by Robele Ababya

The pathological liar and genocidal criminal Meles Zenawi claimed clinching contract with the Ethiopia people to rule for five years having ‘won’ their consent by 99.6% of votes cast in election 2010. This preposterous claim drew international outcry of rejection but the tyrant could care less; he rebuffed the Election Report (ER) of the 170 persons constituting the EU Observer Mission to which the White House had agreed. Zenawi rudely and publicly uttered that the ER should be thrown into the waste basket; his brutal TPLF party and repressive regime stage-managed a protest demonstration accusing interference in the internal affairs of Ethiopia, the accused being the very donors that had kept the  regime afloat right from the beginning of capturing power in May 1991.

Social contract: According to social contract theory (SCT), “morality consists in the set of rules governing behavior that rational people would accept, on the condition that others accept them as well.” (Rachel’s, p. 145). With the kind of heavily rigged election mentioned above, the daylight robbery of votes in election 2005 at which the brutal TPLF party suffered humiliating loss  and absence of legitimate election before that, Zenawi lacked moral and legal authority to claim social contract with the Ethiopian people to govern their country, Ethiopia.

According to Thomas Hobbes, (1588-1679):-

• “A State of Nature” = anarchy. It makes life “poor, nasty, brutish and short” because of 4 features of the human condition: equality of need, scarcity, the essential equality of human power, limited altruism.

• In a “state of nature”, there are no social goods… No farming, industry, education, housing, technology, etc,… because the social cooperation needed to produce these things doesn’t exist. In order to avoid this fate, (1) there must be guarantees that people will not harm one another, and (2) people must be able to rely on one another to keep their agreements.

• Only a government can provide for (1) and (2) above. Therefore, we need a government. In establishing a government, people give up some of their personal freedom (the freedom of anarchy, such as it is) and give the government the authority to enforce laws and agreements.”

Thomas Hobbes and Mikhail Alexandrovich Bakunin, a well-known Russian philosopher, revolutionary,  and  theorist of collectivist anarchism, stood at the opposite ends of political spectrum in matters of need for a functioning state – the former advocating a state governed by law, the latter anarchy. The state envisioned by Hobbes has remarkably performed in producing enormous material wealth but has to go a long way to achieve social justice in regard to the distribution of that wealth usurped by the greedy few. In my conviction, only a state governed by law is conceivable and workable at this point in time. Somalia is an example of the failure of Bakunin’s theory of anarchism.

The former Chief Justice of the USA, Earl Warren, remarked that voter apathy kills democracy. Therefore citizens of contemporary society have moral obligation to obliterate dictators preferably at the polls by massively participating in elections or reverting to massive civil disobedience in case brutal dictators like the genocidal Zenawi refuse to respect the verdict of the electorates.

Deficit in separation of power in democratic governance

There are as we all know three independent entities sharing power in the governance of a democratic state, namely the executive, parliament (congress) and the judiciary. The executive branch in reality grabs a huge amount of material and manpower resources to run the state; the cabinet, defense with its huge budget, law enforcement (police), prisons, secret services with its publicly undisclosed substantial budget, prisons, inspection and auditing functions, international affairs ad infinitum fall under the administration of the executive branch and therefore entrusting it tyrant Zenawi is to invite disaster.

 Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God: Psalm 68:31

Any act of offense outside the framework of the Ten Commandments is morally wrong irrespective of one’s creed, racial origin; whether one is a believer in God or an atheist. The Commandments therefore constitute generic law which all decent human beings should obey regardless of their social status. The TPLF Constitution imposed on the Ethiopian people, with the exception of its Article 39, contains elements reflecting generic laws derived from the Holy Bible, the first and oldest written Book in Hebrew language.  But the rampant breach of the Constitution by its author tyrant Zenawi makes him a lawless unworthy of trust and any social compact made with him, if any, is null and void, more so that the brutal regime is increasingly in grave violation of the tenets of democracy including freedom of expression, religion, access to independent source of information, and most importantly universally decreed basic human rights as confirmed by the international community including the USA.

U.S. State Department 2011 Human Rights Report:  It is déjà vu document in its content – a worthless and toothless document. God will keep His covenant with Ethiopia; the ongoing turmoil in the Arab world and economic crisis in Europe USA are proof that the Creator of the Universe will punish our traditional foes and bless our own struggle for freedom and dignity.

Self-reliance in the AU member states

Ethiopia is heavily reliant on paltry aid from donors in spite of her life–sustaining essential natural resources in abundance (fertile arable land and water for example) and coveted strategic location. Most of these resources are found in areas occupied by the Amharas and the Oromos – the two dominant ethnic groups constituting 75% of the Ethiopian population. This explains why Zenawi hates and mistrusts the Amharas and holds the Oromos in contempt- excluding both from his politbureau. In fact he hates the Amharic language so much so that he addresses African Union, United Nations and other high-level assemblies/meetings in the English language while all other leaders speak in their official languages prescribed in their respective national constitutions.  One would ask how many bilateral agreements in the Amharic text signed by the tyrant on behalf of Ethiopia are in existence; the one I saw is the 1993 Nile Agreement with Mubarak of Egypt was produced in Arabic and English.

The scramble for Africa by neocolonialists is burgeoning on stage; the devils we know are set against hungry new comers including China, India, and Saudi Arabia to usurp the abundant resources of our continent. The starving colonizers see Zenawi as their best candidate for facilitating their ambition for he is hell-bent on leasing Ethiopia’s resources and defacing the foot print of her ancient civilization by desecrating centuries-old religions and revered Monasteries. AU leaders are well advised of the onset of slavery being facilitated by Zenawi and begin with the implementation of the Banjul resolution that singled out the tyrant as one of the worst violators of human rights.

The unprovoked invasion of Somalia by Zenawi’s regime and eviction of the Islamic Courts from power shattered the best hope of the fledgling but promising administration and the rise of Al Shabab-led anarchy. One surmises that the Al Shabab is a creation of the TPLF regime that devious Zenawi regards as a symbiotic covert partner that he would like to aid for fleecing donors.

Descending into a state of anarchy is a fertile ground for Zenawi in order to pilfer the wealth of Ethiopia and enslave her citizens. That is why he is presently driving the fragile state of Ethiopia to the edge of a failed state and supports genocidal leaders and robbers of elections.

Conclusion

1. Social contract has been shoved down our throat under duress for the last 21 years. It must be categorically rejected at this time when: (a) the brutal Zenawi’s regime is engaged in ethnic cleansing of the Amhara, Anuak, Ogadeni and Afar people of Ethiopia; (b) the regime is hell-bent on leasing or ceding fertile land and defacing the foot print of Ethiopia’s ancient civilization by desecrating centuries-old religions and revered Monasteries such as Woldeba.
2. The gruesome dragging of corpses in Gondar must be condemned in the strongest terms; it is a reminder of similar bestial act done by the Italian Fascist invader.
3. The unemployed 50% of the African youth should co-ordinate and transform  into a formidable army to remove inept leaders.  The Banjul Communiqué should be emulated in all areas of key activities including youth employment to save Africa from catastrophe.
4. The thugs in the TPLF went visibly went berserk by the epic act of courage of Abebe that sent shivers and shockwaves down their spine at the sight of shrunk figure of their midget master. They should consider euthanizing to relieve him of the painful suffering which the Ethiopian people have endured during his reign of terror. Azeb may be one of the best candidates to do the job.
5. Creatively emulate the heroic deeds of Abebe Gellaw and initiate a meticulously planned and highly coordinated massive civil disobedience aimed at ousting Zenawi from power and bringing him to justice. The Ethiopian National Transitional Council Organizing Committee should persuasively advise against untenable multiplicity of opposition parties or civic groups for the sake of stronger unity.

Viva ESAT and the Free Media! Abebe’s performance would not have inspired Ethiopians or heard worldwide without you.

“Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” Psalm 68:31

LONG LIVE ETHIOPIA!!!

Release all political prisoners in Ethiopia including Andualem, Eskinder et al

robele_ababya@yahoo.com