Ethiopian Review Editorial
Now that the Meles regime has ignored the AFD’s call for a national reconciliation conference, the next step is for the AFD to go ahead and set up a transitional government in exile. A plan could be already in the works behind the scene. If it is, we believe that public discussions and input is helpful.
The government in exile is necessary for the following reasons:
1) highlights the illegitimacy of the dictatorship in power.
2) its presence helps exert increasing international and domestic pressure on the dying regime, expediting its inevitable fall down.
3) serves as a rallying point for the people of Ethiopia.
4) the international community will see that there is a better alternative that will be able to bring democracy, peace and stability in the Horn of Africa region.
5) there will be a planned, smooth transition of power, avoiding potential chaos.
6) defeats the Meles regime’s “divide and conquer” strategy.
Planning the government in exile starting now will give time for thorough discussions among the political parties, scholars, and the public at large. There is nothing to be gained by waiting.
Structure of the proposed Transitional Government
A proposal by Ethiopian Review
The Transitional Government will be headed by a five-member Presidency Council–a president and four vice-presidents.
President – from OLF
Vice President – from Kinijit
Vice President – from EPPF
Vice President – from ONLF
Vice President – from SLF
The Presidency Council (PC) will have a three-year term. At the end of the three-year term, there will be a national election under a new constitution.
The presidency rotates every 12-month.
Decisions in the PC will be made by consensus.
The PC’s decisions will be carried out by a Council of Ministers.
The Council of Ministers (CM) will be composed of a prime minister (PM) and two deputy prime ministers (DPMs).
The PM and DPMs will be appointed by the PC.
Prime Minister –
Deputy Prime Minister –
Deputy Prime Minister –
Minister of Defense –
Minister of Foreign Affairs –
Minister of Justice –
Minister of Interior –
Minister of Finance –
Minister of Agriculture –
Minister of Industry –
The rest of the CM members will be appointed by the PM with the consent of the PC and the DPMs.
The CM will serve during the three-year transition period.
The PC’s primary task will be to prepare the country for elections within three years. In preparation for the elections, the PC will:
1. create an election committee composed of one representative from each party.
2. convene a Constitutional Convention (CC) composed of 500 members, each member representing one woreda (district) of the country, as well as representatives of civic, religious, labor, and other groups.
Kinijit and OLF will have equal numbers–about 150 each–in the Constitutional Convention. The rest will be distributed among the other parties and groups.
Addis Ababa will be administered by Kinijit during the transition period since there is already a legitimately elected mayor (currently unjustly imprisoned) and city council.
Activities while in exile
1. The Transitional Government in exile, upon its formation, will contact all governments around the world and seek recognition as the legitimate government of Ethiopia.
2. Merge the EPPF, OLF, ONLF, and SLF fighters under one unified command to be named Ethiopian Armed Forces.
3. Contact each military officer in the army under the Meles regime and persuade them to join the legitimate Ethiopian Armed Forces.
4. All the ministers in the Transitional Government in exile will start to carry out their responsibilities. For example, the Minister of Foreign Affair will mobilize international support for the government in exile; the Minister of Justice will investigate officials of the Meles regime for crimes against humanity and corruption; the Ministers of Finance, Industry and Agriculture will create an economic team that will prepare a plan on how to grow the country’s economy during the transition period; etc
The danger of not setting up a government in exile
1. When the Meles regime collapses, chaos could reign in the country for several days, or weeks. A well executed plan by the transitional government in exile will prevent that.
2. The Meles regime will continue to incite ethnic conflict.
3. An unknown armed force could come to power and install another dictatorship.
4. The unity of Ethiopia will be in grave danger as ethnic-based parties become militarily and politically more powerful and decide to stick to their independence agenda when they see for them no political space under the Ethiopian tent. The Transitional Government will give political space for these ethnic-based parties to address the concerns and grievances of their constituencies under a united Ethiopia using democratic means such as elections, courts, dialogue, etc.
The wisdom of creating AFD
The Kinijit and OLF leaders, in deciding to create an alliance, were cognizant of the fact that Ethiopia is a changed country after a 15-year rule by the TPLF ethnic apartheid regime. The Meles regime has been leading the country towards a civil war by spreading hate, suspicion and hostility among the many ethnic groups, particularly the Amhara and Oromo. AFD is the best instrument to heal the wounds, and neutralize what Meles and his criminal gang have in store for us–Interahamwe-like civil war. Meles and his close family members may flee when the end for them arrives. But the hard core TPLF gangs such as General Samora Yenus have already declared their stand–to destroy and be destroyed (atfito metfat). Those who cannot see this are too far removed from the realities in Ethiopia.