The elites play crucial role in mobilizing people by setting agenda, generating theory which support that agenda, by financing that agenda and defending that agenda. For example in 1970s and 1980s certain groups of Ethiopian elites developed an agenda of “equality of ethnic groups in Ethiopia”. They generated theories around the rights of ethnic groups in Ethiopia, financed, and defended (including armed struggle) that agenda. That agenda became victorious in 1991 and dominated Ethiopian politics up until the present. Now, another group of elites came up with the“citizenship political agenda” which is antithesis of ethnic/diversity based politics and showed their determination to promote, finance, and defend this agenda by establishing Ethiopian Citizens Party for Social Justice (ECPSJ) (or የኢትዮጵያዜጎችለማህበራዊፍትህፓርቲ / ኢዜማ in Amharic) with Dr.Berhanu Nega and Mr. Andualem Arage, as its leader and deputy leader respectively and Mr. Yeshiwas Assefa and Dr. Chane Kebede as chairperson and deputy chairperson respectively.Few others are echoing the term “citizenship politics” even without understanding what it mean with the assumption that it will change the current constitution and the federal system. This is one of the examples that support the statement of an Italian philosopher Vilfredo Paretowho said “When it is useful to them, men can believe a theory of which they know nothing more than its name”. In his presentation to discredit diversity in Ethiopia, one of the promoters of the “citizenship politics” Deacon Daniel Kibret explained how the Ethiopian elites mobilize their supporters and how the ordinary individuals follow them and participate in the implementation of their objectives with the herd mentality ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1a-GeIUWnQ ). It isimportant to note that his explanation of how Ethiopian elites operate applies to all groups of elites.
Ethiopia of today is a country where elites who are not the citizens of Ethiopia preach about “citizenship politics” and meddle in its politics.About two weeks ago,when we discuss the involvement of these non-Ethiopian citizens in Ethiopian politics, one of my friends said “Ethiopia never colonized and maybe now she is working to catch up with other African countries that were colonized by giving a chance to foreign citizens to control its politics” and made me laugh. His joke has a grain of truth and I wonder why these individuals who renounced Ethiopian citizen and took the citizen of foreign countries and not willing to regain Ethiopian citizenship by giving up foreign citizenships are allowed to meddle in Ethiopian domestic politics? These contra naturam individuals are trying to present acknowledgement of being part of one’s ethnic group as backwardness and upholding one’s ethnic value and culture as primordial practice. In their opinion, what is good is, as Walelign Mekonnen clearly put it four decades ago, “… to speak Amharic, to listen to Amharic music, to accept the Amhara-Tigre religion, Orthodox Christianity, and to wear the Amhara-Tigre Shamma in international conferences”( https://www.marxists.org/history/erol/ethiopia/nationalities.pdf ). Currently, Ethiopian politics is caught between two major elite groups- those who support diversity based political agenda and those who claim they oppose that agenda. The top EPRDF officials arenow swinging between these two groups to make both groups comfortable. EPRDF’s political agenda and principles which have been dominant for the last 28 years are now challenged by EPRDF leaders themselves. Top EPRDF officials are more concerned about how to please the elite group they think is dominant rather than defending the objectives of their party. The renewal and deep-renewals couldn’t save EPRDF from incessant decaying and from the opportunistic political disease that EPRDF recently diagnosed with and called “confusion”. It is beyond doubt that the direction and fate of Ethiopia will be decided by its elites. The group of elites who sets the right agenda, who is able to support that agenda with the authoritative discourse, that is able to finance and defend that agenda will take the leadership role. In light of the present EPRDF leadership’s nearly accepting the defeat of their political agenda, the diversity politics (the current constitution and federal system) could be defended only by either changing the current EPRDF leadership or establishing another strong political organization that can defend diversity in Ethiopia. It will be unwise to expect the current EPRDF leadership that blames the constitution and the federal system as causes of instability and other problems and busy with restoration of Emperor Menelik’s palace and political culture to defend the gains achieved in the last 28 years and the rights of ethnic groups in Ethiopia. Particularly, the Oromo nationalists must stop dreaming that Team Lemma who hijacked the Oromo protests and came to power could bring something fundamental in Oromo politics. Team Lemma has now replaced with Team Abiy who on the very first day of his speech as a Prime Minister of Ethiopia reopened the wound of Oromo and added salt to it. Team Abiy composes of individuals who deny the crimes committed against Oromo at Anolle and turns deaf ear to the Oromo demands and even working to destroy achievements made so far including the continuation of Oromia as one state of the FDRE.As an Italian political scientist Gaetano Mosca said “If tolerance is taken to the point where it tolerates the destruction of those same principles that made tolerance possible in the first place, it becomes intolerable”.Dr. Abiy’s Government project to take Ethiopia back to pre-1991, even to pre 1974, by undermining or changing the current constitution and the federal arrangement already reached intolerable stage in one year. Oromo elites need to evaluate their tolerance and silence before Oromia is divided and taken over by “vulture politicians” and Afan Oromo is limited only to the informal business like in the Pre-1991 Ethiopia. To protect Oromo interest and participate in the shaping of the future of Ethiopia, the Oromo elites must wakeup and challenge the idea which says “supporting Team Lemma is the only option” becauseTeam Lemma no longer exist. Rather theymust agree upon the principle and ideology around which to organize the Oromo and other peoples. They need to generate a current political discourse to exhibit and sell on Oromia and Ethiopian market place of ideas.If the elites who are best educated, best informed, best exposed, and best enlightened simply follow the seasonal wind, who is going to lead the society to the right direction? The Oromo elites, I want to humbly remind you that if you fail to stand up for the interest of Oromo at this critical moment, expose those who are trying to paint Oromo with their dirty and black paints, clear the misunderstandings created against Oromo, defend the unity of Oromo and integrity of Oromia, defend Oromo values and culture, advocate for your people when they are in need of advocate know that you are contributing to the effort its adversaries to ruin Oromo and Oromia and it will be regrettable. This is a critical moment to ask yourself and evaluate your role in politics and contribute your share. I would like to remind you Plato’s advice regarding those who sit in the back and expect others to do good politics for them: “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors”. Organization is a critical step in politics. Amhara intellectuals’ initiative to organize themselves and their May 18, 2019 decision to unselfishly serve the Amhara people in all sectors deserves kudos ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-7ULkFh4nZw and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATBIh_dL3_k ). It is because of self-organization that Addis Ababa Caretaker Administration was established and started mobilizing supporters and resources to make the special interest of the State of Oromia in Addis Ababa which was stipulated under Article 49 (5) of the constitution of the FDRE null and void and to undermine the official Administration of Addis Ababa while Oromos are talking about this special interest for over24 years. Unless they organize themselves to defend their rights, Oromos will lose their constitutional and democratic rights one by one to those who organized themselves andmay see Oromia Caretaker Government led by non-Oromo elites.