By Elias Kifle

What type of government Ethiopia will have is NOT up to Hailemariam, Bereket and their EPRDF alone. The opposition can and should have a big role if we put our acts together.

For me and many in the opposition camp, the premiership of Hailemariam is a big, a real positive change for Ethiopia. For the first time in 21 years, Ethiopia is being led by a man who doesn’t hate the country and her people. Meles was a hardcore anti-Ethiopia and every day he was in power, the fabric of our country was being torn to pieces. Meles was the enemy of Ethiopia, not just our political opponent. Hailemariam, on the other hand, is not an enemy. He is our political opponent who will not loosen EPRDF’s grip on power, but has no interest in destroying Ethiopia. It is up to the opposition parties now to get organized, united and pressure him and the EPRDF to accept a multiparty system in Ethiopia. Without getting organized, to expect Hailemariam to say or do any thing we want is foolishness.

If we want Ethiopia to transition to multiparty democracy, there are many things we can do. One of them that I and many of my comrades are working on is the creation of a transitional government. Support us, or come up with different ideas of your own. If not, please stop whining. Stop talking about Hailemariam said this and didn’t say that. Instead, ask what you are doing to help bring real change in Ethiopia.

Hailemariam is doing just fine right now. I would not advise him to say any thing that would antagonize TPLF. His first priority should be to survive, not say some thing we may like. We have to understand under what kind of dangerous environment he is operating. Let’s quit bitching about Hailemariam, and instead let’s get ourselves organized and come up with a strong alternative to EPRDF.

I would like to hear your comments.