Ethiocross Blog

Rev. Tegga Lendado,:-PhD.Politicians are expected to possess impeccable skill, great capacity and unparalleled integrity to lead their followers since they often make hard decisions regarding other persons. They also need to go through their own Golgotha before they are crowned to the perceived glory. Many in Birtukan’s rank have sacrificed their life for the greater good of their people. Birtukan told the truth and paid for it with life sentence. Some judge her for not 'playing politics by the rule' but she challenged the rule.

It is not even about party politics but about her personal character. It is not even about legality but human dignity. Human dignity is above conventional rules and laws. Truth is divine and should be kept sacred. Otherwise, deception and fallacy would tarnish and cloud it even though it would eventually dispel the darkness and stand out at the mountain top. In this short note I would like to highlight the importance of moral values as demonstrated in the life of Ms. Midaksa. I also cite rather briefly how difficult the processing and administering of simple pardon might have been for a post communist democracy in Ethiopia, devoid of religious and traditional values. I am here to request everyone to cooperate in the interest of peace.

Unlike religion, politics is a game you have to play by its pragmatic and dynamic rules. Transparency and Integrity may not play well with politics. So long as it is pragmatic, settling for “the end justifying the means” is the name and end of the game. All the accessories of truth may not function properly because the engine is inherently malfunctional. Justice, forgiveness, reconciliation, repentance, tolerance, love, etc. seem to have vanished from modern day global politics. Democracy has become the buzz word for many a politician. Adorned with prefixes, democracy has meant different political process to different people. Developmental democracy, revolutionary democracy, liberal democracy, representative democracy, nationalistic democracy, etc. All of these futile endeavors have not been able to serve justice to the fullest in many parts of the world. Besides, democracy has become a den of corruption, manipulation and treachery even here in USA. Democracy in Ethiopia is in its infancy. Apparently, it has not conceptualized individual or personal freedom as opposed to freedom of nations, nationalities and peoples.

Birtukan elevated African politics to a higher moral ground. She has taught the Ethiopian people, particularly the younger generation a great lesson. She did not bow down to her belly (enjera) and her bully (her re-imprisonment). She despised her ego and sacrificed self interest. She denied herself in the interest of her values which probably are absent in her circle. Many in her circle put their religious values aside and operate in a moral vacuum. Apparently, like the atheist communists, they try to wear a Godless garb of amoral nihilism which brought the Dirgue regime to its doomsday. Many are ashamed of their religious and cultural heritage of distinguishing the good from the evil. Her legal training might have helped her to seek justice at all cost and time. But, justice without truth is unattainable. Evidently, by her enormous sacrifice she purged the Ethiopian politics from treachery and corruption. She is the embodiment a legacy of truth, transparency and legality. She is a “politician extra-ordinaire” unlike the genre we have seen in our life time. Her integrity in speaking her mind being true to her conscience is something that we all should emulate.

On the one hand I would like to commend the Prime Minister for delivering his promise that he said he would release Birtukan after the election, notwithstanding the overwhelming decry of the international community as a whole. On the other hand I question the integrity of his executives who led to a miscarried justice.
I also want to acknowledge the difficulty of the decision making process as the decision itself. I suppose the following factors might have played role in the decision to release Birtukan.

1. Traditional mediation: Yequm Eseregna, full pardon, never to be indicted again?
2. Legal correctness: The Law of Pardon; its breaching.
3. Crisis Management: pragmatism, weighing the security and stability of the country
4. Popular opinion: national and international
5. Humanitarian ground: Family responsibility of the defendant
6. The Gender Factor: women in politics being rarity
7. The Dual-Ethnicity Factor: Oromo and Amhara origin of defendant contrary to the common mono-ethnicity
8. The Age Factor: younger and determined
9. Magnanimity: Not being petty and trivial
10. Fear of the Unknown: Being prudent amidst fluidity
11. Political Power: Using power to sign documents to appease the legal system in place.

However belated the decision might have been or whatever the motive is, it is elating to see that truth triumph. I therefore, congratulate all who prayed for the plaintiffs and the defendant, the victims of the ordeal including Birtukan’s family, supporters and opponents, world community of truth and justice seekers everywhere.
I have learned in life that I do not have to dwell in the blame game but move on to a higher goal in the power of forgiveness, faith, love and hope in the personality of God Himself. I do not want to be a prisoner of the past when I can I can envision and enjoy the present and the future. I pray that we all have similar attitude whereby we acknowledge the past ills, correct them in the present and forge viable future as people of common destiny.

Now that the truth has come out to the fore, it has set has free. Let us swim in the light of the truth. Let us intentionally forgive each other and be humble enough to accept one another. I say Amen to Mr. Dawit’s prayer (Dawit@soldaritymovement.org):May God transform us to become a changed people; empowered by Him to break down the walls of injustice, inhumanity and hate; freeing our people not only from their cells, but an entire country to new life!

In view of this and in light of the recent political debacle, I would still insist on calling on all politicians to work on peaceful dialogue in the spirit of self soul-searching, forgiveness for rapprochement tin order to better serve the interest of the Ethiopian people. Without such a personal resolve, we will keep on and bickering and lingering in the sea of guilt, pride and vengeance. May God have mercy on us!

Rev. Tegga Lendado, PhD.
African Community Network
Atlanta, GA, USA
tlendado@aol.com

The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Rev. Tegga Lendado.

Source:- Ethiocross.com