Eritrea Constitutional Governance

Eritrean Government officials attending Independence Day Celebrations - 2012

Eritrea Constitutional Governance

By Berhane Woldu,

Democracy means different things to different cultures and mostly contested term and it is often more in name only than genuine. Democracy as we see it in the developing nations has lead to blunder, ethnic killing and religious war. Eritrea wants none of this nonsense. Eritrea’s governance is based on equality, justice, diversity in unity and quality of life. Political reforms include more substantive principle.  What we need is Governance with constitutional constraints, tailored to local realities and a government that is devoted to its people and increase opportunity. Eritrea does have leaders, institutions, social forces and effective, efficient and genuine leadership with high administrative skill to bring the nation into prospers civil and modern nation.

In his book The coming Anarchy, Kaplan states; “Democracy or free election should come after free market had produced enough economic and social development to make democracy sustainable. Middle class and civil institutions are precondition for stable democracy and are bi-product of a free market”. He goes on to say “ Contrasting Lee Kuan Yew’s prosperous authoritarian Singapore with the killings, “bloodletting democratic states of Columbia, Rwanda, and South Africa, Kaplan strongly criticizes America’s post-Cold War undertaking to export democracy abroad, to places where it can’t succeed”. Great political thinkers and sociologists have for many years argued that Economic prosperity should press free election; in 1959, noted sociologist Seymour Martin and in 1968 political scientist Samuel P. Huntington both argued strongly against rapid democratization in the developing modernizing societies. Young Third Word economists are in agreement with the idea of economic prosperity first democracy later.

Eritrea is different in the sense that it’s a country that came with shared sacrifices, family values and the individual exists in the context of the family rather than the western value of individualism. As a nation it has no minorities’ who dominates the economy, equality is the motto. Eritrea after independence started rebuilding its economy; had attained remarkable progress in its economy and was working on a political transition to be governed by constitutional governance. These progresses were interrupted by Ethiopia’s war of aggression. Ideals of self reliance became a cause for other nations to gang up on Eritrea to divert the nation from its economic and political development. Eritrea did not blink; it diverted its resources to generate growth. Socioeconomic reforms were put in place “leveling the playing field’ social justice educational opportunities were expanded, to the rural areas to bring the impoverished majority to compete successfully with the urban rich. Health services were expanded to reach the most remote area, infrastructures were built: roads, bridges, water diversion skims, dams, and water reservoirs were built to enhance food security. Transportation services were expanded to villages. Education being the engine of economic development has been expanded. Universities and colleges were built and presently expanding. Boarding schools were introduced in the remote and dispersed area of the country. National Cooperation’s were formed where the nationals benefit from ownership and capital. Encourage equity to develop through sales of shares and encourage single ownership involve not only efficiency gains but also a more open society. Wealth balances through intervention on behalf of an economically disadvantage group is in place owing to progressive taxation. The sum of all begets a wealthy nation fulfilling the prerequisite for a stable Democratic country.

History has taught us that democracy emerged in the Western nation gradually over centuries and incrementally, over many generations.  Yet it’s being forced upon developing nations overnight without consideration. Majority rule or democracy is not and must not be the priority; constitutional safeguards, protection and guaranties against arbitrary government confiscation and human rights protection should be the main concern. One man one vote may not be the best system or parliamentarian proportional representation may not fit Eritrea. Bottom-up democratization local village election may be the best way to transfer into democracy. Eritrea’s Political reforms are gaining ground. In Eritrea there are open local village elections and district election in cities, there might be some limitations however the election offers a vital measure of political participation and more significantly, legitimate competitive election as an important part of the political process. There have been many improvements in granting the great majority of citizens far more economic and personal freedoms than they have enjoyed since the war of aggression by Ethiopia and its handlers.

The nation has attained urbanization, political modernization and secular nationals. Eritrea has no difficulty in implementing democracy. EPLF ideals were to first free the nation from its colonizers, second to develop the country economically and third to attain a democratic nation. These were and remain to be the mission and visions of the Eritrean people and leaders.

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