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Party founding congress and
the challenges ahead of us
Eritrean Liberation Front –
RC
Information and Cultural
Office
27.06.2008
Both
ELF-RC and new party members will hold their broad base political party
founding congress on July 25 2008. The necessary party draft documents
to be presented at congress have been finalized. As is known, a series
of discussions and campaigns on the party draft documents have been
under way for quite some time now. In addition, such discussions and
campaigns will continue during and after the congress. Now, the party
formation process is on its final phase. And the process of nominating
delegates to the founding congress is under way.
The phase
we are in is the result of relentless effort of members of party
formation commission, members of ELF-RC, and new party members. We also
recognize the support and role of interested citizens during the entire
process.
This is
one-step in the right direction. This is not our final goal. Our final
goal is to register political, economical, cultural, and social … etc
changes in Eritrea. Because change is a journey, like a continuous and
full flowing river, we do not view ourselves to be the first and the
last of this process (change is an ongoing process). Our aim is to
introduce and lay foundation for change, in which the future generation
contributes and participates in the process. For this reason, it is
imperative to understand that the struggle for change belongs to
Eritrean people and not to organizations or few individuals.
Our party
must reflect our national identity/formation. The party that we are
about to establish must achieve the interest and participation of all
Eritrean social groups. With this objective in mind, individual party
members must contemplate with purpose and ask themselves on how they can
actively participate in the process of change we desire to register.
Furthermore, our vision must point beyond the founding congress. Of
course, those who heard about the party formation have questions; they
have been raising, scrambling, and processing question in their minds.
For example, what kind of programs would the congress adopt? What kind
of changes would the party bring? What kind of different activities
would the party run or engage in? So far, when asked whether they would
join the party, some of them said they would think about it after the
congress is convened. We have also a great number of Eritreans who are
observing the party without showing any reaction. In addition, we should
be aware of the hundreds and thousands of Eritreans who have not heard
about the party and its objectives. On the other hand, we should also be
conscious of those who hold negative viewpoints about our party, those
who do not want our party to develop and strengthen, and those who hold
hatred and grudge against our party. All these will continue to stand
against our party. Therefore, following the conclusion of the party
congress, we should be ready to make necessary sacrifices in order to
pursue the principles of the party on one hand and to face the
underlying challenges on the other.
Our
struggle must be to register the trust of our people in the party. Such
public support will enable us to have more friends outside the
confinement of Eritrean people. It is also imperative that we establish
relationship with neighboring countries, international communities,
foreign political parties that have similar programs, governmental and
nongovernmental institutions, civil society organizations, and news
media.
Our task
must be to promote reconciliation, harmony, peace, common development,
and the spirit of cooperation among various Eritrean social groups on
one hand, and between Eritrean people and neighboring countries on the
other. We believe we cannot achieve development or sustain peace being
independent of other nations.
We have no
enemies other than poverty, illiteracy, disease, and repression.
However, we cannot overcome those enemies by war, hatred, and
weakness…etc. We overcome those enemies by education, knowledge, work,
strong unity and cooperation; and by fostering peace, justice, and
prosperity.
Therefore,
let us rise up to establish people based party, with unity as its
central goal, and change as its trademark.
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