POLITICAL
PROGRAMME
OF
THE ELF-RC
Introduction
Italian
colonial rule under the guidance of racist ideology implemented a programme of
land
confiscation
in Eritrea. The most fertile farmland was grabbed from native owners and
distributed
among
white settlers. Farmers who lost their land were forced to flock towards the new
urban
centers in search of work. Here too, segregationist laws and regulations denied them
opportunities
for
livelihood. Many of them were compelled to enlist in the ranks of Italy’s
expansionist army.
After
World War II, their successors, the British, took steps to abolish the racial
laws, albeit
leaving
the economic status quo and many of the discriminatory statutes in place.
Conditions had
further
worsened as the British in their turn exercised a policy of uprooting and
selling profitable
firms
and manufacturing plants.
Politically,
the British introduced their divide-and-rule strategy to exploit the diversity
of our
people.
This policy could have an impact due to the widespread low level of political
awareness
among
our people. This had some role in impeding the emergence of Eritrea as an
independent
entity.
Later
on, in 1952, our people were tied to Ethiopia through a UN sponsored federation
without
their
expressed will. Under pressure of the US government, which had, at the time,
cordial
relations
with the imperial regime of Ethiopia, the General Assembly of the UN adopted a
resolution
that aborted their demand for self-determination and independence. But, the
Federal
Act
did also introduce a liberal constitution that distributed power into executive,
legislative and
judicial
branches.
However,
Emperor Haile Sellasie did not lose time to methodically erode the
constitutional
system
before it could consolidate. Finally the federation was unilaterally abrogated
in 1962 by
an
imperial decree reducing the status of Eritrea to a mere province of Haile
Sellasie’s empire.
The
elimination of the federation was preceded by impoverishment of Eritrea by
design. Viable
economic
enterprises and factories were shifted to Ethiopia, and its health and
educational
services
were left to dilapidate. Ethiopia’s slogan of “land-without-people” had
its genesis in that
period
of historical injustice.
Nevertheless,
the Eritrean people did not succumb to desperation and did not let the setback
break
their
will to resist. In 1958 the Eritrean Liberation Movement (ELM) was formed; in
1960 the
Eritrean
Liberation Front (ELF) was founded and declared the armed struggle under the
leadership
of the national hero, Martyr Hamid Idris Awate.
As
the protracted struggle progressed, the ELF grew to shoulder responsibility for
the future of
the
nation and adopted a political programme taking national independence, total
liberation of the
Eritrean
person and espoused democratic dialogue as the instrument for resolving
secondary
contradictions
that could crop up within our society. On the international stage too, the ELF
had
exerted
relentless effort to articulate the just cause of the Eritrean people in world
public forums.
As
a result of the bitter and traitorous conspiracy of the EPLF, the military arm
of the ELF
military
was ousted from the fronts of major military confrontation with the enemy.
However, the
concluding
phase of the military victory achieved in 1991 by the People’s Liberation Army
cannot
by any measure be perceived in isolation from the heroic contribution made by
the
Eritrean
Liberation Army since 1961, a fact indelibly engraved in the history of our
people's
national
struggle.
With
the liberation of Eritrean national territory, the ELF put aside the bitterness
of the past and
put
forth a comprehensive proposal as a prelude to the building of a free Eritrea.
This included
the
proposal for the formation of an all-inclusive transitional government. Ignoring
this, however,
the
EPLF stubbornly went ahead with its option of monopolizing political power and
ended up
pushing
the Eritrean people into the quagmire they now find themselves in. The damages
and
ruinous
ramifications of such a policy on all spheres of life in Eritrea are not hidden
to any
observer.
The terrible war against Ethiopia was just an extreme case. Human and material
resources
badly needed for the construction of the country have been squandered, and the
already
disastrous
legacy left behind by the Ethiopian occupation forces worsened due to recent
senseless
wars
and subsequent isolation.
Demonstrating
familiar behavior, the regime is now seen rushing to play election gimmick in
an
attempt
to divert attention from criticisms it has been facing from the people in the
aftermath of
its
ruinous war against Ethiopia.
We
in the ELF-RC are fully aware that the challenges confronting us today are not
in any way
easier
than those we had to face in the course of our struggle for national
independence. We
therefore
stand firmly committed to building a democratic society in which all citizens
under a
united
nation shall enjoy freedom, cultural advancement and economic prosperity.
Convinced that
the
on-going struggle for political pluralism is a grand national enterprise that
concerns all, we
comprehend
that its consummation requires the participation of all the political and social
forces
of
our nation. Thus, in our quest to realize this crucial common task, side by side
with the lofty
ideals
our organization cherishes, we depart from our profound conviction in:
FIRST:
In Eritrea, the peasantry makes up the overwhelming majority of the society;
they subsist
on
farming, animal husbandry and fishing. Besides. There is a small working class
in the urban
centers;
the majority still maintain bond with their roots: the village and the land. The
rest of our
population
comprises of petite bourgeoisie that engages in small private holdings, trade or
skilled
labor.
SECOND: The Eritrean
society is multi-confessional, multi-lingual and multi-cultural. Hence,
no
serious analysis can overlook these facts when issues touching on identity or
the state's
position
on matters having religious tinge are considered. Polarization of opinion during
the
period
of self-determination in the 40s and early 50s when the languages issue was
raised had
proven
how religious affiliations and cultural choices could overshadow our people’s
position.
Consensus
was reached after heated debates among the various political forces of the time,
and it
was
only a practical compromise that made it possible for Tigrigna and Arabic to be
adopted as
the
official languages of Eritrea. Ever since, the languages issue has remained as
one of the
standing
principles of our nation.
THIRD:
There exist
gaps of development among the various regions of our country. Due to
definitive
historical circumstances as well as colonialist schemes that channeled development to
the
interests of colonizers rather than changing the quality of life in Eritrea, our
society was
hampered
from undergoing through normal evolutionary process of transformation. The
outcome
of
such background was the distorted socio-economic formation that exists today.
Those
realities have reflected in the existence of facilities symbolizing modernity -
electricity,
schools,
hospitals and communication network - in some regions while virtually
non-existent in
others.
In most cases, religious and linguistic distribution in Eritrea corresponds with
regional
demarcations.
The existing gaps of development could, therefore, be fertile ground for
suspicions
and
sensitivities that could negatively overshadow political issues. Thus, the
implications of those
conditions
pose serious challenge to patriotic and democratic efforts for building a modern
civil
society
transcending confessional, clan and linguistic divides.
FOURTH:
Agriculture
is the mainstay of the majority of our people. Farming, livestock breeding
and
fishing are key occupations. During the period of our armed resistance, hundreds
of
thousands
of peasants were forced to leave their homes and farms and migrated to the urban
centers.
Others went to live in refugee camps of the neighboring countries in the
thousands.
Since
independence the refugee population have been patiently waiting to go back to
their
villages
to lead their normal lives. But, a lot of hurdles have been precluding their
repatriation.
Once
these hindrances have been removed, minimum economic support provided and
political
stability
guaranteed the refugees shall be ready to return. Not surprisingly, thus, the
question of
Eritrean
refugees has been continuously and forcefully imposing itself on the political
and socioeconomic
programmes
of all the opposition political forces. For us too, it stands as a crucial
responsibility preoccupying our untiring attention.
FIFTH:
Eritrea’s realistic
foreign relations policy has to take the geopolitical, historical and
cultural
facts that tie our peoples with the peoples of the region into due
consideration.
Economically
and culturally advanced civil society is our goal. Political pluralism is
steppingstone
in
the long process of accomplishing that objective. That is why our organization believes
multiparty
democracy to be a very urgent national task that cannot be delayed. Moreover, we
appreciate
fully the fact that democracy is a comprehensive programme that hinges on
requisite
12
conditions.
However, the one-thousand-mile journey has, of necessity, to begin with one
step, to
borrow
a truism of common wisdom. Political pluralism, too, is an essential first step
in the
democratization process whose full form and scope can only be guaranteed through genuine
involvement
of all the social and political forces. This is the realistic way how our people
could
mobilize and deploy their energies and resources fully for the sake of a democratic
society they
aspire.
On the other hand, suppression of alternative platforms and options in favor of
a
particular organization paralyses the creative contribution of the society, creating
thereby a
perfect
condition for internal strife and backwardness on which despotism thrives.
OBJECTIVES:
The
ELF-RC believes that the new state of Eritrea should be built on the principles
of democracy,
equality,
social justice and peace. It believes that democracy is the only system that
could
guarantee
citizens of our nation to enjoy inalienable political and human rights in full.
In a
democracy,
they could mobilize their creative faculties and energies to build their country
that has
long
been ruined by foreign occupation and by the current dictatorial regime.
Categorically
rejecting discrimination and injustice, the ELF-RC upholds that equality is the
basis
of
equal opportunities among all citizens irrespective of their sex, conviction,
social status or
racial
origin. To the ELF-RC, equality between men and women is key to social progress.
Social
justice is a fundamental principle of our organization. It believes that social
justice leads to
a
society free from poverty, disease and ignorance. Thus, the ELF-RC strives to realize
a system
free
from unjust exploitation of the citizens where farmers and laborers must enjoy
the fruits of
their
toil.
The
ELF-RC holds peace to be a crucial imperative because where there is no peace
and stability,
there
is no development and prosperity. Peace is also an international concern for
protecting
humanity
from the scourge of nuclear conflagration, besides being key to just and
equitable
relationship
between the industrialized North and the developing the South.
1.
ON POLITICAL ISSUES
The
ELF-RC struggles for:
1.1
Bringing the downfall of the dictatorial regime, and replacing it by a
multiparty
democracy
that ensures basic rights.
1.2.
Ensuring democracy as the only instrument for holding and transferring power.
1.3.
Guaranteeing sovereignty of the people and the law.
1.4.
Guaranteeing democratic and civil liberties: freedom of speech, writing,
gathering
and organizing.
1.5.
Ensuring the supremacy of law.
1.6.
Preserving and defending the unity of the people and the territorial integrity
of the
country.
1.7.
Defending national sovereignty.
A.
ON PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
The
ELF-RC strives for:
A.1.
Adopting a permanent constitution written with the participation of all of the
political
forces and ratified by a people’s referendum.
A.2.
Establishing a democratic parliamentary system distributing power to
legislative,
executive
and judicial branches of government exercised on provincial, divisional and
sub-divisional,
municipal … levels of administration.
A.3.
Writing referendum into the constitution of Eritrea as a mandatory principle to
ensure
people’s sovereign right in decisions affecting national sovereignty and basic
laws
of
the land.
A.4
Adopting secret ballot in elections.
B.
ON HUMAN RIGHTS
The
ELF-RC Struggles to:
B.1.
Guarantee the right of independent mass organizations and trade unions,
including
their
right to peaceful demonstration.
B.2.
Confirm the right of Eritreans to profess a faith or ideology of their choice.
B.3.
Guarantee freedom of the press.
B.4.
Ensure freedom of thought, organization, movement and personal safety.
B.5.
Guarantee the citizen’s right to work.
C.
ON THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE STATE WITH RELIGION
The
ELF-RC confirms:
C.1.
The Government of Eritrea shall be secular, and government and religion would be
separated
from each other.
C.2.
The state shall respect all faiths; and state-religion relationship would be
founded on
mutual
respect and co-operation.
C.3
All religions are equal before the law.
C.4.
Religious institutions could run their internal affairs.
2.
ON THE ECONOMY
Eritrea
is in a very horrible economic situation where the majority depends on foreign
aid. This
requires
a short-term economic plan to address the immediate shortages and a long-term
strategy
to
ensure skilful management of national wealth. Thus, the ELF-RC upholds that the
viability of
any
economic strategy depends on:
2.1.
Providing citizens the incentives to produce, and stimulating their creative
capacity
to maximize productivity.
2.2.
Providing for the basic needs of the people.
2.3.
Productivity of national resources.
2.4.
Just distribution of wealth and advancement of the living standard of ordinary
people.
2.5.
Sustainability and expansion of balanced economic development in various fields
of
human endeavor.
The
failed one-sector economic experiences of countries had shown that such an
option cannot
bring
overall development. Thus, an all-round economic programme taking account of our
national
realities and norms of international trade is essential. No productive
transformation is
possible
without comprehensive strategy of development targeting all resources and
potential of
the
nation.
Therefore,
the ELF-RC believes in a mixed economic system that encompasses all sectors of
the
national
economy: private, state, joint ventures that are conducive to domestic and
foreign capital
investment.
A.
ON THE ECONOMIC POLICY
Thus,
the ELF-RC struggles for:
A.1.
Adoption of mixed economy.
A.2.
Guaranteeing a well-considered policy on national and foreign investment.
A.3.
Ensuring fair distribution of wealth.
A.4.
Adopting progressive taxation system compatible with personal incomes.
A.5.
Ensuring state revenues to finance public projects geared to the alleviating the
burden
of low-income earners.
A.6.
Establishing study centers for development.
A.7
Introducing agricultural, commercial, techno-industrial projects geared to job
creation.
A.8.
Encouraging private and public capital investment.
A.9.
Developing transportation and communication.
A.10.
Harnessing agriculture to provide for basic subsistence needs of ordinary
citizens.
A.11.
Enacting statutes to protect forests and wildlife.
A.12.
Promoting a strategy that eases housing problems and ensures the needs of modern
living.
A.13.
Adopting an economic strategy that targets the narrowing and balancing of
development
gaps on all levels, and ensuring farming and animal rearing sectors to
support
people’s well being and overall economic progress.
A.14.
Encouraging co-operative ventures.
A.15.
Ensuring that land is owned by the people; and that the state should, under well
defined
legal checks, manage land vital to common national interest such as strategic
minerals,
roads and communications network.
B.
ON AGRICULTURE AND ENVIRONMENT
The
majority of our people are rural inhabitants and practice farming and animal
breeding with
small
fraction of the overall population engaging in livestock rearing and fishing.
Thus,
agriculture
must get commensurate attention to cater for basic needs of the people and
support
economic
development.
Thus,
the ELF-RC strives for :
B.1.
Preservation of soil and forests; and for programmes promoting agriculture as a
base
for
woodwork and animal product industries.
B.2.
Studies for water resources and dam building.
B.3.
Modernization of farming, pasture, animal breeding and wide use of veterinary
services.
B.4.
Protection of marine life and development of this sector.
B.5.
Utilization of rivers and streams for irrigation.
B.6.
Development of modern techniques of farming.
B.7
Combating desertification and ecological degradation.
C.
ON WILDLIFE AND FOREST WEALTH.
The
ELF-RC shall ensure:
C.1
Protection and preservation of wildlife and forests.
C.2
Establishment of parks and zoos.
D.
ON INDUSTRY AND NATURAL RESOURCES
Our
natural wealth has not been utilized for national production due to dilapidated
and obsolete
state
of our infrastructure, putting Eritrea on weak economic footing. Transformation
to industrial
stage
has in our country no other alternative save development of the agricultural
sector. Crops
such
as cotton, sugar cane, and oil seeds should get attention to cater for raw
materials needed by
agro-industrial
industries. Fisheries and animal products is another important sector, besides
revitalization
of old and feasible plants.
Thus,
the ELF-RC shall uphold that:
D.1.
National wealth must serve our people.
D.2
Natural resources must be exploited judiciously.
D.3.
Cheaply exploitable minerals get priority attention.
D.4.
Light and medium scale industries must be established.
D.5.
Agro-industries should be the base of industrialization.
D.6
Factories for farming tools and production equipment must be established.
D.7.
Environment should be safeguarded from industrial pollution.
E.
TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUNICATION
Transportation
and communication networks are as vital to our country as arteries are to human
body;
they are crucial for promoting trade and exchange of culture.
Thus,
the ELF-RC shall uphold that:
E.1.
The existing transportation and communication networks must be rehabilitated and
improved.
E.2.
Comprehensive studies for building new roads to connect the regions to each
other
must
be undertaken.
E.3.
Land, Sea and air transportation must be modernized to support growth of the
economy
and foreign commerce.
E.4.
Tourism must be developed.
3.
ON SOCIAL AFFAIRS
The
ELF-RC upholds that:
3.1.
Peasants, workers, women, students, the youth and other professional groups have
the
right to form unions.
3.2.
Pilot farms must be introduced to encourage settlement of nomads as farming
communities.
3.3.
Social services must reach all parts of the rural countryside.
3.4.
Ways for balanced development with emphasis on deprived areas must be studied.
A.
EDUCATION
Education
is a key source of knowledge. Progress and development for prosperity depends on
a
scientifically
equipped society.
The
ELF-RC confirms that:
A.1.
Education should be accessible to all Eritreans without discrimination.
A.2.
Education should be free and compulsory up to the sixth grade.
A.3.
Instruction at primary level should be given in Tigrigna and Arabic, and English
at
higher
levels. Both official languages should be taught as subjects in higher levels.
A.4.
Technical and trade schools must be expanded.
A.5.
Illiteracy must be eradicated.
A.6.
Private schools must abide by the national syllabus.
A.7.
The national curriculum must be compatible with the realities of the Eritrean
society.
A.8.
Religious institutions have right to teach religion in the language of their
choice;
but
academic subjects should be given in official mediums only.
B.
HEALTH SERVICES
Health
is basic to the life of human being and does not imply avoiding hazardous
organisms only.
It
includes person's social, mental and physical well being. Only a healthy society
can develop
and
achieve progress.
Therefore,
ELF-RC shall strive for:
B.1.
Free access to health services.
B.2.
Spreading clinics and health care centers in the rural countryside.
B.3.
Providing public health education especially on epidemics and contagious
diseases,
such
as AIDS.
B.4.
Permitting private health care centers to operate under regulations and
standards set
by
the state.
B.5.
Banning all harmful medically unapproved narcotics.
B.6.
Allowing use of popular medicine and training practitioners properly.
C.
MARTYRS' FAMILIES AND THE DISABLED
Recognizing,
with tribute, the dedication of all the men and women who sacrificed their lives
for
the honor of our people, as well as those who sustained injuries while carrying
their duties; and
aware
of our responsibility towards the disabled and families of martyrs, it is our
duty to struggle
to fulfill that obligation in full.
Thus,
the ELF-RC shall strive:
C.1.
To establish institutions to care for the families of the disabled.
C.2.
To provide the necessary training to qualify them to depend on themselves and
participate
in development.
C.3.
To support them form their own associations.
C.4.
To establish institutions to serve martyrs’ families.
C.5.
To Provide social services to help the children of martyrs become self-reliant.
C.6.
To establish appropriate sporting facilities for the handicapped.
D.
THE VETERAN FIGHTERS
The
ELF-RC shall confirm that:
The
state shall be duty-bound, within limits of its resources, to provide for
veterans who
have
no body to care for them.
E.
THE ORPHANS
The
ELF-RC shall ensure that:
The
state is responsible for the upbringing and education Eritrean orphans.
F.
THE ELDERLY
The
ELF-RC shall guarantee that:
The
state would provide lodging facilities to the elderly lacking any other means.
G.
ON PENSIONS
The
ELF-RC confirms that:
Citizens
retiring due to old age or illness are entitled to pension.
H.
ON THE ERITREAN WOMEN
Women
comprise half of our society; their political, economic and social rights are
requisite to
progress
and prosperity.
Therefore,
the ELF-RC upholds that:
H.1.
Women have the right to form their independent unions.
H.2.
Women have the right to engage in all fields of human endeavor.
H.3.
Women have the right to equal pay for the same work performed.
H.4.
Women have the right to maternity leave with pay.
H.5.
Women shall be provided with childcare nurseries at their work places.
H.6.
Social customs and traditions impeding the freedom of women would be tackled.
H.7.
Women shall be protected from resorting to disgraceful means of livelihood due
to
economic
hardships.
I.
ON WORKERS
The
Eritrean working class emerged simultaneously with the Italian construction
works such as
railways,
motor roads, port facilities, telephone and small and medium scale manufacturing
enterprises
that were solely geared to serving the colonial army and administration. After
Italy's
defeat
in WW II, the demobilized native soldiers were added as reserve labor force,
worsening
the
already saturated labor market. Moreover, the neglected agricultural sector by
the colonial
authorities
could not support the growing peasantry, which made it an extra source of labor.
Eritrean
workers inside and in the Diaspora had been an important factor in the
sustenance and
growth
of our armed struggle. In the post liberation era too, the vanguard role of
worker side by
side
with other sectors of the society hardly needs emphasis.
Thus,
the Eritrean state has the obligation to create favorable conditions suitable
for worker to
deploy
their physical and spiritual capabilities for development.
The
ELF-RC, therefore, struggles for:
I.1.
The right of workers to form their own trade unions and freedom to demonstrate.
I.2.
Defining minimum wage of an ordinary worker.
I.3.
Ensuring weekend and annual leave with pay.
I.4.
Enacting pension and compensation bill.
I.5.
Providing training for upgrading skill and qualification.
I.6.
Ensuring healthy working environment.
I.7.
Ensuring the right of workers who sustain injuries while at work.
I.8
Prohibiting child labor.
J.
ON THE PEASANTRY
As
majority of our society, the Eritrean peasantry had suffered the most under
colonial
oppression,
apart from carrying the heaviest burden of our national armed resistance. Now
too,
our
peasants are set to play a key role in developing our national economy. Thus,
ensuring their
right
to utilize their land and enjoy its fruits is a key responsibility.
Therefore,
the ELF-RC confirms:
J.1.
Their participation in the political life of the country and their right to form
their
independent
unions.
J.2.
Their right to be involved in any land reform process.
J.3.
Their right to relevant training programmes to advance their living conditions
and
production
capacities.
J.4.
Their right to form co-operative associations to reinforce their competitive
position in
the
market.
J.5.
Their right to have schools and health care centers in the rural areas.
K.
ON THE YOUTH
In
a social formation, especially as the Eritrean one, the youth constitute a
crucial segment, and is
a
force that can play active role in production, development, nation building and
change.
Therefore,
the state should discharge its duty of cultivating our youth on modern and
scientific
foundations
compatible with our national development.
Thus,
the ELF-RC confirms that:
K.1.
The youth have the right to form their unions.
K.2.
They have the right to sports without distinction of gender; and sporting
facilities
and
clubs should be put in place for that end.
L.
THE ERITREAN REFUGEES
Favorable
conditions must be created to help the refugees in the areas of their presence.
Until
then, therefore, the ELF-RC shall strive:
L.2.
To ensure their rights in host countries.
L.3.
To encourage them maintain their bond with their homeland.
4.
ON CULTURAL MATTERS
Culture
is as vital to a society as water and air are to a human being. Hence, culture
rightly gets
due
attention in advanced societies. We too face complex challenges in regard to
culture, and as
we
struggle for a society where peace, democracy and justice reign supreme. Our
state being a
relatively
recent creation barely going back hundred years, colonial forces, and now the
dictatorship,
had been impeding its people from coalescing into cohesive societal formation.
Thus,
the ELF-RC believes that:
4.1.
Archaic and backward customs, traditions and norms must be supplanted by modern
and
patriotic cultures and social laws.
4.2.
Linguistic groups in Eritrea have the right to use their mother tongue in
teaching and
practicing their cultural heritages beside the official languages. Foreign residents may
also
enjoy the same rights.
4.3
Literature, art and theatre must be promoted and halls, cultural centers and
libraries
must
be built.
4.4.
Cultural museums must be built.
4.5.
Tigrinia and Arabic are the two national and official languages of Eritrea.
5.
ON DEFENCE
We
aspire to build a peaceful and democratic nation that discharges its role of
promoting peace
and
stability in our region and the world. We shall, thus, endeavor to establish
fraternal and
good
neighbourly relations with all the countries in our neighbourhood. Moreover,
consistent
with
our intention to devote our national resources to reconstruction, we are keen to
build an
army
solely entrusted with defending our country from aggression, safeguarding our constitution
and
ready to take part in production.
Thus,
the ELF-RC confirms that:
5.1.
The national force shall be entrusted with the defence of the nation.
5.2
Foreign military bases shall be prohibited.
5.3.
The army shall safeguard a democratic constitution.
5.4.
The army shall not serve outside our borders except under an international
legitimacy
only.
5.5.
Nuclear, chemical and biological weapons of mass destruction shall be prohibited
from
production or storage in any part of our soil.
5.6.
A national service bill shall be enacted.
7.7
The army shall be neutral in politics and loyal to democratically elected
constitutional
government.
5.8
The army will take part in production
5.9
Soldiers unable to continue in the armed forces shall be supported to rely on
themselves.
6.
ON FOREIGN RELATIONS
Good-neighbourly
ties and cordial relations with organizations and states worldwide are
important
factors in our endeavours to rebuild our war-ravaged nation. Avoiding military
alliances
or ties harmful to our vital national interest, thus, our foreign policy shall
be guided by
objectivity,
flexibility and wisdom.
Therefore,
the ELF-RC uphold that foreign policy should be based on:
6.1.
Enhancing and safeguarding sovereignty of our nation.
6.2.
Non-interference in internal affairs of others.
6.3.
Promotion of democracy and peace internally and externally.
6.4.
Establishing good neighbourly ties and co-operation with the states in our
region.
6.5
Promoting peace and stability between our people and the peoples of our region.
6.6.
Respecting international charters and treaties.
6.7.
Struggling against oppression and racial discrimination
6.8
Promoting fair international economic order and dialogue between the industrialized
North
and developing South.
6.9.
Establishing equal and friendly relations with all governments dedicated to
common
interest.
7.
ON ASYLUM SEEKERS
Our
organization upholds, and advocates, as a matter of principle, that the Eritrean
state must
incorporate
in its laws the right of foreign nationals to protection and shelter from life
threatening
dangers
in their countries of origin due to their political views, religious beliefs or
other
humanitarian
reasons.
Thus,
the ELF-RC believes that:
7.1.
The state should allow refugees to form their own associations to solve their
problems.
7.2.
The state should provide for legal shield to enable refugees to explain their
cases.
7.3.
The state must endorse all the relevant international treaties and conventions.
POLITICAL
RESOLUTIONS OF
THE
5TH GENERAL NATIONAL CONGRESS
a.
Cognizant of the positive and encouraging signs of the growing demand for a
democratic system of
government
in Eritrea among many quarters, including from within the dictatorship itself;
b.
Conscious of the importance of building on the promising and consolidating trend
of reconciliation and
democratic
intercourse thanks to the formation of the Alliance of the Eritrean National
Forces;
c.
Aware that the dictatorial nature of the PFDJ regime is more and more being
exposed on the international
stage;
d.
Taking note of the positive and commendable steps some Eritrean intellectuals,
who had for years played
significant
role within the EPLF, have now taken in the direction of shouldering their
historical responsibility
towards
their nation;
e.
Mindful of the steadfast and continuing struggle of our people to free
themselves from the sufferings they
have
been enduring under the mistaken policies of the regime; and,
f.
Watching the regime’s attempts to extricate itself from the quagmire it has
fallen in by playing election
gimmick
as smokescreen for gaining legitimacy as a guise for suppressing internal and
external opponents;
The
5th National Congress of the Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council has
passed the following
resolutions:
1.
The 5th National Congress of the ELF-RC supported a national forum for free
exchange of ideas among all
Eritreans
and the political forces, and has directed the new leadership to take all steps
needed for
accomplishing
this objective.
2.
The Congress has re-committed the ELF-RC to the Alliance of the Eritrean
National Forces, and directed
the
leadership to carry on our organization's positive role in strengthening the
Alliance.
3.
Encouraging the on-going positive developments, the Congress has resolved that
the ELF-RC shall utilize
its
resources and organizational capabilities to challenge all attempts aimed at
frustrating the current political
trend
in Eritrea.
4.
The Congress directed the new leadership to undertake intensive diplomatic
campaigns among the
international
community to win support for these resolutions.
5.
The 5th Congress strongly condemned the undemocratic elections the PFDJ regime
is intending to hold in
December
2001 whose sole objective is to undermine the unity of our people by trampling
upon their
democratic
rights and aspiration for change. The Congress has called on the Eritrean people
to escalate their
struggle
for a true democracy that guarantees their rights and interests.
6.
The Congress has called on Eritrean scholars and intellectuals to add their
efforts to that of the mainstream
opposition
and the widening internal opposition to the regime.
7.
Having the growing democratic struggle in focus, the 5th National Congress has
directed the leadership to
do
everything possible to start dialogue with all individuals and groups struggling
for democracy.
8.
Departing from the conviction that no organization, group or party can alone be
an alternative to a
democratic
government in Eritrea that has to be born on the ruins of the regime by the will
of the people and
full
participation of their political forces, the Congress has committed the ELF-RC
to play active role in
bringing
about a conducive condition for that goal.
9.
The 5th National Congress has resolved that the ELF-RC shall not abide by
treaties that do not guarantee
the
best interest of the Eritrean people.
FINAL
STATEMENT OF THE
5th
NATIONAL CONGRESS
Through
this statement, we declare the successful conclusion of our 5th National
Congress. The Congress has
been
in session from 14-18 August 2001. Convening under the slogan of
“Reconciliation, Democracy and
Development",
our Congress was held amid domestic, regional and international circumstances
that are
different
from those existing at the time the 4th National Congress had rounded up its
tasks.
The
Congress has thoroughly debated and approved the political report that was
presented to it by the
Revolutionary
Council (RC). It has also endorsed political and organizational programmes after
making
significant
and necessary changes deemed compatible to the current circumstances and
challenges facing our
organization
and country. The Congress has, moreover, adopted political resolutions on
topical issues relevant
to
the Eritrean situation, in addition to resolutions pertaining to the progress of
the on-going struggle in the
light
of our organization's objectives as well as aspiration of our people.
The
Congress has debated developments pertaining to various issues concerning both
the Eritrean and
international
political arenas. On the internal front, the Congress has observed that the
regime has no longer
the
stamina of 5 years ago that stimulated its instinct for roundly provoking and
igniting wars against the
neighboring
countries and spreading tensions as means of realizing its dream of becoming
frightening
regional
power.
The
regime's senseless wars and adventurous policies have seriously damaged our
people by causing loss of
thousands
of their sons and daughters. Thousands more have been internally displaced while
others crossed the
border
seeking refuge in the neighboring countries and beyond after their villages and
towns had been raised
to
the ground.
All
these sufferings have alerted our people about many facts hitherto unknown to
them. Besides enduring
unbearable
predicaments due to wars instigated by the regime, and repression and
injustices, our people have
tasted
the bitterness of humiliation when the regime capitulated to conditions dictated
by the winning side and
acceded
to giving up 25,000 km. sq. buffer zone inside Eritrea. The area was conceded
and demilitarized after
the
regime had, prior to its defeat, stubbornly ignored repeated calls by the
international community to agree to
an
African framework for peace which was definitely not as debasing as what the
regime was later compelled
to
accept.
The
regime was not able to escape the repercussions of its own misdeeds; and in no
time, it lost credibility
among
its own party members and supporters who have been duped for long by subterfuge
and deceit.
Consequently,
Eritrean intellectuals, who for very long time had served as apologists of the
regime’s mistakes
and
misrule, began to voice and write criticisms about the one-man dictatorship, its
policies and practices and
demanded
political pluralism and national reconciliation. Even more, a split has occurred
inside the PFDJ that
led
to the emergence of a vocal group from within the ranks of the leadership.
Besides severely criticizing the
monopolization of power by one individual, the group openly talked about widespread corruption
both within
the
party and the state organs.
Indisputably,
such developments are bound to weaken the dictatorship. But before that happens,
the leaders of
the
group who are opposed to Isayas' autocratic rule would have to clarify their
position on several crucial
issues
that have been preoccupying our people due to their danger to the future of the
country. Moreover, apart
from
clarifying their political identity, this move would show whether or not their
mission is limited to mere
power
struggle.
All
these developments combined have put the regime in its weakest position ever in
its ten-year rule. In
contrast,
our organization is no longer under the trying conditions it used to be on the
eve of the 4th National
Congress
when the regime and its agents through the width and breadth of the region had
relentlessly hunted it
by
exploiting its relation with the neighboring countries. Now, our organization has not only been able to
challenge
the regime and its malicious ploys, but also succeeded to play a vanguard role
in pushing forward
the
unity of the Eritrean national opposition forces, which has been crowned by the
formation of the Alliance
of
Eritrean National Forces.
The
in-depth appraisal of the situation has shown the Congress that our region has
sunk in conflicts and wars
whose
magnitude has never been seen in the recent past. Considered in such context,
Somalia has since ten
years
been wading through ruinous civil war. Fortunately, however, a glimmer of hope
for peace and stability
in
the region appears to be hanging on the horizon after the Somalis signed a
reconciliation accord at Aorta in
Djibouti
that opened the way for the establishment of a national government. The chances
for peace has also
been
reinforced by the signing of the Algiers Agreement between Ethiopia and Eritrea
that halted one of the
fiercest
wars the region has ever seen. But, all these need not blind our sight from the
dangers that could return
the
region back to tension and conflict. Some Somali factions have not yet given up
their opposition to the new
government.
Equally worrying is the fact that security and stability in the area remain
illusive as long as
Isayas'
rogue regime, which thrives on tensions and wars, is still in power.
On
the international stage, the Congress observed that globalization has become the
distinguishing mark of a
world
dominated by unit-polar order. This state of affairs has led to appearance of
opposition movements
around
the globe, economic and political groupings, popular demonstrations and strikes.
These developments
have
been gathering momentum as the gap between the countries of the North and the
South markedly
widened.
Our
Struggling People!
The
Congress has observed that the regime has not changed course since its
assumption of state power. It had,
on
the contrary, become ferociously vicious and resorted to extreme and dangerous
modes of suppression.
Apart
from severe repression, the regime has, for the sake of power and wealth,
degenerated to the stage of
using
"divide-and-rule" policy as a means of undermining the harmony within
our society that had been
cemented
in the course of our independence struggle.
On
the economic front, the PFDJ regime has through the past years been mainly
preoccupied with
consolidating
its monopolistic grip on all sectors of the economy. Today, the ruling party has
grown to the
greatest
capitalist cartel in the country. Native and foreign capital investment in
Eritrea has been effectively
blocked
by the insurmountable impediments the regime has been setting up in order to
ensure the business
interest
of the party. Corruption and graft have become rampant within both state and
party organs. Indeed,
Eritrea
has been turned into a country of a rich party with impoverished population.
Moreover,
the regime has squandered the scarce resources of the country on senseless wars.
As a result, the
army
of the unemployed has been increasing in folds, famine has been ravaging
extensive areas of the country
and
the poor living conditions of ordinary citizens has kept on falling.
The
impacts of the regime's 1994 "Land Proclamation Decree" have not been
limited to the economic sphere
alone.
It has equally caused dangerous and worrying social and political tensions.
Ignoring the plight of the
people,
the ruling party, the government and its rich collaborators have been grabbing
fertile land by evicting
the
rightful owners. The Congress has expressed sincere appreciation of the
unequivocal position the
leadership
of our organization took to oppose the economic practices of the regime which,
its claims to the
contrary,
has led to extreme deterioration of the subsistence existence of ordinary
people. In addition, the
Congress
has commended the ELF-RC leadership for standing firm on the regime's land
decree and advocating
the
ownership of land by the people. The Congress has condemned the regime for
confiscating land from its
legal
owners and handing it over to those who have no right to it.
The
Congress has also closely studied the worsening human rights situation in
Eritrea that it has found much
worse
than it had been during Ethiopian occupation. The regime continued to detain and
incarcerate people
and
keep them in jail for years without any charge or trial. Besides, physical
liquidation, kidnapping and acts
of
terror have become common occurrences.
Our
Struggling People!
The
regime has ignored the question of repatriating the Eritrean refugees back to
their homeland. After ten
years
since the liberation of our country, most of the refugees are still enduring
unimaginable suffering in their
camps.
Recently, the regime has been making some gestures due to international
pressure. However, those
who
have returned from Sudan have not fared better in the new camps inside Eritrea.
Even worse, under the
horrible
shadow of Isayas' regime the country has become repulsive rather than attractive
to its own citizens, as
some
quarters had hoped. That is why we witness today with sadness the youth, who had
been gang-recruited
to
become canon fodder in regime’s unjustifiable wars, feeling the ranks of the
army and training camps in
thousands
to seek protection in the neighboring countries and beyond.
Exposed
internally and internationally, the regime has now reached a point where it can
no longer deceive
anybody.
Mindful of this fact, therefore, the Congress has called on countries
maintaining relation with the
repressive
regime to change direction in favor of democratic changes in Eritrea as well as
peace and stability
in
the region. The Congress has also directed the new leadership to put in efforts
to erase the scars the wars of
the
regime had caused and repair the image and relation of the Eritrean people with
the peoples of the
neighboring countries. The Congress has, moreover, commended friendly countries and parties
that have
been
supporting our people's struggle for democracy and helping and facilitating the
way for the successful
convention
of this Congress.
Our
Struggling People!
The
formation of the Alliance of the Eritrean National Forces, which has embraced
all of the opposition forces,
was
an historic event that galvanized the enthusiasm of our masses. Accordingly, the
Congress expressed
satisfaction
for the important role the Alliance has been playing to advance the momentum of
the struggle for
democracy.
Within this context, the Congress expressed its appreciation for the significant
role our bases have
played
in promoting the activities of the Alliance's, and called on them to keep on
their active involvement at
all
levels.
At
the time when the battle lines between the forces of democracy and the
dictatorial regime are being drawn,
the
Congress has entrusted the leadership with the task of engaging in dialogue with
Eritrean forces,
movements,
groups and personalities opposing the dictatorial regime in order to unify and
co-ordinate their
efforts
in the interest of shortening the duration of our people’s suffering.
Our
Struggling People!
The
Congress has also declared its support of, and solidarity with, the Palestinian
people who are daily paying
heavy
sacrifices in the course of their continuing uprising against the Israeli
occupation for the sake of their
legitimate
right to self-determination and establishment of their independent state.
Expressing its support for
just
and comprehensive resolution of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the Congress has
equally demanded the return
of
the Arab occupied land n Syria and Lebanon.
In
respect to Africa, the Congress observed that there is no alternative solution
to the unending crises and
conflicts
affecting most of the countries on the Continent other than seeking peaceful
means and democratic
ways.
The
Congress hailed our bases in all places around the world for their steadfastness
and adherence to the
principles
of their organization in the face of all sorts of intimidation, distortions and terrorization
campaigns
unleashed
against them by the regime and its agents. It expressed its special commendation
and
encouragement
of our masses inside Eritrea, and called on them to persevere and contribute to
the ultimate
fulfillment our and the people’s objectives: democracy, peace and justice.
Not
least important too, recognizing that the Eritrean army is one of the worst
affected victims of the regime’s
adventurous
policies, the Congress called upon it to shoulder its national responsibility by
standing on the side
of
our people's struggle for democracy, peace and stability.
Lastly,
the Congress appealed to the international community to exercise pressure on the
dictatorial regime to
release
all political prisoners and prisoners of conscience, among whom are the former
members of the
leadership,
Woldemariam Bahlibi and Tekleberhan Gebretsadik (alias Wodi Bashay). The
Congress had
rounded
up its sessions by electing a political leadership entrusted with the
responsibility of implementing the
policies
and programmes it adopted.
Long
Live Free and Democratic Eritrea!
Long
Live the ELF-RC!
Long
Live the Alliance of Eritrean National Forces!
Down
with the PFDJ Dictatorship!
Eternal
Glory to our Heroic Martyrs!
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