Dr. Abby Ahmed: A marionette of wreckage en route to eventual shambles

Dr. Abby Ahmed: A marionette of wreckage en route to eventual shambles

Simon Hagos

On April 2nd, the Ethiopian parliament will confirm Dr. Abby Ahmed as the third prime minister replacing prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn. Since 1991, ERPDF dominates political, and economic environment of the country confirmation to the lack of genuine political exercise in the country. Historic as it should, he will be the first Oromia prime minister in Ethiopia.

His confirmation signals a new chapter in the country. After months of chaos, and political stagnation, Dr. Abby’s ascend to the highest seat received both a sense of optimism and hopelessness. Many Ethiopians cheered the historic moment of Abby’s election, but also understand the rugged road ahead. As a retired Lt Colonel, and former INSA head, Dr. Abby was well groomed to be a prime minister at some point during the TPLF dominated EPRDF regime. This itself raised legitimate qualms.

Prior to his election, the four party sisters within the EPRDF went through assessments, and critical self-analysis. But, without genuine political reformation and power transformation his, election becomes nothing but a designed spectacle process. Before unveiling, a PR yearning Kleptocratic regime, jailed dozens of journalists and human rights activists. Before that, months of total tumult, and pandemonium not only within the country, but also within the ruling regime, almost brought Ethiopia to its knee. Thus, the selection process was a jumble from the get go. Clearly, the parties were in snafu. TPLF never experienced this kind of wave of spurn from the public before.

A nation on the edge of collapse:

First, months of intense crackdown, and stifling made the people of Ethiopia importunate. Thousands of innocent people killed, thousands more jailed, and hundreds of thousands of people displaced from their villages. But, instead of peaceful resolution, TPLF imposed a state of emergency for the second time in less than a year and took the whole country to a brink of collapse. What is evident now is, no matter how hard TPLF attempted to depict the movement, as a collection of “rowdy vandals”, they will neither fathom nor escape the magnitude of the resistance suppurated. The overall picture solidifies the persistence of one question, can Dr. Abby fix a system founded in a “hold power at any cost” before it is too late?

Second, what makes Dr. Abby’s election ineffectual for a genuine political reformation, and transfer of power is, a rock-ribbed young Ethiopians fully understand, they are finally in control of the garrote that will scotch TPLF out of power. This undeviating factor coupled with the growing pressure from the international community, forced TPLF to go through a feigned process. TPLF is conclusively feeble. There is a growing consensus that “a free TPLF Ethiopia is a democratic Ethiopia”.

Third, TPLF leaders are well-known inveigles, and far-fetched liars. Power grip, even with a dissension party and a nation at swoon is their ultimate objective. A prime minster, with a scant political experience, and in an environment totally dominated by TPLF cadres cannot be expected to grow marvel. Like his predecessor, Dr. Abby is a tragedy, a sheath, a driver of a car destined for wreckage. He has no control over the military, and security services.

In conclusion, the new prime minister will face looming challenges. A nation totally fragmented ethnically, an economy in inertia, a ravenous youth for genuine political reformation based on the rule of law, and a political structure hijacked by a minority population. Regardless of the impossibility of omitting naïve wishful expectations from the new prime minister to deliver a miracle, the reality is Ethiopia is in deep crisis politically, economically and socially. Electing a young leader, without formidable political experience, and known collaborator of a ruling regime that failed miserably time after time to deliver genuine political and economic reformation is not a solution. Ethiopians all over the world need not to downtempo on their triumph. A slight ambivalence surmised from unwarranted expectations of TPLF handpicked prime minister will obliterate what have been achieved thus far.

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