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Opposition
politics is not a new phenomenon in the political
landscape of Ethiopia. For almost the last two
decades, people from various walks of life have
subscribed to different political thoughts. People
of various social views have different public
opinions and therefore elect the representatives who
have favourable bearing on their views and political
aspirations.
There have emerged numerous political parties with
different colours and ideologies striving to
establish their hold over the constituencies and,
through them, state power.
In a healthy setup of government, constituencies
have to consider and accept the views of these
opposition parties, provided that they come with
persuasive choices. But the ability of the
opposition politicians to lead and organise
themselves to the best of their capacities is
questionable.
There cannot be a true democracy unless citizens,
who are sovereign in our constitutional democracy,
have real choices about who they can vote for. They
have to be empowered in order to hold those they
vote for accountable for the kind of society they
want to live in and for the kinds of goods and
services only those in government can offer. This is
believed to be weighed not only by the mere
existence of opposition parties but by a real choice
of alternatives offered by these parties.
The role of the opposition should never be
opposition for the sake of opposition. The business
of opposition politics is very serious.
Often people argue that opposition politics is not
necessary because it creates favourable grounds for
a country’s disintegration. This argument used to
frequently be put forward in post liberation
politics in Africa. But there have been experiences
where this was not the case. As has been seen in the
process of state formation, there can be a semblance
of national unity.
If the quality of the democracy does not enable the
minorities or, for that matter, groups of
individuals, to have a voice in how the state should
be run, that kind of pseudo unity is of no use.
What kind of leaders are needed in public office?
How these leaders kept accountable for the kind of
policies they promised before getting elected?
Citizens ought to have genuine political choices
when it comes to elections. They can vote for the
same party over and over again provided that they do
not feel aggrieved and their interests are being
taken care of. Otherwise the experience of how the
ruling party lost all those votes for Addis Abeba in
the elections of 2005 is a very good example.
What is particularly important to this nation’s
case, where the majority of the people are yet to
see the fruits of development that can lift them
from abject poverty, is that the prime enemy is
poverty. Political parties should keep this in mind
rather than framing each other as combatant enemies.
This will make the trauma of poverty a story of the
past.
The role of opposition in a democracy is much more
creative and crucial. Unfortunately that is not the
case now in Ethiopia.
Simply having opposition politics that do not offer
credible alternatives and display of morale will
lead to disappointment and further trauma. This may
be what we are witnessing from the behaviour of
Ethiopian opposition parties. Opposition party
leaders have to get into politics fully knowing that
they have a great responsibility to offer real hope
and alternatives.
It appears that the political platform is devoid of
a robust debate. Our political discourse lacks depth
and, thus, could not lead to a stronger democratic
polity or heighten the quality of democratic
governance, which is still in its infancy.
Opposition leaders should not hammer on every policy
of the government, as that would hamper their
credibility and status. They should not oppose all
that the governing party does. They should not pick
a bone and shout at every bit of useless matter like
a nagging neighbour.
What is needed is a vision of opposition politics
that puts quality in our democratic process. All
need to see and make sure that the nation has the
kind of leaders at all levels in the political
divide who represent and respect the values of the
law of the land, the constitution.
It is very easy to dominate the media on point
scoring exercises during a debate with the ruling
party on every issue that comes to the table for
discussion. However, it will not necessarily lead to
the kind of outcome that is expected or help people
understand the value of having an opposition.
People do not want to see opposition parties
dominated by an individual, which depend on the
ethical manners of the leader rather than its
institutional setup. They do not want to see
personal egos reflected on the pages of every
document the opposition parties come up with. They
should know that their self-interests would be best
served by serving the larger interests of the nation
and its people.
Neither do the people want to hear what is wrong
with Ethiopia’s urban development programme or with
the education and health system. Instead they want
to hear alternative policies that offer choices.
Ethiopia is now well positioned to be a great
nation, thanks to the train whose engine was ignited
long ago by the government to lead the nation into a
developmental state. Nothing can be more important
than laying the foundation for the democratisation
process while contributing positively to building
the nation.
The opposition should thrive in large numbers, and
they should remember that they thrive because an
atmosphere of liberty thrives.
The question is, do opposition parties have the will
to do that? |
