Editorials
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Proposal on structuring the Eritrean Democratic Alliance? By Nair Fesseha (Jan 24, 2004)
The meeting of the Eritrean opposition political organizations in Khartoum that has started 18th January and ended on 22nd of January, 2005, was successful. The meeting has discussed and resolved and finally agreed to adopt unanimously a coalition charter.
The other remaining issues are organizational structure, leadership election, program and policy for the unity organization. A seven-man committee were elected to prepare the next session on these issues.
What makes a coalition effective is the process of negotiations shaping and reshaping the coalition’s political business and products. The newly founded, “Eritrean Democratic Alliance, “ should now adapt and respond the recurring and changing of political market. It must practice the art of modern and democracy –oriented strategic planning.
The organizational structure of such coalition need modern skills to face the challenges and problems coming from all dimensions of the world. The past turbulences and mess and the failures they brought with must be assessed thoroughly.
The Eritrean Democratic Alliance should be specific and clear in its mission at the beginning. What is the mission of this alliance? For whose benefit is this alliance? How is the alliance going to achieve its objectives? These are some questions that must be given consideration. The mission that will be stated on the organizational structure must be motivating and contributing to the Eritrean people’s salvation. It should provide a vision and direction for the democratic alliance.
Having mentioned the first parts of the organizational structure- mission statement, objectives, and the target, we can look more closely at the other parts of the organizational structure.
The rules of membership, rights and duties of member organizations should be clear if the alliance is to succeed.
The rules for election and the division of authority between legislative and executive must be clearly defined and laid down on the structure. The rules for annual meetings/ convention of the legislative and executive must decided and laid down on the statute. The rules for voting and decision passing must be democratic.
Voting must be at this time based on the qualification of organization- a qualified organization must have declared congress, political program adopted in the congress, political structure and democratically elected leadership. The number of leadership, their position in the organization must be known by the nominating committee of the coming meeting of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance
The rules for auditing , mandate period and nominating Committee must be laid on the structure. ( Auditing organ must be external from Central Committee and Executive Committee, Nominating Committee must be also external from both CC and EC)
The organizational structure must be decentralized and democratic, thus setting Standing –Committees for the various affairs of the organization. Such structure boosts participation of the constituents of all member organizations, for example,
Defence and security standing committee Foreign Affairs standing committee Constitutional standing committee Justice and law standing committee Finance and economy standing committee Information and cultural standing committee Social and health standing committee ( at this time refugees and their situation)
Etc………………………………………………..
The structuring of an organization must avoid clientelism, corruption and mismanagement. A health structure can contribute to the development of the alliance.
The writer will continue on writing about the policy and programme of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance.
I wish the founders and leaders of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance success in their struggle to end the evil rule in Eritrea and build legal democracy after the post –dictatorial period. |
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