Welcome Organizing Committee for National Conference for Democratic Change
“ A meeting of different minds “
By Fesseha Nair
First and foremost I welcome the election of preparatory committee of the national conference, which has been adopted at the EDA conference in 2008. It has been announced in the media that the recently held meeting in Addis- Ababa by the EDA member political organizations representatives and civil society organization’s representatives from Europe, Canada, Australia, Gulf States, Sudan and Ethiopa has concluded its meeting successfully by giving responsibility to the preparatory committee. The meeting has also divided the assignment in different groups with different activities. The major activities are the following,
– Research and documentation
– Organizational and service
– Media and information
– Financial resources
And a financial audit has been appointed over the running of the process of the conference.
The concept of national conference has been discussed among the opposition forces since 2002. Starting from Stockholm conference up to Kassel manifesto and later on an academic paper was written and presented by Professor. Tesfatsion Medhanie. At the congress of EDA 2008 national conference has been modified and taken the name of, ” National Conference for Democratic Change.”
The EDA Executive leadership was given the responsibility by the EDA Legislative Council to organize the conference. The national conference project has passed its defining stage by seminars, workshops being conducted by all branches all over the world by civil society and EDA member organizations and was concluded by joint workshop in Addis Ababa 2009. Now it is has reached its implementation stage, where a committee consisting of representatives of EDA member organizations and civil organizations representatives are elected. And where activities are divided and time is fixed on 30th July 2010.
The national conference that will be held at this time by the Eritrean Opposition is not like the previous national conferences held by Francophone African countries in the early 1990 when authoritarian rulers of these countries recognized the need to renew their legitimacy by opening up their political system and began dialogue with the opposition forces while the Eritrean dictator still deny recognition of the opposition and never belief in dialogue.
The Eritrean Opposition forces national conference is a public forum where opposition political and civic society organizations, and representatives of key social, religious, professional groups are invited to discuss and develop a plan how to save our people from the disasters inflicted by the authoritarian regime and lay foundation for the democratic process. The conference must also plan a grand strategy how to handle the period of struggle to remove the dictator and post –dictatorship period to ensure a gradual establishment of multi-ethnic democracy in Eritrea.
The conference aim is bring together all the Eritrean diversity and discuss on the national issues respecting the cultural , religious and traditional values of the Eritrean people. Its aim is to lay foundations for political and social integration guaranteeing peaceful co-existence after the authoritarian regimes fall.
It is to prevent conflicts motivating the political opposition to postpone their differences and struggle in removal of the dictator. It is to provide an opportunity for the opposition political parties to find tools to manage conflicts, it is preliminary move towards crafting a broad national force that can exert great pressure on the international community so that it gets international legitimacy. It is to bolster the popular support by creating a more inclusive political climate and speedy the fall of the dictator in Eritrea.
The preparatory Committee has a huge task of activities and need the support and consultation of national and international experts on the various issues of the conference. Drafting the transitional charter is the main work that needs expertise. I hope the organizing committee will organize their references. References are all the experiences of the Eritrean people recorded in their political, economic, social and cultural lives. Using references consciously empowers us, therefore, I recommend the preparatory committee to organize the references and draft the charter.
The result of the conference will be judged by its Transitional Charter because it is the principal organizing document of the opposition. Defining the organs of the legislative, executive and judiciary institutions that will be built after the conference.
A Transitional Charter should no be confused with the constitution. The issue of the constitution comes after the fall of the dictator.
Finally, I would like to appreciate the EDA leadership with its good political will, positive encouragement and working hard to convene the conference in this convenient time where the regime is completely isolated and the international community is in search of an alternative.
I wish success to the Preparatory Committee in their efforts to achieve this national task at the already fixed time- on 30th July 2010.
Great thanks to the Ethiopian people and the Government of the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Republic and the Sanna Cooperation for their full support to the oppressed Eritrean people.
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