooperated to remove the worst evil we ever faced in Ethiopia – the TPLF. Now, the Oromo polity must do every thing under the sun to coordinate the necessary further cooperation of the two lines for there is nothing Oromo people will lose in realizing the two goals of both lines of freedom movements, i.e an independent Oromia or an integrative Oropia. The move by organizations from both lines in forging ENM was a right step in the right direction. Both of them being federalists agreed on common denominator of fighting for freedom from TPLF’s fascism and then leave the decision of choosing one of the two lines for future public verdict per referendum. It looks that the first phase of fighting for freedom is now closed and they now need to dedicate themselves for democracy.
NB: we should differentiate the two dictatorial forces (the pseudo-ethio-federalists as supporters of the dead Derg, who want to bring back the old assimilative Ethiopia and the pseudo-ethno-federalists trying to revive the dead Woyane’s apartheid Ethiopia) from the democratic forces in the above two lines, who are ready to foster optionally an accomodative democratic Ethiopia, in which all citizens and nations will be free. During the next democratization process, only two organizations are necessary for the Oromo in particular and for all Ethiopians in general: 1. Prosperitans to forge geo-federation as a prelude for an integrative Oropia and 2. republicans to foster con-federation as a prelude for an independent Oromia. Both should be ready to achieve their goals democratically per public verdict, being different from the ethio-dictators and ethno-dictators, who persue their goals of ethio-integration and ethno-independence respectively by any means, including force and terror. Regarding the Oromo, I can say EPP is there to promote the line of geo-federation. As republican party, all the existing Oromo organizations (OLF, OFC, OLA, etc) can merge into one strong EDP. May Wàqa help our politicians to overcome their ego and do a favour to Oromo people by realizing such unity of purpose in the mentined two lines!
Galatôma!
Read more:https://orompia.wordpress.com/2018/08/2 ... publicans/