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It
would be foolish to pass up yet another opportunity
this year to write about the contemporary history of
our nation as it unfolds before the eyes of its
citizens. It will be left to better men to analyse
its effects, what it means for the future of
Ethiopian democracy, and what it may bring to the
nation and its citizens in the long run.
For now, the humble observations of an inhabitant of
this stage, which so happens to show the unfolding
of the contemporary drama that is the politics of
our nation, will be brought to light.
As
Election Day 2010 creeps upon us, all has been
reasonably quiet on the campaign front. This does
not necessarily speak for the campaigns outside of
Addis Abeba, though. In our fair capital, campaigns
have been reasonably subdued.
The only real visible sign of an election is the
blue laminated posters that are on every single post
and tree in town. They remind voters to vote for the
friendly neighbourhood Revolutionary Democrats. This
opportunity should also be used to point out the
massive round yellow honeycombs with the bee in
their centres (representing the Revolutionary
Democrats), reminding us that times ahead with the
Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
are going to be fruitful.
It
is curiously unclear whether or not the party, in
and of itself, actually pays the kebeles, districts,
Addis Abeba City Administration, or the part of the
bureaucracy that is responsible for handling these
things at the same exorbitant rate that commercial
businesses are expected to pay to have billboards of
that size up in prominent areas.
Where is the line drawn between state and party
resources when it comes to just how these things are
paid for? Obviously, the line is a lot like the
equator, invisible and easily crossable.
Another thing that can secretly keep one awake at
night is whether or not there are little friendly
Revolutionary Democrat elves that come out in the
middle of the night to put up the little blue signs
that we see everywhere. They seem to be multiplying
like rabbits. It is all very stressful.
On
the other end of things, there is the opposition,
unfortunately stuck with the fate of being the
opposition in the world of the friendly
neighbourhood Revolutionary Democrats. We have seen
what that role has been relegated to in previous
elections, most notably Election 2005.
The current opposition coalition, Medrek or Forum
for Justice and Democratic Dialogue (FJDD), is not
quite running what one would call a strong campaign
in the capital. This could be a strategic choice, on
the part of the opposition, to focus its resources
outside the capital where the majority of Ethiopian
voters are located and where much of their support
is based.
But at least a small amount of attention should be
given to the capital, as it is, after all, the
epicentre of the nation. There have to be one or two
people that are bound to vote in the city. I would
think urban voters leaning towards the opposition
might feel a little neglected right now.
Despite the worrying Big Brother-like domination of
the campaign trail by the incumbent, this time the
opposition coalition offers what no other opposition
party has been able to offer before. Candidates that
know the inner workings of the Revolutionary
Democrats are running against the very forces that
governed their existences for the majority of their
lives. They certainly hold an appeal for those that
are not willing to be weaned completely off all
things EPRDF just yet.
Not to say that they will be voted in, take over,
and make drastic changes, they do offer a different
sort of option that is something voters may not have
had before in the circus that was Election 2005.
It
is astonishing that the media has taken an almost
passive role in this entire political process. It is
understood that there is a certain level of fear
over how to handle the entire situation after what
happened to the media following the last elections.
That said, the very nature of journalism has
mutated. The Ethiopian media has chosen the Lidetu
Ayelew route out of saving their own hides rather
than standing for the truth and writing what is or
is not unfolding before their very eyes.
What is the purpose of the existence of the media if
it is not at least going to try to speak the truth
out loud?
With very serious allegations being thrown from both
sides of the fence, campaigns being done more
quietly than not, and the leading lady of this whole
production, Birtukan Mideksa, still behind bars,
Election 2010 has everyone holding their breath.
It
is not that they do not have a reasonable idea of
who is going to win. It is the question of what
will happen afterwards that has people biting their
nails, waiting for May 23 to come and go. |
