By Elias Yemane
September 8, 2018
Dr. Abiy Ahmed became the Prime Minister of Ethiopia on April 2, 2018. The positive and inclusive political articulation sparks bright dawn for Ethiopia. It fosters an innovative sphere that begins to transform the political landscape that has divided Ethiopians for many decades. Political enmities thrived in those years of contentions, and polarization became the norm. Ethiopians, including those in the diaspora, were determined to topple the corrosive system but they saw no flicker of hope. They quickly realized that their feeling of abandonment did not extend beyond the shore of their motherland. One of the most daunting questions was: “How can Ethiopians overcome the past grievances and injustices to promote a new chapter of unity, interdependence, respect, and tolerance?”
Despite the ingrained national skepticism, Dr. Abiy struck a profound chord in Ethiopia and made a marked influence in the national psyche, opening the door for the twenty-first century’s storyline of Ethiopia’s historical, political, social, and cultural aspirations. The prime minister positions himself as the champion of reconciliation and inclusion and plays a vital role in the unfolding chapter of Ethiopia’s transition. If anyone had suspected his humble and approachable personality on the first week of his premiership was a one-off, his consistent and conspicuous public displays so far confirmed it was not. The main driving force behind Dr. Abiy’s pioneering effort involves his comrade in arms, Lemma Megersa who is the current president of Oromia region.
Nationalism has always been vigorous in Ethiopia, but Dr. Abiy is injecting new energy by preaching trans-ethnic unity, recalling past national greatness and assuring a democratic political sphere that could rapidly transform Ethiopia’s hard economic realities. However, highlighting the friendly features of inclusive politics does not mean that Dr. Abiy is a naive idealist. The prime minister often reminds his people that civility and tolerance are essential parts of Ethiopian ethos and remarks on some sociological factors that produce social changes. He also pitches his innovative mantra mäddämär, contextually defined as ‘inclusion’ – an unbiased and progressive political approach that aims at advancing Ethiopia’s interests. The term mäddämär erupted in the Amharic lexicon in the immediate aftermath of Dr. Abiy’s rise to power, and it remains the cornerstone of his political outreach towards polarized groups. Mäddämär in this context might be as much about Ethiopia’s assertion of preeminence as it is about the political plea for individual Ethiopians to embrace tolerance and national unity at any cost.
Dr. Abiy believes that minor differences between Ethiopians should not account for the social gap. By embracing the Ethiopians in the diaspora, he showed that he is above invoking political rivalries to stir up support at home. This awakening also permeated into the broader society where the prime minister scored critical game-changing achievements – the immediate releases of political prisoners, the reunification of the two feuding synods of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church, and Ethiopia’s diplomatic restoration with Eritrea, its northern neighbor, to name a few. Dr. Abiy implores his people to reject ethnic enmities, embrace their civic duties to labor diligently, and maintain the prerequisite of solidarity and tolerance to create an Ethiopia that is equal and appealing to all. In a country that involves significant political and economic challenges and a governing system that fosters political leaders who seemed incapable of tolerating criticism or dissent, Dr. Abiy becomes a messiah of hope. Ethiopians embraced him as a genuine exemplar of everything that they missed from their previous leaders. His rise signals an interruption between the representational power grip of old-school politics and the essential significance of the Ethiopian youth that involves the future of the nation.
Despite all the positive strides made, the critics might express doubts about the whole implications and parameters of mäddämär, by pointing out the notion’s possible difficulties and contradictions. It is true some questions demand clear answers:
- Does mäddämär serve as a Trojan horse for the propagation of the unitary state by advancing a monochromatic interpretation of the Ethiopianist school of thought?
- Does it enforce ethnic, cultural and social homogeneity?
- Does it undermine social distinctions under the pretext of the national sphere?
- Does the concept of inclusion override or atone one’s accountability and responsibility from past sins?
- How can we establish liability to any public officials who have abused their power of influence and never offered remorse, regret or contrition for their atrocious wrongdoings?
The proponents of mäddämär argue that focusing on the past wrongdoings shatters the current national mood and instead choose to highlight the constructive aspects of the transition period. The response is to unfold shortly. However, the critics might also argue that Dr. Abiy has embraced a naïve sincerity and pleasantness in his limitless aspirations for acceptance. They might even suggest that his ascendancy evolves into the making of a personality cult where changes by the public were subsumed as changes by an individual, elevating him into the deities of the Ethiopian pantheon. Abiymania has been like a wildfire that is rapidly spreading, consuming everything else in its trail.
The sporadic public unrests challenge Dr. Abiy’s efforts in asserting stability. Any turmoil would irreversibly destabilize and impede the achieved significant landmarks. The government must maintain peace and order, and the country can’t afford to be one incident away from social disorder or anarchy. In the past, state violence had only funneled public anger. It is therefore imperative to solidify the democratic framework by building democratic institutions and getting the Ethiopian public on board. Political transparency and democratic clarity will enhance the extensive social and economic transformation. We must not forget that the truth might still get muddled in translation.
Elias Yemane
https://mellenpress.com/author/elias-yemane/5435/
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