Finally, the chief priest of the Revolutionary Democrats dazzled a group of economists that belong to what was once seen as the strongest turf of his critics: The Ethiopian Economics Association (EEA). The two predecessors of the current chief of the association were Befekadu Degfie (PhD) and Brehanu Nega (PhD); both later joined the rank and file of the opposition bloc and were instrumental in forming the CUD. The rest is history, as gossip corridors often quip.

It was a bit of a surprise to those at the gossip corridor to learn a few weeks ago that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has indeed accepted an invitation from this association to give a public lecture the latter organised at the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA) on February 9, 2008. Thumbs from gossip corridor are up for Welday Ameha (PhD), the serving president, for his success in persuading the Prime Minister to address his members and others who were invited, including diplomats.

The real surprise came when those attending saw the structure and flow of argument Meles presented last Saturday, according to gossip. In spite of one’s view whether or not to agree with what he was saying, many were disarmed by his calibre in articulating his positions over the fate of economic liberalism in Africa. Last Saturday was not, however, the first venue for Meles to present his paper on the subject.

In a nutshell, “Dead-End: Neo-Liberal Paradigm in the African Renaissance”, is believed to be a paper Meles wrote as a synopsis to his doctoral dissertation. First presented at an economic conference in the United Kingdom (UK), in the presence of Joseph Stiglitz, his intellectual guru, the paper rejects the neo-liberal economic policy conviction that market forces should be left alone to fix what goes wrong with the economy; and states should be small in size and limited in their roles.

Alternatively, the Prime Minister argues that states should have much bigger roles in an economy, which has an objective of introducing development to society. The state, as opposed to an institution with a limited role, could be used as an agent of growth provided that it is a developmental state.

The bastion of intellectual resistance has been dazzled by the persuasive power of Meles, claims gossip. It appears that the Prime Minister is disarming his vocal critics one after another, judging from his series of public appearances to talk to various groups from youth to residents and from universities’ communities across the country to members of the Diaspora on a visit during the millennium festivity.

Gossip disclosed that his next destination to make his case against neo-liberal economic policy prescription will be Harvard University, in the United States (US). According to gossip, an invitation has already been extended. Perhaps there, some at the gossip corridor look forward, somebody will pose a challenge to him that he is up against an economic theory that has never been tested on African soil, and is thus hard to argue that neo-liberalism indeed reaches a dead-end.