You might have come across some people lamenting the disengagement of the public fighting injustice. There might be so many reasons for this, but the ultimate reason falls in the organization’s failure to mobilize and organize the public for the cause they stand for. The road may be rogue and rough yet the opposition camp has to face it strategically, identifying each thread that is fettering broader public engagement. Some of these are easily visible and concrete: fear, interest, indifference etc… others however, are not easily visible yet psychologically operating in society. 

There is nothing worse than to feel betrayed, this is the ugliest of all PFDJ crimes on the nation. The whole nation was stunned to witness promises falling apart and things deteriorate from day to day. The whole society is bewildered to see its own sons and daughters, who were meant to bring freedom, peace, justice and dignity, ending up ruthlessly snatching all its rights and freedoms. Unfulfilled promises and shattered dreams of the past have thrown many into despair. This has left us all empty handed. The very few people in the helm of power have decided that the whole country may go up in flames as long as they are fine; as a result, the chill of its indirect repercussion is severely felt in the spine of the opposition camp today.

It is conspicuous that, for a society where its hard won dreams are shattered, healing and reviving the mind and the spirit is an uphill task. The Eritrean society has seen promises made to it betrayed, and its dreams shattering. Therefore, the opposition camp has to strategize to get the support of the people against these existing perceptions; these perceptions have dominated the vast majority of our people.

Given the above realities the following points can be raised:

1. How should it conquer this suspicion engulfing a number of fellow citizens?

2. How and what should be done to win the confidence and trust of the public?

Many institutions, parties and fronts, scared of the failed promises made by the PFDJ argue strictly adhering to a conviction that the problem faced by the people can only be solved through organizational rules and regulations. It goes on further and says that what is missing at present is the idea of institutionalization and the rule of law. This stance is taken with a view that creating the essence of rule of law may enhance the feeling that these organizations might be compelled to implement their promises tomorrow. By doing this one can build the confidence and conquer suspicion.

This per se however, has its own merits and demerits. It clearly helps instill the supremacy of the law in the minds of the many. On the other hand this might not leave any room for flexibility and pragmatic way of handling issues, which most of the time, in our case, leads to creating splinters within organizations.

Secondly, evaluating the current reality, a priority should be establishing a force that can bring the regime in power over to the table of discussion or else face the consequences that might ensue. It should consider all other issues secondary. However it should be noted that building an institution and democratic behavior cannot be achieved in such a short time. Furthermore, people will not allow to be betrayed this time around; they have learned their lessons the hard way. Unfortunately what we are witnessing today is one organization criticizing the other and an individual allegating its own organization-the cycle goes on.

Settling dissatisfaction within one’s organization with sincerity is civility. On the other hand trying to play with organizational laws and regulations with malevolent intent, when conflicts and misunderstandings arise, creates a situation where no one wins. This takes organizations astray and shifts the focus towards organizational politics rather than on the primary goals and values.

This attitude may finally endanger the principal goals and values of the organization. People have to know where, when and how to address issues according to their urgency and priority. Strictly adhering to procedures is a luxurious commodity one cannot afford in the present situation.  After all, the opposition has not grown into an effective organization so that the PFDJ may feel its pinches. Until such time comes, this should be set as the utmost priority of the camp across the board. Though it should always cherish its basic principles and values, the camp should learn to lose the battle to win the war. It should strive to embrace the wisdom of differentiating the battle from the war.

A good case in point can be the conflict between the G-15 vs. Issaias and his few loyalists in the PFDJ. When the parliamentarians and higher officials of the PFDJ (G-15) voiced some truth to the public a section of the people accused them of contributing their share in making Issaias a monster and said “they are as guilty as he is”. Though, the G-15 have availed themselves for trial for any alleged charges in a free and impartial court of law, the bash of words continued unabated.

It should however be understood that they, in the first place, while in the struggle for independence their primary vision was a bigger one, which was “a free Eritrea” and strove hard to materialize it; hence the issue of making Isayas a monster was far away from their focus. They worked for freedom investing their time and energy; they even sacrificed their egos and personal ambitions.

Added with others enormous contributions, the sacrifices have eventually secured free Eritrea. The very success of the G-15 is the approval of the charter which stipulates multiparty system and a country which guarantees the basic freedoms and rights of its citizens in the second congress of the EPLF. Thus the war of ideals is long won over and those who are illegitimately in power today have already lost the war long ago; they have just won the battle not the war. Thus they had resorted to arrest the G-15 in order to silence the dissent. However time is now proving the PFDJ decision wrong. So many people are now realizing that the G-15 have accepted to give their precious lives for the implementation of the rule of law and constitution which they asked for in due time.

Now, how does one dare say the pioneers of the ideological and security apparatus of the front (the G-15), which were capable of doing anything given their higher positions in the front, fail to conspire the others in power. Instead the fact of the matter is that they decided to avoid any unpredictable outcome that might endanger and compromise their prime visions and principles.

This is the leadership quality lacking in the opposition sphere nowadays, addressing the right issues at the right time like the G-15 did. With their primary goal of achieving freedom attained, the G-15 pursued to the second which was handing over power to the sole owner of it - the public- no matter what it takes. This is a heroic and exemplary way of addressing the primary goals of the organization and setting your priorities. Courageous and visionary act out of which the current opposition circle can draw a lesson. Organizations need to set its priorities and primary goals and objectives, and climb the stairs of positive progress which might most of the time demands “to lose the battle to win the war.”

Source: Awate.com