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(30/8/2004)

لجنة الحوار الوطني

CONCLUDING STATEMENT:

ARABIC  ENGLISH       TIGRINIA

Forging a United Patriotic Opposition

Nharnet Team, October 10, 2004

It was long ago that the ELF-RC working towards forging a mechanism to create a united patriotic front of the opposition as soon as the one-man hegemony in newly independent Eritrea refused to take a democratic path.  This aim of establishing a cohesive opposition did not materialize for a long during most parts of the 1990s.  However, continued efforts came to bear fruit under the leadership of Ibrahim Mohammed Ali in 1999 in the form of the Alliance (today's ENA).  Then come what obstacles the 5^th meeting and the need for the ELF-RC to defend itself from within and outside. 

Now, all that is behind us for the most part, although there could still be some isolated attempts to distract us along the way.  The dangers we saw earlier and the reason for the walkout of the delegation out of the 5th regular meeting have been validated by many quarters.  The leadership of ELF-RC correctly evaluated the situation coolly and wisely, as history will say, and came to some important conclusions:

1. The differences should not prevent the opposition from working together.  Therefore, from the very minute of the walkout, it requested to be told of all   ENA meetings after the unwanted election session because it said it was not withdrawing from the Alliance at least until the RC reviews the whole situation, including controversial insertions in the old Charter.  Many people criticized, and still do, that we should have condemned the act and packed out of Ethiopia, never offering to work with Alliance. But, the leadership realizes national political affair is not about animosity; it is about registering one's differences, and continuing to work jointly on matters of common understanding or agreement. That is what democracy is all about: working together despite existing differences.  Disengaging attitudes and condemnations do not solve problems. To the contrary, they sharpen divisions.

2. Even with the genuine attempt mentioned above, the organization was suspended from ENA. However, the ELF-RC leadership left the door of dialogue open and called for the opposition to work together.  Again, that is the only choice the opposition have ; to work together if it is to expedite the dismantling of PFDJ and build a democratic system where differences in political stands are tolerated and are not seen through mutual rejection and animosity. 

3. The leadership 10 months ago renewed its call for unity and sent a proposal for forming a broad and all-inclusive coalition to all opposition parties, in particular wishing that it be composed of ELF-RC, ENA and the then EPLF-DP. 

Today, these efforts clearly show that the ELF-RC never stopped from working towards forging a united opposition.  Nharnet as an organ and the Team in charge of its administration never swayed from reflecting this noble mission.  This has shown fruit as witnessed by the fact of a memorandum of understanding signed by three organizations in Frankfurt this summer.  As the public learned from the interviews with the ELF First Deputy Chairman, Hussein Khalifa, and Dr. Yohannes Zeremariam, the Foreign Office head, other organizations are on their way to seriously discuss the proposed formation of an all-inclusive Patriotic Coalition of the Opposition. The joint efforts of all parties concerned to work together on openly stated points of agreement is a step forward for the opposition to put the last two years behind it and look forward.  ELF-RC, from its top leadership to its organs and members have always adopted this strategy and worked for it.  Unfortunately, there are isolated elements who, wittingly or unwittingly, attempt to distract our resolve to defend the correct path for proper and principled action.  

A word on Gadi's Recent Rampage

 The editorial we wrote titled "Changing Times and Changing Roles" shows changes on the political stands of political personalities then and now.  There was nothing personal.  We are not attacking them in any way, shape or form.  When we point out the change of Adhanom's stand when he was an ambassador and now; we are glad that he is on the opposition camp.  He knows ELF-RC leadership was the one that showed concern and offered to work together from the outset. Pointing out changes of stands does not equate to attack or is not supposed to be taken personal.  When we mention others like Ahmed, as we always say no one takes a way their long dedicated service for their country.  We simply point out specific political stands that distract proper action. Nothing more, nothing less. In the same manner we talked about some of the changes in stand and side taking of the individuals of Awate.com.  We believe there was no reason for Gadi to go berserk and launch an editorial rampage against the said Nharnet Editorial and its Team.

We are not going to dwell on him except clarify a couple of points:

·        We misspelled "Saleh" and put it "Salih", we stand corrected.

·         We got the title of Saleh Younis’ column wrong, again we stand corrected and if need be, we apologize. 

·        The point we mentioned about Saleh Younis supporting the senseless war is on the mark.  Actually, it was in 2002 that he came as a guest speaker of a meeting called by EPF in Washington DC.  The time he expressed his position and the time the war started do not have to be at the same time.  Unlike Gadi, calling us many names and insults, we did not diminish any of Saleh's contribution in exposing PFDJ.  We simply pointed out a difference in stand while he spoke of supporting the war in the meeting and now he does not call on Ethiopia to abide by the international ruling of the demarcation as far as one can see from his postings. We are of course concerned much because those types of writings weaken the Eritrean position.

The above points show that The Nharnet Team does not hesitate to stand corrected and does not make excuses when it gets it wrong.  It also is not afraid to point out stands that need to be reconciled or explained by any one.  That is democracy in practice.  The Nharnet Team realizes that it has to live with personalities and groups that have different political positions. To us, they are not enemies, but persons and organizations that have different principles and policies; they can be our political opponents, but never our enemies.  We never forget we are struggling for the freedom of Eritreans to switch political parties and views as they see fit without being labeled enemy or being subjected to retaliation.  Our vision is to see freedom prevailing where a dedicated democrat willingly switches to become member of conservative party when he/she wishes to.  Why should comrades who struggle together for decades be enemies because they have different political stand on an issue?  They can disagree about it and even run for political office on different platforms but they should not be enemies. 

It is in this light and spirit that we write our editorials. Our readers and those we mention in our editorials know better than Gadi’s insinuations and inferential that show nothing but his hatred of the organization.  If he has been following it correctly ("reading and learning"), Gadi would understand that President Bush does not call Senator Kerry an enemy but opponent because they run against each other and they differ on many policies in the presidential campaign in the USA, a country he lives in. We leave animosity to those who lack political maturity. Gadi’s writings can only show how he sees things.

Let us have a look at some points we, the Nharnet Team, mentioned in the Nharnet Editorial.

1.  Mohammed Ali Ibrahim, a veteran of the armed struggle since the 1960s, held many positions at various times of the struggle, including as commander of the well known Battalion 107.  Now, Gadi wrote that he was a fresh recruit at Tahdai-Korokon.  And instead of showing an iota of integrity and correcting himself, Gadi went on the rampage against The Nharnet Team. This is only a small example of what he wrote about our leadership.

2.    Through out the past two years, he reported trips that were never taken, actions that were never executed.  He insisted on saying that Seyoum withdrew instead of saying the ELF-RC delegation walked out.  He even wanted to underline that Ahmed did not withdraw but resigned etc.

These were among the wrong and at times distorted writings that Nharnet wanted to be corrected. And they would have been corrected by people of integrity and ready to acknowledge mistakes. No, Gadi can only go on an editorial rampage.

3.   His editorials said a lot about ELF-RC’s holding of its congress in Ethiopia, and we don’t need to spend time quoting him now. Today, Gadi is repeatedly trying to belittle our support to international decisions in Eritrea’s favor (not to be equated to the dictator’s favor!). Gadi has been fond of calling "final and binding shouters" in trying to trash our stand on those clear supportive international decisions. We pointed out Gadi’s irreconcilable position, and he will not be able to show to readers that his views are reconcilable with realities. 

All the rest that he rambled about was simple garbage and we do not have time for that.  He totally missed the point when he took all what we wrote as a personal attack.  Some one needs to tell him that it is about correcting the distorted and fabricated information he has been feeding to his readers.  The many distorted and false things he wrote about the team do not bother us. But the distortions about our dedicated leaders do. The attempts to damage our organization also need to be defended whenever we feel someone has to be told that he is wrong. Gadi freely passes judgment left and right over anything and pontificates on lofty many issues, most of the time wrongly, but that could be his right. But when he abuses that right and does too much to harm an organization and its leadership, Nharnet Team sends a reminder note.

( We need not mention the childish comments about others copying Gadi’s words like editorials and team. These generic words for teams and editorial have been commonplace to the ELF-RC and its organs. There was no need for us to worrying about names for our writings and our editorial teams. It is just disgusting and we regret that we had to write back to Gadi.)

Thanks for reading

The Nharnet Team