*ETHNIC ADMNISTRATION CORRUPTION, MILLIONARIES & THE UPCOMING ELECTION
IN ETHIOPIA = FAILED STATE. *
*BY TESFAHANNES BEYENE*
*araele13_at_yahoo.com *
*PART NINE*
Ethiopia is ruled by an ethnic minority leaders and the leaders of the
regions are under thecontrol of theruling ethnic minority-- the
Tigreyans. This method of rule completely negates the notion of building
cohesive nation. Many scholars have voiced their concern fiercely saying
that its application in any society is divisive as it structures society
along ethnic groups, often leading into ethnic violence. It puts sole
responsibility of the countries assets in the hands of few ethnic
elites, it encourages favoritism giving much leverage to blood relations
based on ethnicity, which directly or indirectly encourages corruption
on a grand scale creating millionaires at the expense of the average
person. In short any ethnic administration be it in Ethiopia or any
other African countries becomes an affront to society, hindering
progress in any country and any nation that exercises the perception of
ethnic administration ends up becoming another failed state.
According to Ethiomedia the Tigreyan governance of Ethiopia has created
business firms known as the Endowment Fund For the Rehabilitation of
Tigrai. (Effort) Consequently these business corporations started with
nothing and now they have amassed a wealth of about $ 4 billion assets.
If this is true then those who own these businesses must have made their
millions via privatization, the selling of public assets to foreign
companies or via corruption. What is happening in some parts of Ethiopia
at present is that government officials have been evicting indigenous
people from their birth places by grabbing their land in the name of
investment and economic development. The Mail on Sunday March 30^th 2014
by Ian Birrel said that in November 2011 Ethiopian troops accompanied by
officials arrived in one of the village in Ethiopia called Gambella and
ordered every one in the village to leave for new location. Those who
refused were beaten, women raped, some even infected with HIV,
devastating the lives of some of worlds poorest people. Their lands has
been sold to foreign investors or given to high Ethiopians officials
with government connection. As for those Ethiopians who lost their
ancestral lands to make ways for corrupt officials or millionaires will
not sleep until they get their land back or they will rebel against the
central government until justice is done. Therefore even if the ethnic
rulers of Ethiopia want to forget the havoc and mayhem they have
unleashed on the people of Gambella, the fight goes on because the fact
of the matter is that for those who become victims of the ethnic
administration will never forget on the tragedy that has befallen on
them and their fight will go on regardless until they get justice.
In fact the fight has already started, that the people of Gambella
blamed countries like Britain America and European Union collectively
for providing Ethiopia with almost half of its federal budget amounting
about $ 3 billion each year in various aid packages. That is European
and the American governments know pretty well that the Ethiopian
government has been misusing the money it receives from these countries
to destroy the lives of other people in the name of economic
development. But experience tells us western countries would not care
much so long as their interest is not harmed. In other words we all know
that these countries will keep turning a blind eye regardless to what
happen to the people of Gambella or the rest of Ethiopia so long as
their interest comes first. The Donner's pretty well know that such
financial aid given to Ethiopian Officials has been abused by the
authorities to drive their people out of their ancestral land. In any
case an individual from Gambella has taken the British Government to
Court here in the UK and if the courts find in favor of the people of
Gambella then it will have sever repercussion on the financial aid that
the British Government donates to Ethiopia.
Similarly in another newspaper, the Guardian on Thursday 5^th December
2013, David Smith reported that the suffering of the people of Gambella
was beyond belief, because they were driven out brutally by force from
their ancestral land in order to make way for Multinational companies.
Human right watchdogs have also voiced similar concern stating that
strong arm tactic reminiscent of Apartheid South Africa was used to
drive thousands of people who have been moved against their will to
inadequate places where social amenities are not available. In another
twist one can see that some Ethiopian officials are becoming
millionaires because the country is registering fast economic growth of
single digit of about 8.5%. The Guardian also told us that while
admiring the economic improvement in the country its fast economic
growth has yielded results that, the number of Dollar millionaires in
Ethiopia has rose from 1,300 in 2007 to 2,700 by September 2013 and
perhaps by now around 3,000. The increase in the number of millionaires,
we are told, is associated with the economic growth of the country.
Yet the Journalist said, Ethiopia's per capital income per head is just
$ 470 as compared with $3,187 for Egyptians and around $7,000 for South
Africans. It is true since the Tigreyan government came to power they
have scored positive economic development. Thus it can clearly be argued
that while Ethiopia may have made remarkable economic progress, it has
not trickled down to the general population. What matters to ordinary
Ethiopian is whether they have food on the table or whether they can
work on their land and make a living from it. Then one can say that the
economic change is benefiting the whole of Ethiopia. However it is no
good to say that there is economic growth of more than 8% when you have
more than 100,000 young people roaming around the capital in search of
food and twice that number who are destitute.
This is a clear manifestation that Ethiopia is still unable to feed its
people regardless of its economic growth. What matters to people, be it
in Ethiopia, India or Congo is that, economic growth of any country
should benefit everyone. If however you have a wealthy minority and a
hungry majority like in Ethiopia, then the economic growth is not
benefiting the majority of the people. Here in the UK, we have economic
growth of about 1% but ti is not felt by ordinary people. The cost of
living has shot up, utility bills are extremely high and some elderly
people are in what is called here in UK “Fuel poverty meaning that they
can not afford to warm up their houses during winter time. This has lead
to a number of deaths and the government responded with the “winter fuel
allowance of about & 200 payment to each elderly person of pension age
or & 300 to a couple per year if living together to help them pay to
heat their houses in the winter but to some it may not be enough. Note I
am not trying to compare Britain with so many people that go hungry in
Ethiopia. The UK is a sophisticated developed nation, the standard of
living is very high and those on low Income can be supported financial
by the welfare system, so no one goes hungry. Nonetheless the standard
of living for those on lower income is still very low, the Guardian 22
April 2014 said that a record number of 1 million people including a
rising number of low paid workers have used Food Banks in the past 12
months.
By the way, Food Banks are a kind of shops managed by Volunteers and
provide free food to people on low income for free. The free food in the
Food Banks are donated by well wishers, churches, businesses
organizations, individuals and Supermarkets. There are about 500 Food
Banks opened in in the United Kingdom in the last five years. Yet the UK
is the 6^th largest economy in the World. Nevertheless the economic
growth that has been registered in the country was not shared by those
who are on low income or those who do not have stable job like the
million and half workers who are now working on what is called Zero hour
contracts. Zero hour contract work is a form of employment offered to
workers when work is available. What it does is it means you are on
telephone standby and if the employer needs you he or she will call you.
If there is no job you will have no job at all. It is not guaranteed job
because it does not have any security for full time job. However for
students it is OK for short period of time because they can work if they
want to or carry on with their studies. Nevertheless it is hard to call
the economic growth as positive, when those on lower income are left out
because it has not been translated to the rest of the population. As in
the case of Ethiopia the economic development registered is a welcome
improvement, nonetheless so long as there are children and hungry mouths
roaming the streets of Ethiopia, I would not call it economic growth or
miracle. On the contrary I call it mirage.
As for the upcoming 2015 election in Ethiopia, the minority government
will win it by hook or crook. As a matter of fact the European Union is
not be sending their independent observers as they are pretty aware that
this election like past elections in Ethiopia will not be fair and free.
What is very strange about this election is that, the Tigreyan Minority
have deliberately decided to hold its phoney election on the 24^th of
May 2014 Eritrean Independence day. I can only suspect their sheer envy
of Eritrean independence or perhaps they do not want the people of
Ethiopia to see happy Eritreans dancing in their country and abroad. To
me it looks like political folly as the minority government consider us
(Eritreans) as their arch enemy, but we do not see it that way. On the
contrary the people of Ethiopia especially the people of Tigrai are our
natural allies and when the present Tigrean leadership changes its views
on Eritrea or vanishes from power, we will be able to celebrate each
others independence with great respect and fanfare. Presently however
the leadership in Ethiopia seems to be determined in using the UN and
African Union institutions to destabilize Eritrea or inventing sanction
against Eritrean on a false premise in alleging that Eritrea supports Al
Shebab. The UN have even admitted it it is not true but the minority
government is still making political capital out of it in order to
inconvenience Eritrea using different tactics. But they have failed in
the past and will fail again in the future because we Eritreans,
wherever we may be, we are able to rally behind our people flag and
country and at present Eritrea is one of the most peaceful countries in
the Horn of Africa but we also have our own problems like other African
countries. What need to be understood here is that the Tigreayns can do
what they like when it comes for their election or celebration of their
country. On the same token we Eritreans can also do what we want to do
with our country that we will dance we will cry with joy if we want to
because 24^th may for us is a reminder of our country's independence
from Ethiopia.
Of course the election in Ethiopia on the 24^th of May will be a forgone
conclusion that EPRDF will win the election by about 90% of the
electoral vote because there is no any credible opposition or force in
the country to stop the minority government from winning. The opposition
is completely fragmented, toothless and not fit for any purpose, most of
them live in America enjoying themselves with their lives and they are
unable to have any influence in the upcoming election. Moreover they do
not have any space or land to fight the government, and according to the
Independent Newspaper on Sunday 22 of March 2014 the Ethiopian
government regularly records the phone calls of any opposition
activities and Journalist using equipment provided by foreign companies.
This means the Minority government has everything at its disposal that
it can crush any opposition at ease. It is also true that the minority
government have bribed neighboring countries or has given them land at
the expense of the Ethiopian people in order to buy their favors so they
do not harbor Ethiopian opposition members. Even Egypt at the last
minute was given concession that with out its consent, Ethiopia is
unable to divert water from the Nile as much as it wants for its own
use. Therefore neighboring countries of Ethiopia from Kenya, Uganda,
Sudan, Somalia, Djibouti to South Sudan have all been bought or bribed
to give in to Ethiopia's demands, that none of them harbor Ethiopian
opposition and that is why the minority government of Ethiopia will win
the upcoming election unhindered.
In addition they will use their long arm tactic to crush any one who
becomes an obstacle to them including Tigreyans who oppose them. As for
the current PM Hailemariam Desalegne who was elected by the late Prime
Minister of Ethiopia Meles Zenawi he will continue in power. The simple
reason is that they are damned if they select him or damned if they
don't. Because if they got rid of him as a man who comes from small
ethnic minority then he may rebel against them with the rest of
discontented majority of the Amharas and Oromos. Therefore my view is
that the Minority government want to continue the status-quo and the guy
can be monitored by them and I am sure he will not do anything to upset
the Tigreyans. It will be business as usual and he will be confirmed PM
after 24^th of May. However it remains to be seen what he will do for
his country once he is confirmed officially as Ethiopian PM in his first
100 days in power. If the guy wants to be his own man and start many new
initiatives about his country and his neighbors including Eritrea it
remains to be seen what direction he will be taking Ethiopia. I hope he
will start peace talks with Eritrea and if he does not then things will
continue the way they are and Eritrea will still remain defiant because
sovereign Eritrean territory is still occupied by Ethiopia and if
Ethiopia thinks that no war no peace would exhaust Eritrea they are
mistaken. On the contrary it will be Ethiopia who needs to blink first,
otherwise the politics of attrition will continue and Eritrea will
triumph at the end of the day.
Finally ethnic minority administration is as dangerous as cancer, it can
not be cured. If the central government was to fall, people would rally
round their ethnic group, they may not share power with other ethnic
groups, that they can be radicalize on ethnic lines, and any power
struggle that may ensue afterward can easily take an ethnic dimension
that may lead to ethnic violence. Note also the ethnic administration
that has been practiced in Ethiopia has led the nation to become a
failed state. In a book called why Nations Fail written by Daron
Acemoglan & James A Robinson, they told us that nations fail because
they do not have independent institutions that reflects the needs of the
people. The Minority administration in Ethiopia at present does not
provide reassurance to the citizen of its country, the leaders of ethnic
establishment forces people into submission, they do not create an
atmosphere for investors or individuals to invest in their country
without fear, they do not create an environment for the private sector
to flourish as they want to have control of everything, there is too
much interference from the central government to control the markets,
corruption becomes endemic, millionaires are created due to bribery and
ethnic based favoritism in employment and education by siphoning off
capital for their own use, that power and wealth are concentrated in few
hands, as we have seen in many developing countries.
The above mentioned points are therefore some of the key instruments
ethnic administrations use to extend their authority and at the end of
the day any nation that practices ethnic rule based on ethnic lines will
fail and the outcome will be power struggle that can eventually lead
into ethnic conflict. That is ethnic groups can rally communities along
their ethnic prints rather than on common shared grounds and Ethiopia’s
case is not dissimilar. In short ethnic minority administration is a
ticking time bomb that is waiting to happen and I am sure Ethiopia may
not go the way other African countries like Kenya Ivory Coast, Rwanda,
South Sudan, have gone. Nevertheless if more than 200 peaceful
demonstrates can be killed for demonstrating against the government in
2005 election, then in a spontaneous grievances after May election, it
may result in the killing of four times that of past elections. We have
to remember the leadership in power, came by the barrel of the gun and
will go by the barrel of the gun--- what form it will take remains to be
seen but Ethiopia will not be exempted from ethnic Violence since the
minority government have introduced ethnic administration.
*LONDON MAY 17/ 2015.*
*PART TEN TO FOLLOW.*
Received on Sun May 31 2015 - 13:28:29 EDT