By Tsegaye Hailemariam

Gambella, Ethiopia - Despite the recent disputed national census, Gambella population has reached about three hundred thousand people. Population projection of 2.6 per annum does not seem to add on the total population year after year. Being small in size geographically and in number of people as well does have some demerits on the allocation of recurrent budget which the upper house at the federal level is responsible for. Still in Gambella, population figure is being cooked in every survey and this keeps the total population at stagnant point. It is irresponsible to allow such a scam that population figures are being manipulated and creates huge concern when counting favors some nationals among the five land races in Gambella region. Gambella people especially the giant Anywaa have never contested the outcome of all manipulated population figures since the office-in-charge of census is independent and exclusively loyal to big wigs at federal level. It is imperative that any appropriate reform within the institution has to be initiated or local workforces should do the job to achieve transparence and comprehensive accountability.

The purpose of this article is jus t to throw light on the climate of election 2010 in Gambella region. People of my type are dragging their feet going to the registration centers since it is doubtful that meaningful change may not be exhibited in the region. Fewer get registered fearing the danger of negative consequence of being targeted. In small region like Gambella, it is easy to detect who has not shown up and so far as the recycling of the same stuff concern voting for or against members of a single party affiliates is just like selecting among things you all dislike. The worst side of this year election in the regional MP is the recycling business considering it only as a source of income not to deliver for the people. Every year the numbers of seats grow since constituents are being dissected into pieces to form a bulged regional parliament. New woredas are always into making every time based on some political measures, ignoring other basic elements which an institution should fulfill.

The funny thing this year is the unconditional and unconstitutional nomination of non-local (degegnaa in Amharic) in the chemistry of regional members of parliament which seems to be boosted by the good will of the regional authorities suppressing the interest of local majority. In any case, it violates the term of self-rule in the constitutions. The case in point is Gambella city administration whose composition is 5 Highlanders, 5 Nuer 5 Anywaa, 2 Komo and 2 Opo and no seats for the decent Mejengir. The proposed candidates out of the 5 highlanders are people with no good track record and their acquaintance with local politic do not excel some highlander born in Gambella. There seems to be some skirmish which the later group ruled out the proposal. The so called highlanders are not legitimate to run for the office in an autonomous regional state which is already tailored for other individuals based on the agreed upon federalized parameters. They (the highlanders),   representing significant portion of the population make up does necessarily gear towards recommending practical politics of inclusion in other people affairs or politics, as the reverse may not be practical, as well. Being fair to these segments of societies (the highlanders) could only be achieved through excising of  good governance and this in turn,  could ultimately solve any matter of their concern instead of creating precedence in the infantry democratization process of the region. The recurrent budget (sometimes they called digoma in Amharic which I still disagree with the term) that the federal government releases to bail out the regional expenditures is not a charity fund to the regions, but wage of the equity from national cake or the discharge of duties and responsibilities as per the signed contracts in the federal constitution. Gambella should not be exceptional and this could not justify highlanders to secure political decision making seats in the regional house. These people (both local and highlanders) used to live in harmony in past and there are also possibility to extend the existing peaceful coexistence.

Truly and honestly no other part in Ethiopia exists where non-local people enjoy atmosphere of freedom, free access to good jobs  and easy access to possess properties even free access land in the urban and in the rural to make a living and/or for investments. Other people termed it as persisted perception to believe in superiority of the foreigners by the local which enables them to lease out their constituent build up for free. The argument is that the party should not unilaterally decided with out discussing the matter with its members and with broad mass in general.                   

It matters a lot even if the entire local communities remain resilient. It does not make sense either to defend such sensitive issue by sending junior political practitioners in the frontline to ramble on it. In free and genuine democracy, it does not buy to deny people their constitutional rights to exercise self-rule. Therefore, the ruling regional party has to look into the matter and consider the local majority viewpoints for corrective measures.  It’s obvious that all nations deserve their leaders but Gambella do not deserve foreigners (highlanders) as their political leaders like any other sister regional states in Ethiopia. Marginalized and characterized with poor record of good governance plus clear indication of poor handling of human right, I understand that this could be the reason every body unnecessarily becomes resilient since an attempt to openly challenge such sensitive issues risks purging from civil service jobs, or long term jail or sometimes death. Finally, Gambella lovers and friends should understand this matter and advocate for any immediate and corrective measures with the Gambella governor. The local communities in Gambella were silent when evicted from their birth land and they are still resilient when their political power is illegally shared inappropriately. 

I should remarkably stress few points on the regional governor. After assuming the absolute power of regional presidentship he tacitly sustains his power through politics of exclusion. He managed to tarnish the entire images of the majority Anywaa and the Nuers putting them in the opposition bloc, which it is unlikely that no single Gambellan seems to oppose Ethiopia constitutions. He portraits himself as the only revolutionary democrat despite the extreme nepotism reflected in redistribution of keys public sectors to his loyal and blood relatives. Even the jobs in the civil services are seldom secured on meritocracy. Every one consults him for every detail even if it is not beyond one’s jurisdiction. When he likes, for instance, he hires or fires or moves or removes the work force because of the absence of check and balance within his cabinet.

The local community and the so called highlanders (all red skinned of Habesha origin from highland of Ethiopia) have long history of peaceful coexistence in the past regimes, but the hypothesis laid down by the regional authorities that in their absence in the power results in turmoil and eviction of the non- local or highlanders does not hold water at all:  it’s a pretext to stay in power. The fear of unknown and less respect to his constituents keeps him in good hands of huge presence of federal police forces on guard in his compound. For me, it’s a night mare. It is imminent that the danger of extra- judiciary killings alike event of December 2003 in Gambella town and elsewhere in the region is probable since the huge deployment of EPRDF military in the town creates fertile ground for civilian’s harassment against Anywaa and Nuer. Being sensitive to such critical things is a good quality of transformational leadership which I think the governor himself lacks.

It seems that he is insecure internally when you refer to the way the highly favors highlanders more that any other citizens in the region and his thought is  full of prerogative of revenge and retaliatory  outlook to one he considers as opponent. The worst thing of all is he favors his Openo[*] folks over Lul[†] side and allowing unbalanced representation of candidatures from both sides justifies this fact. The up beat Openo side has proposed candidates who are fairly in good shape in term of academic achievement and equal representation of female candidates, but in the Lul with capable and ample qualified work forces he regressed to drop potential candidates which the communities would hopefully vote for.

Of course, on opposition part has so far shown up and this election like selection is hopefully that all the candidates in each woreda will definitely win a seat even if s/he gets the least vote count. This makes is it so ridicules to call democratic election. This is the politics of hatred and trying to screen out capable hopeful cabinet members not to come on board. The recycling of the same people in power has never brought any meaningful change in term of executing development endeavors. The region is too busy with pouring a huge amount of resources on political meetings putting aside commitment to deliver in rural settings. The governor feel comfortable keep those inefficient departments and bureau heads to maintain the status quo. Nevertheless, it may not take much longer time for the federal government to understand the reality and dynamism prevailing in Gambella regional state.