The Eritrean 'opposition' are now against Eritrea adopting a constitution

During his Independence Day speech, H.E. President Isaias Afwerki dropped the biggest paradigm shifting political bomb: the constitution

The so called Eritrean "opposition" are now against Eritrea adopting a constitution

When President Isaias Afwerki announced Eritrea is preparing to embark on participatory constitution making process, most Eritreans received the announcement as yet another sign that the Government of Eritrea is not only committed to developing the country, but is also committed to improving its method of governing as well.

Predictably, most of the so-called Eritrean "opposition" groups, which have hounded the Eritrean government about implementing a constitution from their dusty hotel rooms in Mekele, were the only group who rejected it. And in doing so, they exposed themselves for what they truly are: opportunists.

However, some of the more seasoned opposition members took a different approach. Instead of looking like hypocrites in denouncing the GoE for something they claimed they wanted all along, they rejected the announcement because the government isn't implementing the 1997 Constitution. But even this position is nothing but a ploy since they know the 1997 Constitution is not going to be implemented on the grounds that it's not in touch with the realities and experiences of Eritrea today. For them, this is a convenient way of being anti-constitution without coming off as being anti-constitution.

Another reason why some of the "opposition" are now demanding the 1997 Constitution be implemented instead of a comprehensive new one that takes into account Eritrea's experiences is because the principal author of that consitituion was Bereket Habte Selassie.

Bereket Habte Selassie, who is married to an Ethiopian woman, is a man that has dedicated his life to aligning himself with successive Ethiopian regimes against the Eritrean people. From Haliseassie to the Derg to the current TPLF junta, Bereket has been a consistent friend of Ethiopian dictatorships.

For Bereket, his unshakable loyalty to Ethiopia largely stems from that fact that he is ignorant on history. This ignorance was in full display at a 2011 book signing in France. Bereket said:

"I've been part of Ethiopia. There is a larger sense in which we are all Ethiopians. Historically, culturally speaking as I tried to explain today. And my wish, my hope before I die is that we come back together in a larger unity transcending all these divisions."

Bereket's imperial version of historical position presupposes the continuity of an Ethiopian state over a definite geographical area and common peoples, which is a common lie many Ethiopians like to sell. Prior to Sahle Maryam's ("Menelik") signing the Treaty of Peace with the Italians on October 26, 1896, there was no Ethiopian state. Everything glued as Ethiopia's lineal ancestor before that period were merely independent and rivaling states that happened to cover part of the soil of the modern country.

Historically speaking, it is the Eritrean culture and language that many Ethiopians have borrowed as their own. For instance, the first civilization in the region, which was a precursor to the numerous cultures and kingdoms in the region, began in the Asmara district of Sembel around 2,800 years ago. Moreover, the first inscription of Ge'ez and the first written Tigrinya were discovered in Eritrea.

So for Bereket to claim we are all "Ethiopians" based on indigenous Eritrean cultures and languages would be tantamount to a grandson claiming his grandmother adopted her language and culture from him.

Therefore, it wouldn't make much sense in adopting an outdated constitution that was largely written by a man who openly sides with the Ethiopian dictatorship, and who doesn't even respect Eritrean peoples' identity or the country's territorial integrity.

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