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Final Statement
Constituent and 1st Congress of
The Eritrean People’s Party
30 July
2008
The
Constituent and First Congress of the Eritrean People’s Party (EPP),
held under the slogan: ‘our party is the outcome of change in our
thinking’, successfully concluded its sessions on 30 July 2008.
The
Congress, which was officially opened on 25 July 2008, brought 123
voting delegates and a number of party-member observers and independent
observers from different parts of the world.
Following
the opening remarks of the chairperson of the preparatory committee,
solidarity messages were made by a representative of EDA,
representatives of various Eritrean political organizations, and
representative of Ethiopian government and the Sana’a Forum. The
outgoing chairman of the ELF-RC also highlighted the broad contributions
of his organization in the history of Eritrean people’s struggle,
declared the ending of ELF-RC journey, and announced the joining of his
members and resources to the newly formed political party. The chair of
the Joint Party Formation Commission on his part updated congress
delegates on the past process of the party establishment. The delegates
finally elected a seven-member secretariat and wrapped up their
deliberations within five days, on July 30 2008, after electing the
leadership of the new party.
The
Eritrean People’s Party is a party established to answer the demands of
change and renewal. As is known, following the independence of our
nation, the path of renewal and reconstruction tasks were supposed to
take place by avoiding the negative practices and wrong method of
handling conflicts born out of the armed struggle. However, the current
dictatorial regime became an obstacle to creating peaceful and
democratic path as well as reconciliation and negotiation among
Eritreans by employing the negative experiences of the liberation era.
Similarly, the opposition forces not only are unable to change such
obstacles, but also cannot free themselves from such negative
shortcomings. Thus, the Eritrean People’s Party marches forward by
learning the positive experiences and divorcing itself from the negative
ones. Yet, the success of such endeavor depends on the support and
participation of the Eritrean people in general, and on the youth in
particular. The Eritrean People’s Party calls upon the youth to support
these lofty objectives.
Our
struggling people
Our
Party’s congress took place under a specific political circumstance. On
the one hand, our world and region is plunged into very chaotic
political conflicts that deny political and democratic method as a means
of resolving conflicts, and on the other hand we have a dictatorial
regime that employs violence and war as a method of threatening its
neighbors as well as its own internal oppositions. Our Party’s congress
also convened at a time when the Eritrean political organizations began
to work under EDA, a national umbrella, with a spirit of change by
managing and administering their past misunderstandings.
After
careful study and evaluation of the present international, regional and
local situations, our congress has adopted a new method of struggle, a
political program, and a new organizational structure that will advance
and push our struggle forward.
The
purpose of the congress has been to define our visions and long-term
objectives. Our congress evaluated our past struggles, which consumed
much time on short-term programs while little was done on exploring
coherent long-term visions. Our party underlined and saw the paramount
importance of defining our long-term objectives that focused on
creativity and diligence.
Our party
will follow a peaceful and democratic method of struggle in order to
achieve its objectives. The leadership of the party is mandated to adapt
methods and to demonstrate flexibility in combating obstacles that stand
in the way of implementing the method we chose to follow.
The
congress democratically elected 39 members of Central Council in
addition to four reserves. The Central Council in its turn elected 17
members of the Executive Office out of which nine will form the
Secretariat or heads of Departments for the Executive Office. The
Central Council also introduced a structure at the level of the
Secretariat that enhances the role and participation of women and youth
at the level of Secretariat. Likewise, a department at the level of the
Secretariat was established for political education and mobilization in
order to develop both the skills of its members and our people.
In
addition, the congress established a unit responsible for auditing and
inspecting, which would be engaged in monitoring and controlling the
overall activities, performances and practices of the party in addition
to financial auditing.
The
congress also passed a resolution to establish a unit composed of
scholars and experts to conduct studies and research projects on party
strategy and policy related matters.
Our
struggling people
The
Constituent and First Congress of the Eritrean People’s Party, having
evaluated the state of affairs of our country under the repressive
government, passed the following resolutions:
1.
Our party
calls upon the people to rise up and change the destructive economic
policies of the repressive government, which is choking the private
enterprises and open market system economy in our country.
2.
Our party
appeals to Eritrean people to rise up and stop the injustices and
violations perpetuated upon Eritrean youth under the guise of national
service; this violation of rights in the name of national service is
causing Eritrean youth to flee the country in the face of death,
suffering and hardships.
3.
The
official decision to close down the University of Asmara in 2006 by the
PFDJ regime demonstrates its long-held policy of both anti education and
anti scholars and educators. The congress strongly condemns the measure
taken by the regime to close down the University of Asmara. The congress
also calls upon Eritreans in general and those who attended courses in
Asmara University in particular to bring pressure to bear on the regime
to reopen the closed University. The Eritrean People’s Party further
resolves to campaign aggressively throughout the international community
and expose the acts of the PFDJ against higher education in Eritrea.
4.
Family is
the basic unit of a society; and the health of a family is a standard
measurement of the overall health of a society. Peace and development is
the spirit of happiness of families. However, the regime of PFDJ is
repeatedly perpetuating attacks on Eritrean families. Its unjust
policies are further disintegrating the Eritrean family. Thus, the
congress condemns the acts of violence of PFDJ on Eritrean families.
5.
The
Eritrean People’s Party calls on the PFDJ regime to release all
political prisoners without pre-condition.
6.
The
Eritrean People’s Party calls upon Eritrean Diasporas to stop
immediately raising financial assistance to the PFDJ regime. Such
illegal fund raising conducted under duress is used by the regime to
prolong the suffering our people.
The
Constituent and First Congress of the EPP expresses gratitude to
sisterly Eritrean organizations for assisting during the process of
establishing our party. In particular, the party is grateful to those
representatives of organizations who participated and encouraged us
during the opening and concluding sessions of the congress. The party is
also grateful for the participation and contributions offered by the
observers throughout the congress’ deliberation.
In the
end, the party expresses gratitude for both the Ethiopian government and
Ethiopian people for allowing our party to hold its congress in
Ethiopia. The Eritrean People’s party further resolves to focus and
involve itself in reconciling the hatred and hostility brought by the
destructive war between Ethiopian and Eritrean people in general and
between the Tigray and the Eritrean people in particular.
Let us
struggle for renewal and change!!
Victory to
Eritrean People’s Party!!
Victory to
the Eritrean Democratic Alliance!!
Down to
the dictatorial regime!!
Eternal
glory to our martyrs!!
30 July
2008 |
