By Obo Arada Shawl

The crocodile group is dead

The animal group is imprisoned

The oak is burning

Shaebia and Woyane, give us a break

Anonymous

BREAKING NEWS OR BREAKING EPRP?

Was this communicant Political, Intellectual or Ideological? We demand answers.

VOA (voice of America) on June 13 – a day of reckoning – broadcasted an interview with two veteran members of EPRP leadership.

The interview by Tizta Belechew was poignantly straightforward. Here are the two main points of contention.

First: Why should you have the same name of EPRP, Mr. Mersha?

Mersha’s answer was that no one could have the same name, legally.

If legally, you cannot have the name of EPRP, then what is the point of having the same name? If we cannot accept the rule of law then are you going to fight with guns in order to retain the name of EPRP? I think it is a lesson that we all should learn to accept defeat. It should be an honorable task to hold on to the true name of EPRP. It is one thing to hold on to a true name but altogether a different matter to live by EPRP’s values and principles. But tacking a small d will not do the trick. EPRP is not a corporation. It is a political party. It is not a separate entity as in ‘corporation’. EPRP is a human name with emotions and feelings.

Second: Mersha claims that Iyassou has gone to Asmara to meet Issayas.

You should have told your audience why, when and how Ato Iyassou met Ato Issayas. If you were doing this just to counter the allegation of signing an “affidavit” for working with Mr. Mellese, this would not work for you but against you.

For me personally, both claims do not only make sense but they are absurd to the core. EPRP since its inception has been struggling

• Politically

• Intellectually

• Militarily and

• Legally in that order

Why this disruption and confusion of the long and arduous pattern of leadership and follower ship suddenly become news for a lot of people? Are we done with the first three areas of struggle of political revolution, intellectual discussion and military operation to move on to the legal (loyal) aspect of struggle? I am sure succumbing to a tyrant and to a dictator while DEBTERAW AND HIS COMRADES ARE IN PRISON will disappoint many people.

That would be my first point.

The second point is that EPRP was well known for working among workers, intellectuals, students, peasants, women and the military. Working among or with them did not in any way mean to spy on them but rather to EDUCATE and if possible to organize them so that they can protect themselves from oppression or exploitation. This is a unique style of EPRP mission and vision, unlike many organizations that infiltrate for spying and policing purposes.

In EPRP’s political culture, there was no polarizing figure nor should there be but there were and are issues that polarize and they were resolved democratically.

1. Take the issue of comrades’ ሀ እና ለ (Ha and Le),

2. Take the issue of assessment and evaluation of the past struggle in order to continue or to abandon the struggle both inside and outside, which was dubbed as run-away (ብተና)

3. Take the issue of walk- away because of dictators in the leadership,

Are they not all ended up democratically? I believe they were.

But this one – altering name with no legitimacy and no moral aspects will be the first of its kind in the history of four decades of struggle. Mr. Mersha you seem to forget that ዴሞክራሲያ was/is the soul and heart of EPRP. It is the raison d’etre of its existence as one intellectual put it and its asset as one politician has said it to be.

In today’s world – a digital age has this to offer: MMT

• My space

• My face

• Twitter

Do these mean anything to you Ato Mersha? I know you are an old guard like me but hey we should adjust to the generation at hand. I advise you to consider the pro and cons of pal talk, radio talk, text messages and many other harmful and useful means of technology.

EPRP from the beginning was denied space – Politically Speaking

EPRP members were denied to show up their faces – Intellectually Speaking

And now are we to twitter of the military?

Where is DEBTERAW, Ato Mersah, answer us, please?

Were you not the last person to inform me about the military operation? Ato Iyassou has outsmarted you even politically when he said “ወያኔ በእጝ ሬሳ ላይ ተረማምዶ ነው ያለፈው” I clearly remember that you were my first hand witness of the so-called final operation to destroy EPRP once and for all. That was then, what about now? Any change?

Please, reconsider your position. You have walked away on the pretext of some dictatorship in the leadership. Promise us that you can walk-in when you have promoted your small d to Capital D. But no more confusion, please, enough is enough. Thanks.