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What were the demonstrations and the protestations for?By Derebe G.I strongly believe that the demonstrations and protestations that have happened in the last couple of days were neither necessary nor timely. What were the demonstrations and the protestations for, anyway? If they were about vote results, only preliminary results of constituencies were being posted and out of these, the opposition was contesting nearly half of the results and the NEBE was claiming that it is reviewing the alleged vote fraud. The opposition had also filed a suit to restrain the NEBE from posting preliminary results, as it claimed that it is not in its mandates. This suit was also being reviewed by the courts here. Really, what was the aim of the demonstrations and protestations, under this circumstance, that resulted in the wanton sacrifice of life of fellow Ethiopians? If I may share you my views of what caused the demonstrations and protestations over the last couple of days and the ensuing wanton sacrifice of life; these were simply the result of the jostling of politicians that, on the one hand, feared the hasty ratification of the provisional results of the NEBE and those who wanted that made a fast reality, on the other. None of them thought this jostling would be cause to the kind of blood shade that followed and that must be their biggest miscalculation. I do not believe riot, demonstration and protestation is necessary today and forever to get the voices of political parties heard in Ethiopia; at least violent ones. Believing thus is counter productive and gives rise to unpredictable chaos. As we all know, Ethiopia is highly in need of the support that it must get from its partners around the world. Whoever assumes power and whatever economic policy they may want to execute in the short and the medium term, they badly need this very vital support of international partners. In fact, they cannot do without it This makes the country and politicians on both divides amenable to international influence right now and every one of us should have the wisdom to use that leverage to make sure things are going in aboveboard fashion and without violence. This is not capitulating to foreign influence, but understanding the reality and making the best use of it. Hope the Gods will give us this grace of using third parties to the best benefit of our causes, instead of throwing ourselves at each others throat and unleashing a riot over which none of us has control over. Go to SOURCE of article |