Let us boost the political participation of our people

May 23, 2008

Political participation is a tool by which citizens use to influence the opinions of leaders of government, political parties, and organizations. Political participation takes many forms.

1. Expressing opinion in written or speech

Those who believe their participation counts in bringing change exercise the following types of participation to communicate their messages to leaders:

·     Making telephone calls to public officials

·     Posting opinions on news papers

·     Collecting signatures and sending them to concerned bodies

·     Writing letters to public officials and

·     Holding public meetings

This type of participation normally operates within the provisions of the law of the country set for such political participation. However, in many instances such laws are broken when demands of the public fail to materialize.

On the other hand, government and party leaders always take note of the public opinions and concerns through their own spying institutions and other new media sources. Such institutions are used to follow up and gauge public opinion towards the government policies.

2. Active political participation

Active political participation is exercised to influence or change government policy through both elections and referendum processes. Mostly, people who belong to the same political parties and hold similar political views use this type of participation. Again, the aim is both to influence government and political party leaders as well as to sway public opinions.

3. Social movements

This form of participation is the result of likeminded individuals organized under various associations, unions … etc. Members come from the same work place, gender, age, profession … etc. Each one of them shares the same ideas that compel them to be organized under a specific movement. Such movements are formed to defend the rights and interests of their members by demanding change on certain government policies.

Further, this type of participation is expressed through demonstrations and strikes by unions/associations to bring grievances against the government. Sometimes, such small demonstrations have the potential to grow both in size and in influence and become people’s movement by drawing other movements to join the action. Mostly, movements like this start with small demands such as pay increases, improved employment conditions, education, wages … etc. But demands like this have the potential to gain momentum quickly and translate themselves into mass movement that leads to political action.  Once the movement is in this stage, change can take place. However, change is possible only if organized leadership emerges to lead the movement. On the other hand, the momentum of the movement may not survive if no leadership emerges to lead and organize. In addition, some unions may abandon the movement if the government meets their demands.

4. Tool of the stifled   

In countries that are undemocratic, citizens are not allowed to form political parties, unions, civic societies, and to have freedom of speech and press … etc. Citizens ruled by such political system cannot openly rise to oppose the government for fear of imprisonment, killings, reprisals … etc. For this reason, citizens choose to pursue passive resistance, mainly at individual levels; it is voluntary and dependent upon individual initiatives and goodwill. Mostly, this type of participation is limited to boycotting elections, hunger strike, refusing to follow orders of authorities, and others. Even though this is passive participation, its influence overtime can be far-reaching.

There are also government-sponsored and initiated demonstrations aimed at supporting its policies, and preventing other parties from participating and winning elections. Such government-supported demonstrations advocate no policy change; rather it maintains the status quo of the government in power. Therefore, whenever the government in power manipulates political participation, there cannot be a genuine political participation; this type of participation runs from top to bottom to protect the government in power.

On the other hand, we should not also assume that every citizen participates in politics. For example, majority of people in society might feel that their participation would not matter or change anything. As a result, they disengage and distance themselves from participating in politics. Second, the level of education and consciousness of some sectors in society also affect how much they participate in a given political system.

With this explanation in mind, it is not hard to know what type of participation each of us is making. Some of us might have a role in most types of political participation; and some of us might limit our participation to one or two types of participation. As we know, opposition political parties, freedom of speech and press, freedom of associations, freedom of dissension, and other freedoms are banned in Eritrea. This situation presents Eritrean people inside the country to engage in one of the most ineffectual and passive type of participation to oppose the government: such as opposing national service, fleeing the country, exposing policies of the government through songs, refusing orders of governmental authorities, writing against the government by using pen names … etc. 

However, Eritreans in Diaspora, take various types of participation in opposition to the government in power in Eritrea. Some of them show their opposition by joining the political forces, some of them by involving in civic societies and associations, some of them by writing, and some of them by participating in protests and demonstrations. Others stand with the government and promote its policies. But, the majority of Eritreans in Diaspora are absent from the political participation.

It will take hard work to boost the political participation, to unite our people, and to mobilize our resources. In order our efforts to bear fruit; we need to have a winning strategy in place:

1.   In order to inspire the public and build a force capable of replacing the government of HGDF, Eritrean opposition forces must form an umbrella organization. At the same time, political organization and parties, whose programs are similar, must merge.

2.   Eritrean opposition forces must focus on promoting their programs rather than engaging in mutual defamation campaign. Defaming one another is helping the government of Isaias whose main propaganda tool in itself is to defame the opposition. Importantly, no opposition force grows by attacking and defaming others. Worst, the impact of the defamation is not only limited to political organization; but it affects the political participation of Eritrean people.

3.  Civic societies must join forces and work together against the repressive government. Their focus on advocacy and protection of human rights need to be strengthened.

4.  The opposition forces’ news and propaganda resources must be streamlined, coordinated, and studied to produce the desired results.

5.  Encourage every Eritrean to participate and play a role in weakening the repressive government in our country on one hand, and to provide support for the opposition forces in all spheres on the other.

6.  Encourage international community to stand on the side of Eritrean people for justice as well as to pay special attention to the plight of Eritrean refugees.