|
Political Resolutions of
Constituent and 1st Congress
Of the Eritrean People’s Party
30.07.2008
The
Eritrean people have long been subjected to abject poverty, diseases,
ignorance, divide-and-rule, discrimination, displacement and violation
of basic human rights under a chain of colonial rules as well as under
the home-grown dictatorship that usurped people’s sovereignty since
independence. Although continued efforts were made by the opposition
camp to change the oppressive and cruel dictatorial system in the
country, the system of organization and the way of thinking and doing
things in the opposition camp did not measure up to the expectations of
our people.
Springing
from this understanding, the 6th congress of the ELF-RC in
2006 resolved to establish a mass party with a broad mass base that
allows the participation of the new generations and includes political
organizations, groups and individuals with similar visions after freeing
oneself from archaic grudges in the ELF/EPLF (Jebha/Shabia) divide.
On this
basis, the Constituent and First Congress of the new party passed the
following resolutions:
1.
Name of
the Party:
The congress decided to call the new party “The Eritrean People’s Party”
(EPP).
2.
Form of
Struggle:
After thoroughly discussing the means of struggle the EPP shall pursue
to realize its objectives, the Constituent and First EPP Congress
reached the following decisions:
a)
To remove
the current dictatorial system in Eritrea and thus secure the
aspirations of the Eritrean people in a guaranteed and lasting
multi-party democratic system of governance, the EPP shall conduct
peaceful and democratic means of struggle.
b)
But in
view of the prevailing oppressive situation in Eritrea that deprives the
people free political expression and free movement, it is difficult to
fully pursue peaceful and democratic struggle by the wish of one side
only. Therefore, being aware that the belligerent policies and the
behaviour of the Eritrean regime gives reason to fear of provocation of
violence, the struggle conducted by the Party shall be cautious and
protective of the safety of its members.
c)
In
particular, the regime is as usual bent at suppressing any opposition
inside the country by brute force, and because of this the tasks of
peaceful and democratic struggle inside the homeland shall be conducted
by party members whose self-defense is well secured.
3.
Regarding
possessions/legacies and obligations of the ex-ELF RC
a)
Possessions and legacies: The congress decided to put into effective use
the material, human and intellectual possessions and legacies bequeathed
from the ELF-RC.
b)
Relation
with the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA): The Eritrean People’s Party
recognizes the EDA, to which the ELF-RC was a member, as a national
umbrella for the Eritrean opposition camp. EPP shall accept and respect
the letter and spirit of the documents adopted at the recent unification
congress of EDA. Affirming its commitment to the charter and
constitution of the alliance, EPP shall assume all the responsibilities
and obligations entered to by ELF-RC with the national umbrella. The new
EPP leadership is hereby instructed to take measures to this end by
meeting with the leadership of EDA.
c)
Relationship with EDP: The congress took note of the accords and
resultant relationships that were gradually building up between the
Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) and the former ELF-RC with the aim of
eventual unity, and believed that the relations and common tasks jointly
conducted by members of the two sides helped in creating a degree of
mutual trust that could now lead to much closer work relationship. On
this basis, the congress endorsed the existing agreement and entrusted
the new party leadership to continue the process. The congress also
mandated the new party leadership to take further steps of realizing
closer relationship between the two parties, including the authority of
deciding merger of the two entities.
4.
Military
Service of the Eritrean Regime
The
congress reached the conclusion that the forced military conscription
exercised under the guise of “national service” by the dictatorial
regime in Eritrea is an abhorrent measure that has severely damaged the
educational opportunities and disrupted the productive capacities of the
entire young generation in Eritrea in addition to dehumanizing the
integrity and stability of the society by causing factors for
displacement and exile. The congress thus condemned the abuses of the
regime that turned members of the entire national army to prison
inmates, and called upon the army and the Eritrean people at large to
rise up and resist this oppressive regime. It also underlined that a
sensible national service can only be adopted by a parliament elected by
the people.
5.
Question
of Land
The
congress resolved that those Eritreans, whose land has been confiscated
by the regime under the proclamation that turned people’s land to
government land, shall have the land returned to their ownership through
fair legal channels. Appropriate compensation shall be given to those
persons to whom their previous land cannot be returned to them.
6.
The Plight
Eritrean Refugees
The
congress discussed in great length the plight of Eritrean refugees who
fled the country because of the abuses of the dictatorial regime, and
resolved that the party shall strive to improve their situation and
explore all channels possible with concerned international organizations
to provide them with appropriate assistance.
7.
Use of
Eritrean Flags
Being a
party that strives to put aside the ELF/EPLF divide in the society, the
new party shall resist the dictatorial regime by bringing to its fold
former members of the ELF and the EPLF. Recalling that the use of
different flags had been part of political differences between Jebha and
Shabia, it expressed the belief that this is an issue to be resolved in
the post-dictatorship era and that the opposition forces need not
quarrel over it at the present. In this regard:
a)
The Blue
Flag that had been in use by ELF is a historical emblem of struggle
under whose banner high sacrifices were paid by our people
b)
The flag
used by the regime in Eritrea is the flag by which the State of Eritrea
is recognized internationally.
Therefore,
the congress recognized both flags and resolved to use them at all
occasions of the party alongside the new party emblem.
8.
The Border
Conflict Between Eritrea and Ethiopia
The
congress considered the border conflict between Eritrea and Ethiopia and
affirmed its belief that the matter should be settled peacefully and
legally under the final and binding ruling of the border Commission.
9.
The
Problem of Prisoners
The wrong
policies of dictatorial regime have subjected the Eritrean people to
arbitrary killings and widespread imprisonment. The congress expressed
deep concern of this sad situation and resolved that the leadership of
the new Party shall exert strenuous efforts to further expose the abuses
of the regime and draw the attention of the international community to
the plight of prisoners in Eritrea.
10.
Regarding
the 1997 Constitution
The
controversy surrounding the recognition or none recognition by the
opposition of the constitution that the regime has relegated to the
shelves for the last 11 years is rendered meaningless by now. It is only
in the aftermath of the fall of the dictatorial regime that that
document can have convenient ground for serious debate.
Therefore,
the Eritrean People’s Party believes that it is only after the fall of
the regime that the Eritrean people can use that document as a draft
upon which necessary revisions can be made for adoption through a
popular referendum or ratification by democratically elected parliament.
11.
The
University of Asmara
The
destructive and harmful measures of the Asmara regime have first
weakened the workings of the Asmara University which it finally shut
down in 2006. This measure was part of the long-held anti-education and
anti-elite policies of the Eritrean regime. The congress thus strongly
condemns these measures taken against education in Eritrea. The congress
called upon Eritreans in general and those who attended courses in
Asmara University in particular to make pressure bear upon the regime to
reopen the closed University. The congress also urged the EPP leadership
and members to exert all possible efforts to expose the acts of the
regime against higher education in Eritrea.
12.
Relations
with Neighbouring Countries
The party
congress condemned in absolute terms the belligerent acts of the PFDJ
regime that was a cause of conflicts with all neighbouring countries
and governments, and affirmed that the new Party shall strive to
establish fraternal relations with neighbouring countries based on
promoting common interests through mutual respect and without
interferences in the internal affairs of others.
The
congress also recalled the painful experience of war and suffering
caused by the border conflict as provoked by the regime in Eritrea, and
deplored the death and destruction that the conflict caused, and pledged
that the new Party shall exert efforts to heal the wounds and the
grudges it caused between Eritreans and Ethiopians in general, and
between Eritreans and the people of Tigrai in particular.
|
