Ethiopia is above political parties!

The election campaign that the various political parties in Ethiopia are engaged in is drawing to a close as people prepare to go to the polls in a week's time.

The main goal of an election campaign is to demonstrate that one party has a platform superior to others and as such is more beneficial to the national and public interest. In short, the contest is about how political parties can serve the nation's and the public's interest rather than the nation and the public serving their's.

Implicit in this is the notion that it is when the party which the public voted for in the belief that it will serve its interest takes the reins of power that the nation's interest is best served.

If the election process is marred by a row between political parties that results in violence and instability, the nation will suffer instead of benefit from the process. Rather than being a source of joy, pride and democracy, elections will bring sorrow, shame and insecurity.

If the election is to make us proud and earn us respect, it is imperative that there be peace and stability prior to, on the date of and after the election. This requires all political parties to refrain from violence or other destructive acts and do their utmost to ensure that the election process and its outcome are peaceful and democratic.

However, it's not only because political parties desire or instigate violence that it actually occurs. Our enemies in neighboring Eritrea and Somalia, aided and abetted by foreign elements who do not want to see a stable Ethiopia, are intent on using whatever opening they get to mar the election by inciting violence and destabilizing the country.

Political parties need to play a proactive role in ensuring that peace and stability prevail by leading as examples and educating their members and supporters about the value of a peaceful election. But this does not mean that they only have to make sure that neither them nor their members and supporters get entangled in violence. They must also do their part to prevent our enemies from getting an opportunity to wreak havoc on the country. They must not just denounce any act of violence after it happens but work hard to nip any contributing cause in the bud.

The election process should follow a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, efforts have to be made to make the election democratic and fair. These include creating an environment where there is no intimidation or vote-rigging, allowing election executives to do their job impartially, counting votes properly, and addressing any complaint of irregularity fairly and promptly administratively and if need be through the courts.

On the other hand, any and all developments that can potentially lead to violence should be monitored and dealt with appropriately.

Calling for precautions to be taken to prevent violence, however, does not mean that miscarriage of justice should be ignored but that there must be a lawful means to seek redress. It means that any grievance over election irregularities should not result in violence and death.

It means that peace and stability are the essential ingredients of a democratic and fair election.

The ruling party and the government should not invoke the need to maintain peace and stability as a justification to suppress legitimate grievances. On their part, opposition parties must not use allegation of vote fraud as an excuse to incite or perpetrate violence. All sides should agree that any complaint can be addressed without resorting to violence.

In countries where there is a stable democracy, it is customary for the governing and opposition parties to work together on issues that unite them while maintaing differences on those they do not agree on.

We too should try to emulate this approach. It is possible and indeed mandatory that all parties share a common position on defending our sovereignty and national security from an attack by external aggressors and terrorists as well as the fact that the nation's interest is above party interest.

While demonstrating unity on these fundamental issues, it is natural for the parties to have diverging approaches to foreign policy; agriculture and industry policy, health and education policy, freedom of the media, the protection of democratic and human rights. This is the essence of democracy.

Has this political culture taken root here? Sadly, no. Opposing the ruling party leads to consorting with our enemies in Asmara and Mogadishu while opposing opposition parties means linking their viwes and action to the sinister motives of external enemies.

There should be a clear boundary as to what constitutes a proper political struggle. Ethiopians and Ethiopia's political parties must take it upon themselves to engage in a constructive dialogue if they are to reach a broad consensus and enable the parties to strengthen their organizational capacity so that they serve us better.

This responsibility can not be entrusted to political parties alone, however. The public has to play a decisive role in this regard.

It needs to exert considerable pressure with a view to making the upcoming election democratic and fair. Accordingly, it should monitor whether complaints over election irregularities that were lodged in a lawful and peaceful manner were fairly and promptly handled. It must also denounce anyone who endangers the integrity of the mechanisms which one has recourse to express grievance and get justice; it must tell them to desist from their act.

If political parties do their share and are complemented by an active public, the election will not only be democratic and fair but also peaceful. It will make us look forward with eagerness to the 2015 elections and do us proud before the whole world.

The important thing is irrespective of whatever problems may arise, Ethiopia is above political parties!

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