By Henok Reta
Arriving in the late afternoon in Iteya appeared to be worrying for strangers that day that the tiny town looked bigger battlefield once again because of the tensions around. I was just wondering this tiny poverty-stricken town would come a headline for the ice-cold election, looking pretty unlike the 2005 historic election the country has ever had in its history. One of the places that saw intensive contest were, this small town located in the south east gateway of the capital at a distance of 170km away. Many are pretty sure that the place had ever been mentioned in the media before the highly controversial election that featured one of the most dramatic defeat to the ruling party bigwigs such as Abadula Gemeda and Junedin Sado, both were surrendered by the well-unknown candidates of the Oromo National Congress (OBC) party that entered the contest under the United opposition forces led by veteran opponent professor Beyene Petros and popular politician Dr. Merara Gudina.
In the most heated electoral contest of 2005, both Abadual and Junedin were humiliated by the results of the vote they received from their locality. The landslide victory of the opponents was considered to be a remarkable one for many African countries who have pretty narrow room for fair and free election. According to Vincent Magombe, a well-known African politics scholar based in London, the then victory of Ethiopian oppositions could herald the dawn of democracy across the continent, and that was basically happened in this tiny town of the country where the vibrant Arsi oromos are known to be indigenous for centuries. Although the highlanders from the Amhara region are many to represent the longstanding co-existence of diverse cultures and religions of Ethiopia, the Arsi are better labelled for changing the game. Enormously frustrated and angered Arsis with the government that showed no mercy while killing, jailing and torturing tens of thousands of compatriots over a decade long authoritarian rule, were dare enough to punish members of the Oromo People Democratic Organization (OPDO), influential segment of the ruling EPRDF party with their voting card. As a result, their leaders shocked and redefined they were no more a family to their constituents.
After ten years, the election came to test the already faded memory of the people in the highly acclaimed constituent. This time, the 28 year-old Derese Kebede is standing against the bigger figure of the dominant party. Derese, a teacher by training has quit his teaching and got back to his farm a few years before joining the politics due to so many frustrations. He and many of his friends had suffered from dire poverty, poor governance and suppression before joining the politics. Since his province is well known for barley farming, which provide almost all breweries of the country with important ingredient–hop. They however failed in yielding their best product because they were known to be deviant for the politicians and the cadres while some tried to supress them and their families labelling them members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), prominent opposition party that carries out a terrorist tag after the parliament approved the title in 2009. ‘I don’t know whether I can succeed or not but this is something I believe I can make now,’ says the young candidate who doesn’t look his opponent such a prominent figure to fear. ‘I know he has been popular since he lost the election is 2005 because people have had no option since then. Now, he looks a bit scared of me to spy on me and the family since a few months ago,’ he adds.
According to him, After Abadula’s address made to the people in the stadium in April, he has been under surveillance and intimidation by the cadres to stop campaigning and stop the run. ‘I have been beaten by the police twice before my hut was burnt down by the cadres to kill my family,’ he says. Now, fearing the killing he was told a few days ago, Derese has been staying in a remote village outside of the town with his parents. A few days before the election, one of the town’s chief of officers, attempted to bribe him so that he could withdraw from the election easily but refusing this big offer he had to flee with his wife and two children because his hut was burn down that night. Without assigning his observers, checking the ballots and casting his vote he could never say I’m alive and contesting with Abadula. ‘I’m really afraid of the situation the government is looking to go for, the people might be calm because they are totally frustrated with the slow and ineffective movement towards a change,’ he explains his fear being extremely vigilant about people’s voice and footstep around his where about. He however, vows he will continue his peaceful struggle with the government despite the danger surrounded his family unless he finds a way out for his critical problems that make life extremely miserable for him and the people similar to himself.
The polling stations that remained empty after early hours of the morning on the polling day are now opened to posting the results at the outside gate. People were heading to their routine business in the morning when some were concerned about their votes yesterday. They stopped at the gates and looked up to the papers put up on the gates. Some nodded their heads, some joined their leaps to express their sympathy towards their hope, others were laughing ironically while several of them were tearing down the result in an uncontrolled anger and frustration. No one could stop them, even the police. Job is done; the game is over for the real battle of Goliath and David.
Arriving in the late afternoon in Iteya appeared to be worrying for strangers that day that the tiny town looked bigger battlefield once again because of the tensions around. I was just wondering this tiny poverty-stricken town would come a headline for the ice-cold election, looking pretty unlike the 2005 historic election the country has ever had in its history. One of the places that saw intensive contest were, this small town located in the south east gateway of the capital at a distance of 170km away. Many are pretty sure that the place had ever been mentioned in the media before the highly controversial election that featured one of the most dramatic defeat to the ruling party bigwigs such as Abadula Gemeda and Junedin Sado, both were surrendered by the well-unknown candidates of the Oromo National Congress (OBC) party that entered the contest under the United opposition forces led by veteran opponent professor Beyene Petros and popular politician Dr. Merara Gudina.
In the most heated electoral contest of 2005, both Abadual and Junedin were humiliated by the results of the vote they received from their locality. The landslide victory of the opponents was considered to be a remarkable one for many African countries who have pretty narrow room for fair and free election. According to Vincent Magombe, a well-known African politics scholar based in London, the then victory of Ethiopian oppositions could herald the dawn of democracy across the continent, and that was basically happened in this tiny town of the country where the vibrant Arsi oromos are known to be indigenous for centuries. Although the highlanders from the Amhara region are many to represent the longstanding co-existence of diverse cultures and religions of Ethiopia, the Arsi are better labelled for changing the game. Enormously frustrated and angered Arsis with the government that showed no mercy while killing, jailing and torturing tens of thousands of compatriots over a decade long authoritarian rule, were dare enough to punish members of the Oromo People Democratic Organization (OPDO), influential segment of the ruling EPRDF party with their voting card. As a result, their leaders shocked and redefined they were no more a family to their constituents.
After ten years, the election came to test the already faded memory of the people in the highly acclaimed constituent. This time, the 28 year-old Derese Kebede is standing against the bigger figure of the dominant party. Derese, a teacher by training has quit his teaching and got back to his farm a few years before joining the politics due to so many frustrations. He and many of his friends had suffered from dire poverty, poor governance and suppression before joining the politics. Since his province is well known for barley farming, which provide almost all breweries of the country with important ingredient–hop. They however failed in yielding their best product because they were known to be deviant for the politicians and the cadres while some tried to supress them and their families labelling them members of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), prominent opposition party that carries out a terrorist tag after the parliament approved the title in 2009. ‘I don’t know whether I can succeed or not but this is something I believe I can make now,’ says the young candidate who doesn’t look his opponent such a prominent figure to fear. ‘I know he has been popular since he lost the election is 2005 because people have had no option since then. Now, he looks a bit scared of me to spy on me and the family since a few months ago,’ he adds.
According to him, After Abadula’s address made to the people in the stadium in April, he has been under surveillance and intimidation by the cadres to stop campaigning and stop the run. ‘I have been beaten by the police twice before my hut was burnt down by the cadres to kill my family,’ he says. Now, fearing the killing he was told a few days ago, Derese has been staying in a remote village outside of the town with his parents. A few days before the election, one of the town’s chief of officers, attempted to bribe him so that he could withdraw from the election easily but refusing this big offer he had to flee with his wife and two children because his hut was burn down that night. Without assigning his observers, checking the ballots and casting his vote he could never say I’m alive and contesting with Abadula. ‘I’m really afraid of the situation the government is looking to go for, the people might be calm because they are totally frustrated with the slow and ineffective movement towards a change,’ he explains his fear being extremely vigilant about people’s voice and footstep around his where about. He however, vows he will continue his peaceful struggle with the government despite the danger surrounded his family unless he finds a way out for his critical problems that make life extremely miserable for him and the people similar to himself.
The polling stations that remained empty after early hours of the morning on the polling day are now opened to posting the results at the outside gate. People were heading to their routine business in the morning when some were concerned about their votes yesterday. They stopped at the gates and looked up to the papers put up on the gates. Some nodded their heads, some joined their leaps to express their sympathy towards their hope, others were laughing ironically while several of them were tearing down the result in an uncontrolled anger and frustration. No one could stop them, even the police. Job is done; the game is over for the real battle of Goliath and David.
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