The Road To NCDC: Challenges And Opportunities

The Road To NCDC: Challenges And Opportunities

Posted at awate.com on July 12, 2011

Written by: Dr. Mohammed Kheir

These are the main highlights of the presentation I gave in a seminar in Birmingham on 09.07. 2011. The seminar was organized by Eritrean Cultural Forum in Birmingham:

Stock assessment:

·         Our basic background: What? -Will always be part of us

·         How we dealt/ deal with it?           -Our experience

·         How does it look? Where we stand? -What have we learned/ did not learn?

·         NCDC (National Conference for Democratic Change) -a means to an end

Our geographical Contrasts:

·         Highland – lowland

·         Plateau to Red Sea

·         Landscape in Dankalia: Formidable desert, artistic volcanic rocks, ostriches

·         Massawa – global gateway: Citizens of the Red Sea

·         Geographical contrasts influence cultural, economic, social & political contrasts

Our social contrasts:

·         Muslim / Christian /animist

·         Farmer / Pastoral / traders

·         Ethnicity (homogeneity /diversity

Our political contrasts:

·         Local: ELF / EPLF (PFDJ)

·         Region:  Arab / Israeli

·         Memberships in regional and international organisations

Our main problems with our contrasts:

·         Denial of the other (Exclusion / Negation)

·         Failure to cherish, to value, to enjoy the diversity

·         We define with one perspective

·         Claiming to be vanguard: I know what is good for you (elitist arrogance)

·         Failure to read and understand history

·         Failure to reach out to all internally & externally

·         There is place only for one political organization (party), line of thought

·         You agree with me 100 % or you are my enemy

·         You show you are good by attacking others not highlighting your merits

History of conflict resolution:

·         Culture of violence

·         Resolving conflicts through force:

·         ELF – ELM

·         ELF – PLF

·         Within ELF: ‘yemin’ ‘falol’

·         Within EPLF: ‘yemin’ ‘menkae’

·         Proliferation of organizations, if disagree can have ones own organization

Consequences of the defeat of the ELF and hegemony of the EPLF

·         Proliferation of political organizations

·         Appearance of religious and ethnic based organizations

·         EPLF social engineering of tigrinization in all fields, defining ethnicity

·         Sowing of strong mistrust among Eritreans to the extent of questioning living together

·         Still some claim we are perfect: regime has done us no harm

Positive development in the last decade:

·         ENA/EDA  a positive development: a political exercise for tolerance & democratic practice though far from perfect

·         A rift within EPLF/PFDJ leadership: G13, G15

·         Development of civic societies in the Diaspora

·         NCDC: a breakthrough in bridging differences & Bringing us together again

·         Vibrant opposition media

·         Exposure of regime’s brutality & self isolation & excesses

Current characteristics of our political and civic organizations

·         Both are weak

·         Limited in influence (constituency)

·         Some have few members

·         Divided by our contrasts: most dominated by ethnic, religious, regional despite national claims

·         Some are not independent

·         Some elitist to say the least

·         Need not under- or overestimate each other

The need to work together:

·         We are under very special circumstances

·         We need to mobilize all resources against the brutal dictatorial regime that does not give any breathing space: urgent

·         NCDC meant to do that, best possible alternative we have, if some have a better alternative present it

·         Civic societies can have a positive influence on political organizations

·         Can play their role from within not from outside

·         Practicing democracy

·         Working together widens diversity and promotes tolerance

·         We will always have differences in policies, approach & processes: healthy

Towards changing the regime, we need a code of conduct:

·         To respect each other’s choice of struggle

·         To refrain from defaming each other

·         To tolerate each other’s views

·         There is no absolute truth

·         Only history will show who was correct

·         Talk and listen to those with different opinion

·         To show one is better by focusing on own merits not on failures of opponents

How was the road to the national conference in 2010:

·         There was a concerted effort by EPDP (though was part of the process) and its affiliates to foil it with ‘meskerem’ leadership (same trend again)

·         To disagree OK, defame NO

·         It was portrayed:

–    an all Muslims conference
–      An agenda of the Weyane
–      Badly prepared
–      Papers not discussed beforehand

·         Despite all thorns, it was a success

Why the 2010 conference was a success:

·         Widest peoples’ dialogue in the last 3 decades irrespective of outcome vs. ‘waelaa halibo’

·         A journey of discovery & healing & understanding

·         Microcosm of Eritrea: ethnic, religious, political diversity

·         Bridged the gaps

·         Improved trust

·         Created alliance of civic and political organizations

·         Laid foundation for a new relationship with Ethiopia

·         Touched and discussed and agreed on all major issues

·         Paved the way for a transitional phase after the fall of the regime to avoid vacuum

·         Created a wide popular global movement for democratic change

·         Paved the way for a wider national conference

·         Gave hope to the Eritrean people & scared the regime

·         Those who opposed it became even more marginalized: split of EPDP

The shortcomings of the 2010 conference:

·         Translation problem: Papers & communiqué

·         Logistics problem: tickets & reservations

·         Financial dependency

·         Some documents prepared in haste

·         No input on strategy for regime change

·         The papers presented were not discussed beforehand

·         Ineffective use of time

·         No clear cut roles of EDA & NCDC

On those who attended: how Amanuel Sahle described it

·         All were there:

·         The victim of Shaebia who fled to Shimelba or Mai Aini

·         including the regionalist,

·         the fanatic,

·         the odd man out,

·         the pain in the neck,

·         the provocateur,

·         the nihilist,

·         the killjoy,

·         the schizophrenic (whose mind swayed between PFDJ and the Wa’ala),

·         the ELF member with a grudge in his heart,

·         the painter,

·         the poet, the

·         singer, etc.

·         All came to listen and to be heard.

On the road to the next conference: Challenges related to process & procedures

·         Build trust to ensure widest participation

·         Transparency

·         Representation: organizations, civil societies, individuals, election of representatives

·         Finance: fund raising

·         Facing elite internet warriors: we only possess the truth

·         Political organizations & civic organizations appreciating roles of each other

·         How to deal with areas of disagreement

·         Translation: need to ensure high quality

·         Decisions & ownership

·         Future structural organizational choices: How far we should go & clarify roles

·         Need more work in Sudan & Ethiopia to ensure broader qualitative participation

·         Focus on mobilizing the youth & women

·         Engage actively to assist asylum seekers and refugees

·         Make best use of social media and networking

·         The regime is scared of any opposition gathering

·         The regime will unleash a campaign spearheaded by ‘meskerem’ and its other satellites against its convening and later try to discredit the outcome

·         We need to expose this and challenge it, but need to listen to genuine concerns

·         Some will even attend and try to distract us from within

·         There will be some in the opposition who will not attend for various reasons which is within their rights: Let us refrain from defaming them even if they do so

·         Misconception & underestimation that all those who opt to attend are homogenous, have same opinion and understanding and will try enforce their views on others: far from it they are very diverse

Challenges related to issues:

·         Agenda: draft transitional constitution: need & how far to go/ others

·         Peaceful/all means: EDF are victim, not to be targeted

·         Issues missing:

–        Mechanisms & strategies of regime change

–    National reconciliation (included in transitional council item 64/65 + peace & peoples interaction 70/

–      Peace & order

·         Relations with Ethiopia

·         Future organizational structure

–what form       How far

·         Future role of EDA/ individual political organizations

Opportunities:

·         Assert that ultimate power lies within the People of Eritrea and whatever we do or programs we suggest has to be ratified in free Eritrea

·         We have the luxury of being able to express ourselves freely and we have every right to draft mechanisms, suggest roadmap or charter to facilitate smooth transfer of power

·         Can mobilize all our resources for a regime change and creation of democratic country

·         Can give our people hope that we stand together

·         Can send a strong message to international community that we are a better alternative to the regime

·         Those who become members of the transitional structure not to run for office in the first elections

Moh.kheir33@hotmail.com