The True Color of Woyane: Dictatorship

In present day Ethiopia, there is not much problem of lack of law, but rather, the critical problem is the lack of the Rule of Law. Woyane has for that matter, a near perfect constitution for all to see. It resembles the constitutions of most democratic countries in the North. The problem is, that constitution does not govern the Woyane tyrants. They do not obey that law they drafted and enacted. There are also many other international conventions and covenants that Woyane has ratified, for the whole world to see. But it does not obey these laws. There is no structure that can hold Woyane accountable. Woyane is above the law in Ethiopia. The true nature of Woyane is dictatorship, nothing less!!!

Recently, they are trying to distract the attention of Ethiopians and the international community by passing the Ethiopian Civil Society Law, as if the law matters to them. There was a law in that country that governed civil society, which they never wanted to respect. They were never in good terms with independent civil society since their assumption of power in 1991. They were organizing the whole society all around Ethiopia in such a way that it is never penetrated by independent civil society groups.

As a civil society practitioner in Ethiopia for over 15 years until the 2005 elections, I have a vivid memory of how Woyane was organizing households along the line of a quasi-political grouping to control the whole society. Independent civil society groups never had a chance of engaging the society for real and questioning the status-quo, except delivering the services the government was supposed to deliver to its citizens. Even before the passing of this new civil society law, Woyane was denying access to independent civil society groups from genuinely engaging the Ethiopian people for development.

The people at the higher echelons of Woyane are closely knit together by kinship and affinity. Naturally, this kind of association is not open for democracy. It is this group at the helm of Woyane, that has dictated the drafting of the Ethiopian "constitution", created a fake division of organs of government, and playing and watching all the drama that is going on in Ethiopia.

So let us forget the talk of changing Woyane through electoral democracy. Let us come together and force them out by all means. Now is the time. Dictators do not accept election outcomes!!! Dictatorship is Woyane's true color!!!