Wide of the mark III

By Ws Hag

Sound of oppositions - does it matter?

More than fair enough, the sound not only matters but it should be considered as a driving force for the existent transformation of the country’s situation. Most of the issues raised by the majority of the opposition groups are just and meaningful. Leaving aside the historical opinions, the fundamental questions as to constitutionality of the government, rule of law, accountability, prisoners’ rights, and other human rights issues are in need of solution. The people and the country are still keen to breathe the air of absolute freedom and democracy. People are very desperate to see a government, which can respect their basic rights and be bothered of the majority’s need. A body of command, concerned with the demands of its citizens and their security rather than to a very limited personal or group aspirations.

To carry out these errands, however, it requires individual heads committed, honest, and escorted with much more optimistic ideas plus principles supposedly to last long enough. The power of smartness and wise thinking must defeat the popular and massive will of emotion. The entertainment of thoughts needs to be applauded and make its way in replacing the mere inspiration of passion. The idea of reasoning has to be encouraged and overcome personal attachments.

In a nutshell, if those assertions are supported with genuine endeavor and in the interest of the whole society - to uphold justice and democracy where the people of the nation have the devotion to rely on, to bring everlasting solution for the crisis in order to avoid the repetition of mistakes and overcome the situation, meant for peace as it is the important vehicle for development and prosperity, to control and shape the government creating a viable environment for transparency, to disseminate the truth and only the honest fact, and to bring about growth so as to change the living standard of the people at large. Taken as a whole, “freedom” is the general covet.

The Eritrean people do not expect a dramatic change. However, they are in need of promising figures who can live and share their beliefs without putting down a slight doubt. Peace and justice are the crucial dynamics, which can hold back normalization and stability of the country at this instance. If in relation to these factors the oppositions concentrate and work to bring an everlasting solution, they will win not only the mind of the majority, but also the struggle against absolute rule, for social equality and impartiality in short time. The time factor, these days, is a central point as the people inside the country are in unconditional necessity more than ever before.

On the other hand, the problem is when the principles of these groups bend to a trivial political agenda other than the factual and legitimate interest of the country and its people. Thumbs down is, thus, the reply where these oppositions are making progress not enough to echo to the claim of the people to compel and guarantee the security of the country. Where the change of government is not for most part of the people and without any change to the basic conditions of life, the reverberation is limited and of no magnitude. As the people have learned the hard way, what required now is more than mere promises. Practically, these groups need to put forward and work to a justifiable common objective taking into account the common good of the country and its people. Nothing is required except the free will of their respective assembly to be candid and flexible enough to engage as well as to construct reasonable ground for compromise.

Looking back at the records, however, selfishness, dishonesty, fabrication, and inadequate principles are the worst scenario of the majority of the oppositions except to the contribution they claim. Such weaknesses are the consequence of personal antagonism among most of the representatives in these different groups. Expressly, the method they take up in assailing the politically involved characters is intolerable. Furthermore, the making of disarray in the people’s unity is mainly a horrible plan; simply fooling around with the classy pride of the citizens and their motherland. At this critical stage, however, all must be aware of that the law belongs to everyone and the rule of law, as a mere concept is not enough without the moral say-so. Practice what you preach. Though tomorrow is another day, the inaccurate manners and talks could always detach all the exertion for nothing.

Conclusion
The emergence of democratic institutions and of the arrangements, which hold them together, cannot be engineered as an act of will; it requires patience and modesty. It is evident in particularly to understand the obstacles to democracy in a multiethnic and multi-religious society. However, this does not mean that integrating its principles should be left out as democracy by itself can create a solution to such impediments.

No one can predict what judgment leaders will make years from now. But leaders in both the present government and in the opposition’s camp have a responsibility to help and shape the judgments of emerging generations. They must go beyond keeping nationalism, to view history through the prism of the most recent experience. A great concern should to be given to the aspiration and requisite of the people within the country.

All concerned with the future of the country, thus, must find ways to cooperate so that the world will gain see Eritreans working toward common destiny both at home and in the community of nations. It is to such effort that this article seeks to make a contribution. In particular, the opposition’s relationship, to be meaningful, needs to have a special character. They should be prepared to do things for each other in the sphere beyond the immediate dictates of personal interests and insisting on collective consensus. As an unsurpassed achievement will only depend on leadership quality and the subsequent outcome of public partaking as well as classlessness, hope every one of them will gain awareness from each other’s slip-up.

This dilemma of our age may be summed up by the philosophy of Immanuel Kant, “Perpetual Peace.” It would come out either by human foresight or by a series of catastrophes that leave no other choice. Which of these two will be is the ultimate question to whoever rules the country as it is destined for perpetual peace.
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መንዮም መን?

By Ws Hag

ከለው ዝደቀሱ
ረኺሶም ዘራኽሱ
ድጋመት ዘፍሰሱ

ይፍትኑ
እወ ይወናወኑ
ጥራሕ ንእዋኑ

ይውንጅሉ
ብምቁንጻብ የቃልሉ
ነብሶም’ውን እናታለሉ

ዘረባ ከመቅሩ
መሳምር የስምሩ
ዘዝተረኽበ ክምእርሩ

ዕድለይ ዝዕድላ
ንኹሉ እንከላ
እንታይ ክንሕፉላ

ዘብለዩ መዛንኦም
ዘይበልየሎም ንባዕሎም
ሆ... ይብሉ ከምኣመሎም

መትከሎም ኣይፍሉጥ
ኣካይዳኦም ዘይስሉጥ
ሕልና ዘቅወጥውጥ

እንታይሞ… ኣክቢዶም ትሕዝቶ
መሲልዎም ብቀሊሉ ዝእቶ
ረሲዖሞ ከምዘሎ ህውታቶ

ግን…ኣለዎ ንኹሉ ደረጃ
ኣየስተብሃሉን ከምዘሎ ወረጃ
ቀዲሙ ዝኾነ በጃ’ወ በጃ።

Wide of the mark II

By Ws Hag

Odds of avoiding the situation

While there are many factors, both internal and external, that can explain as the cause; it was years of bad governance, dishonesty and the denial of basic human rights that created the deplorable conditions. Instead of implementing positive and progressive policies, the ills and self-serving machinations were carried on for extended time. Lack of institutional bodies exposed the vast majority of the people into a state deprivation. In our days, not only government accountability is fictional, more to that political dissent and expressions are still non-existent. In general terms, democracy and the rule of law are completely out of question and dead alive.

Naturally, the current predicament could have been evaded through different approaches. However, I consider the following rationales as foremost in achieving the dream of the people at large to grow and prosper. Well-timed unconditional discussion and debate on different issues among senior officials is one of the crucial points. Such dialogue can convincingly create a healthy and viable political atmosphere among those formally power is entrusted. Once you choose to accept responsibility, it is indispensable to understand that the power of persuasiveness has more weight and supremacy over the emotional opinions. This, however, was not the case when it comes to the reality of the land and its higher officials. The consequence, thus, is the loss of varied prospects in handling cases on time. This unpopularity of identified and timely dialogues has left a deep scar of concern and hopelessness in the people.

The extensive participation of concerned authorities and the people is another central point. The ultimate beneficiaries of any improvement in a country are its citizens. It is only via good involvement and pay-attention that one can realize the desires. Such participation facilitates the government to point out what is needed and to make research in order to lay out major principles and policies that could elevate the desire of the people. One has to keep in mind that governments are meant to respect the will of the people not vice-versa. The breakdown of such partaking, however, gave the government an upper hand to become a free rider. This in turn has brought about catastrophic measures as a result of the implementation of erroneous principles based on assumptions and passions rather than on vast study, knowledge and understanding.

Making analysis on decisions is an additional important attribute, which facilitates in staying away from snags. Failure to notice the right and wrong resolutions can be a means to craft analogous mistakes time and again. Once a fault is pointed or found, acknowledgment is the initial step that leads to the occupation in finding a solution. If not, the recurrence of another related mistake is in place. In other words it is a kind of becoming an accepted practice to make a mistake and go on with it without any responsibility. This could also lead to the cunning act of deliberate mistake. Today, indeed one can utter that the mistakes look as if intentionally done as no one from the inside is taking an initiative to convert the wrongs to right in due time. The consequence as such is am immature political brawl among those officials who were supposed to solve problems rather than create them without merit and to no ones gain. In general, it would have been very wise and constructive formulating the scrutiny in due time.
Other additional and not less important points are also worth mentioning. Well recognized and healthy negotiation with neighboring political figures. This lends a hand not only in a matter of relationship but also in stability, trade flow, and so forth. Cooperation with various organizations is another factor that can be helpful in acquiring different material and professional aid. To cut a long story short, compromise in the interest of the people, drawing flexible and feasible policy, and building better global relations can be pointed out as means of averting the current situation and by that promoting a firm and credible standing in a diplomatic arena.

Nevertheless, most of the above tips were not sincerely taken into account, not hitherto and may be not in the whole life of the current government’s continuation. The corollary, thus, is profound.


Lessons learned by the leadership

Sorry to say it but none at all. There might be instances that the leadership uttered on some lessons gained on the process only by word of mouth. Yet on the practical arena a matching maneuvers is taking place. One can name a lot of reasons as to why the leadership failed or did not meet the people’s expectation. Egotism, military accepted wisdom, trepidation to change, corruption, lack of any solemn objection by the people are a number of the major factors or realities in which the government is still bonding with. This wrongly implanted bond became an addiction to all those who are in love with “power” instead of “principles and rule of law.”

This particular period reflects an extraordinary failure of leadership on the part of many of those involved in the government, public life and civil society within the country. The one time professed very enlightened and visionary leadership emerged to steer the country away from the glide into chaos, war and devastated life of despair. Legal, political, administrative or any other important reforms and measures are completely over and done. Specifically the repetition of mistakes committed, violations or abuses upon citizens’ rights, and old-fashioned governance need to be identified, foiled and curtailed. These adjustments in turn could facilitate the values of human dignity, tolerance, and respect for the rights of all persons. In particular, it will help to create an open and vibrant democracy in which all are treated equal before the law of the country.

For this, the leadership is facing new challenges played out on the global rather than local stage. It is unclear, however, whether the traits that explain alleged success at home will help us to realize the future in fulfilling the country’s enduring dream of joining the global politics. It is evident that success at home is the basis and step to the global challenges. Yet, is there any real success internally?

It is worth delving here, the tolerant ordinary Eritreans are dejected with the incompetence and dishonesty of their political masters. By all counts, any kind of leadership needs not only worldly-wise men but also candid. Though reasonably good during and after the struggle for independence, our politicians are something rube in diplomacy and very clandestine. The insularity is compounded by the fact that the leadership often makes choices based on gut emotion, reinforced by the usual attitudes of party leadership. This dangerous mixture generates disastrous policy choices in the opportunity of the country, the same as what went before.

Instead, it was required the introduction of a transparent regime in which citizens would have reasonable access to government information, where senior officials disclose their financial interest and where government informs people down to the community level what amounts are being spent on services and amenities.

Eritrea’s future, thus, goes far explaining the angst clouding the courtship. To judge the country just in terms of how it may or may not fit into the world politics ultimately falls on the real point of home reformation. However, imperfect as the leadership is, the damage is already done upon the motherland. If this continues, and will, the country will be forced to move from political dysfunction and economic quagmire to being law-less civil society.

It is the legacies of dehumanization, hatred and fear which must be confronted on the basis that there is a need for tolerance, not prejudice; a need for acknowledgement, not recrimination; a need for reparation, not retribution; a need for community, not victimization; a need for understanding, not suspicion; a need for reconstruction, not greed. Taking such reasonable steps promptly and without any irrational excuse within its means was the responsibility of the government.