Dehai News

Governance in Eritrea

By: Berhane Woldu

Major News media, quasi-leagues, traitors and defeatist all propagate that there is no freedom of religion, freedom to assemble and no civil rights in Eritrea. Obama irresponsibly with little if any knowledge of the country called Eritrea the North Korea of Africa. The truth of the matter is that; what we witness instead is to the contrary. Eritrea by any account is better governed than most of the African countries that have been independent for more than 60 years.

Eritrea' summer season starts in late May and ends early September. This year there was sporadically rain in May and June but, the month of July was dry, dry like the Sahara desert with no rain. People of Asmara got together and started to pray. The churches rung their bells, Mosques called for prayer. Young, old, men, women, Christen, Muslim and believers of all faith came out to the streets; carried their Holy Bible and Korean prayed “God is Great! Forgive Us for Our Sins” it was a scene of wonder the city paralyzed stores closed, civil servants, army, policy took off work and children forfeiting their soccer games joined the procession.

To my surprise and astonishment that night nothing else I could see but the night sky above. There was no moon, no stars. Dark clouds loomed with breeze, insistent wind, as it morphed into a relentless tornado. Dust covered and removed the birds from the trees like punishing of man for his sin. The rain stayed all night to the next day. Pray of believers heard by the Almighty God. Asmara blessed with rain. Not only did they practice their religion, or the right to assemble and practice once right but their faith had given them rain. Eritrean people’s faith has offered Eritreans internal social cohesion and intertwined culture this is the virtue and origin for the success of Eritrea’s strong Nation State.

Instead of wasting our time listening to distracters, defeatist, losers and sell-outs we need to read and follow up what is going on in the world and Eritrea. One needs to evaluate asses and understand the politics of good governance. Is Eritrea a weak nation like Libya? Failed state like Somalia? Ruled for private gain “clientelism / Patronage”, “rent seeking” with low legitimacy governments like Nigeria, Angola or Ethiopia? Olusegun Obasanjo the first elected president of Nigeria stated on BBC that “Africa is a continent in contradiction. Electoral democracy demanded by Western power has been nothing but disaster. 90% of Africans live under poverty rate; corruption is rampant with absence of rule of law that respects property rights, citizen security and transparency in transaction”.   The Western elite with its intrinsic belief of social Darwinist doctrine inherent racial superiority wants to tell Eritrea how to govern making excuses; lack of human right, religious freedom and Democracy only to bring about disarray and instability like Iraq, Libya, Syria and corrupt governments like Nigeria and Ethiopia. 

Eritrea is a strong and competent State that is governed by law and accountable to its citizens a modern state that serves the public rather than the ruler. A Government that strives to treat it citizens on equal basis for the “common good” governed by law covering property rights and contract enforcement, recruiting officials and formulating polices without favoritism.  Eritrea is high-capacity state with economic growth, social mobilization, good health services and education. Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF) created institutions that were effective and efficient that served the struggle for independence. These institutions continue to serve public purposes accommodating social changes that come with economic growth; creating new social classes educating citizens and introducing new development strategies that help rearrange the social strata. To expedite social reorganization the government has built eight higher educational intuitions giving the old farm boy/girl the opportunity to emerge into a higher social class; as civil servants, professionals, managers, and the likes. City and villages are about the same economic standards narrowing the economic disparity. Eritrea is prosperous endowed with mineral wealth, well governed, stable, with low level of corruption. Solid political order that provides citizens security, protect property rights, free education, low cost public health services, clean drinking water, infrastructure and mass transport to every corner of the nation.

One needs to understand that Western Democracy evolved into modern institutions over the course of centuries and millions of life martyred.  Eritrea is in its infancy geared toward holistic political and economic growth. Political institutions must be understood in the context of economic growth that is charted to increase social mobilization, justice and legitimacy and not on fake GDP numbers or few billionaires or building skyscrapers in capital cities as an economic success. Good governance and political stability is graded by satisfying popular expectations for jobs and economic growth and eventually accommodating demands for greater democracy with high social capital integrated through high trust in the Government.

EPLF owing to the processes of liberation created a centralized national bureaucracy which became and remains to be the primary source of government authority. Eritrea has built good governance that accord with local customs and traditions inclusive of strong national identity based on shared faith and culture. Eritrea is a strong nation state that exemplifies good governance.