Meet Redwan Hussien: the New Bereket Simeon
In September 2010, the Kaleidoscope of Ethiopian politics was shaken as EPRDF’s Central Committee agreed on its so-called “Kibebelosh principle.” Senior leaders decided to leave their powers within four years and be replaced by new political figures in what some analysts called Meles Zenawi’s “last man strategy”. The Prime Minister was assigned a duty to oversee the process of replacement and leave his position before the next elections. Even the most senior comrades of Meles Zenawi knew that he might not execute the final part of the “kibebelosh principle.” But they had no option but to agree to the PM’s proposal. One consequence of the decision was a more visible participation in the public space of formerly little known EPRDFites who were candidates to replace the senior officials. Enter Redwan Hussien!
This post is available in: Amharic
(by Girma Tesfaw and AN’s contributors in Addis Ababa)
If you had asked a political journalist in Addis Ababa about Redwan Hussien’s power prospects last year, the most likely reply would have been: “Redwan who?” His name was not worth putting in the small notebooks the often-under 30 journalists hold in their back pockets. Even the political junkies who knew him would think Redwan was no different from the thousands of EPRDF’s public agitators.
In September 2010, the Kaleidoscope of Ethiopian politics was shaken as EPRDF’s Central Committee agreed on its so-called “Kibebelosh principle.” Senior leaders decided to leave their powers within four years and be replaced by new political figures in what some analysts called Meles Zenawi’s “last man strategy”. The Prime Minister was assigned a duty to oversee the process of replacement and leave his position before the next elections. Even the most senior comrades of Meles Zenawi knew that he might not execute the final part of the “kibebelosh principle.” But they had no option but to agree to the PM’s proposal. One consequence of the decision was a more visible participation in the public space of formerly little known EPRDFites who were candidates to replace the senior officials. Enter Redwan Hussien!
This year’s elections debates were colorless. In the opposition camp, EDP’s Lidetu performed admirably. Medrek’s Andualem showed fearlessness and passion. That was as charitable as one could get. The ruling party had a star: Redwan Hussien. Even by the poisonous standards of Ethiopian politics, observers said Redwan was one of the rudest public speakers ever. He used words which are normally reserved to political debates in bars and cafes. He had no red flags in discourse. But he also spoke with spellbinding articulacy, well-composed and free-flowing Amharic dotted with street jokes. Some analysts called him “a new breed cadre”. Like most cadres, he had a poor grasp of fundamental thoughts of politics, but presented the little he knew seductively.
The election debates made Redwan very popular inside the EPRDF. They were happy he was rude. They were happy he was articulate. They were happy that he turned EPRDF’s weak spots like national security into its strength. They were happy that he accused the opposition that they were frozen in time and unabashedly boasted that they had a lot to learn from EPRDF. They were happy he was a new face. They were happy he was willing to stick his neck out for the party even when uncomfortable issues were raised. In one instance, he justified Birtukan Mideksa’s solitary confinement. “The government begged her. The elders begged her. But she was unwilling to retract her speech and ask forgiveness. What would you do when one flouted the rule of law? The law must be executed. It was the government’s responsibility to enforce the law. That is why we always say the opposition parties do not have a sense of responsibility when you appeal that a person who committed a crime should not be touched. How are you going to enforce the law when you get to power?” He went on and on.
But sometimes even this well-trained cadre went off script in moments of rhetorical flourish, showing either his inexperience as a public speaker or, as some EPRDF supporters would claim, the new, big-tent nature of EPRDF. In one instance, he emperor Menilik’s failure to keep Eritrea. Not an argument his bosses might have liked.
A biologist with a soft-heart for identity politics
Redwan is a graduate of Addis Ababa University. He studied Biology during a very turbulent period for the university. In 1993 when Redwan was a second year student at the science faculty, students protested against the referendum in Eritrea and the government killed one and jailed several of them. The university was shut down for months and 42 of its top professors were fired. Unlike Million Assefa, the other rising star of EPRDF, Redwan didn’t play any prominent role in the student movement of that period. After graduation, his destination was the Southern Omo city of Jinka. There he taught biology for high school students. He then got a job offer from Aweliya, the famous Muslim school in Addis Ababa. That was where his political career started.
Redwan run into trouble with the school’s management, but he stayed on as a teacher because he was involved in a political movement that asked autonomy for the Silte tribe. Their main political argument was that the Silte aren’t part of the Gurage and needed to be recognized as a distinct group. Redwan and his friends formed the Silte People Democratic Party(SPDP). At the same time, EPRDF created its own party for the Silte called the Silte People Democratic Organization(SPDO) led by the now Minister of Defense amd the Former Federal Affairs Minister Siraje Fegessa who studied forestry at the then Alemaya(now-Haromaya) University.
The two organization immediately locked horns. Redwan accused the organization of Siraje as a mere “lackey” and “puppet” of EPRDF. He denounced EPRDF’s high degree of interference in the affairs of the Silte. SPDP claimed that it was the authentic party for the silte. In 2000 the Silte people went to referendum and voted for a separate identity from the Gurage. With victory achieved, Redwan’s SPDP lost all its raison de’tre, but its leaders were now too politically ambitious to just go back to their normal lives. In the 2000 election, Redwan run for parliament and won the seat. Weeks after that, he and his colleagues dismantled SPDP and joined the other political organization they used to criticize harshly; the Silte wing of EPRDF. Leaving his parliamentary seat, Redwan took a party job in the Silte Zone as a head of public organizing. In the 2005 election, he won a seat in the Southern Regional Council and become the executive member of the South Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic Movement. If 2010 marked his assent into a national figure, 2005 marked Redwan’s rise within EPRDF.
A rude awakening
The turbulent 2005 Ethiopian elections were marked by unexpectedly spectacular defeats of EPRDF in many areas. But what caused sleepless nights for the party’s top brass was the very strong anti-EPRDF sentiment in Addis Ababa. The Ethiopian capital is the center of the country’s politics and economics. A revolt by people in Addis Ababa would threaten the party’s hold on power. It was a rude awakening for the party. The leadership deliberated on it to make sense of the sentiment. They concluded that it wasn’t the strength of the opposition, but a poor public relations work of EPRDF that was the heart of the cause for the defeat. “The public failed to understand our policy,” they reasoned. “Organizing the public in to various sectors and niche of the societies and propagating them with the policies of EPRDF became our number one agenda in the cities, chiefly in Addis Ababa,” said an insider of the party to Addis Neger. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s mantra that “the party always makes mistakes, but it we will not repeat one” became the underlining guiding principle of this propaganda offensive.
To execute the decision of the party, a committee was established in Addis Ababa. It was led by the former EPRP fighter, the head of the television division of Ethiopia Television and Radio Organization, the board chairman of the Amahara Development Organization and the founder of the newly formed Abay Bank, Hilawy Yoseph. Hilawy and eight notably experienced EPRDF leaders and cadres were the member of the committee. Their prime aim was to lay down the foundation for the next massive public organizing and indoctrination. However, their short term target was to increase the number of voter turnout for the 2008 local council elections and parliamentary by-elections. After 2008 elections, they evaluated their job as a success, but they agreed that they needed a leader who would lead the most important project of EPRDF. Eureka, they found him! He was the head of the SNNP Education Bureau and the member of the Executive Committee of the Southern People Democratic Movement and the Southern Ethiopia Regional Council. A man, a cadre, with immense oratory skills and a tireless public agitator who goes by the name Redwan Hussien.
A road well traveled
Here is the job specification of the new leading cadre. Clear and simple. To recruit new members, indoctrinate, organize and agitate them to be supporters of the party. The work would not end there; it would continue until these new members took revolutionary democracy as their second nature. The 2010 election was a test for these new members. Redwan told them that revolutionary democracy is the only way to redemption (of Ethiopia). He declared that other paths, that are, paths aligned to neoliberalism, are heresy. This same gospel was preached, to its last detail, in the synagogues of Feche and the temples of Alage.
Redwan heads the Addis Ababa EPRDF office. The Addis Ababa sub city, and the keble EPRDF offices and the veteran cadres working in them are accountable to him. His office is mainly responsible for the recruitment of new members, indoctrination, feedback and supervision, and public organization in Addis Ababa. The task is tough, but for a man with big ambitions, it is doable. The other important task he was assigned for was to enlarge the presence of the party in the entire governmental structure.
The formal boss of Redwan is the diligent Muktar Seid of OPDO who heads the EPRDF office. But the real boss of Redwan is the Minister of Communications, Bereket Simeon, who directly gives direction, and guides him. Sometimes the prime minister personally orders Redwan. The rise of Redwan doesn’t create any worries to the two powerful men. He has no personal loyalties, no history, and no network within the party apparatus. “He is just a new bullet in the box,” said the Addis Neger source. Though ambitious he is, Redewan knows his limits. Even his new status has shocked him. During the armed struggle and the first ten years of EPRDF’s rule, this kind of task was the purview of powerful senior TPLF leaders like Tewolde W/Mariam and Alemseged Gebreamlak. Those days are gone.
…the reward
According to our EPRDF sources, Bereket Simeon is going to retire. His position is very important for Meles Zenawi and his party. Bereket is the Vyacheslav Moltov of Meles. He has willingly become the most hated EPRDF figure even though the policies and the actions he defends are exclusively made by his boss. He also has no qualms in using even the most vile propaganda tricks. But more importantly, he poses no danger for the prime minister as he has no power base inside the party or within the security and military apparatus. These are all the ingredients Redwan has. With support from Shimeles Kemal, Bereket’s deputy in the communications office, he could do Bereket’s job well, many party insiders say. Only his past record worries some old guards. He was their foe and critic. But what they forget is even Bereket Simeon was a reluctant convert to the EPRDF cause during the armed struggle.
I thought that you left that country because “they were unconfortable with your free minded journalism … ” but some of us here in the US now question that you left because you want to print some useless propaganda about meles and co. so now congratulations that you start to write about some “chatam” cadre of woyane. We know there is no formula in the circle of woyane , they chew chat they hate people of cirtain domain and they dont want to see any opposition and if there is any they will destroy him because they have gun .
n ways talking about woyane “officials” performance etc … i mean common
you must be the stupidest person ever to comment like this
Sorry if i annoyed u that much.May be he is ur relative or may be similar in beheviour. But I can not help u as that is a simple fact even for a kid. As for insulting me as “stupid”, I know the thinking level of ppl who jump so quickly to trow trash. Just cool down and try to use ur head .
What do you mean by “Chatam”???? I hope you are wise enough to understand the danger of implying the “thing” that I suspect U r trying to refer here.
@abe:I bet that you are above 40 years old cause that is all what you guys are best at,expecting everyone to be a proponent of your baseless hatred against the ones you call your ”enemies” otherwise smearing your usual lowlife unacceptable accusations.
We want information no matter what as long as it is concerning ‘Ethiopiacinin’ if you are not finding AN the right place for a sharp,well articulated and neutral website to get your information from(for some of us…it is our school),go ahead and continue those site of your taste….the likes of ….
AN is no place for your hatred and they will never be just because you guys have the $$$….dream on,buddy…
Leave us alone!
Knowing the opponent or friend is good. I miss your matured and insider analysis after you guys left the country. I hope also you would continue as healthy as now as opposed to thorny and complete radicals of the present diaspora sites.
I share AN’s way of approaching things. Journalists should be impartial and they report and the people will judge. Another thing is, you should know your opposing side to play the cards the samrt way. We shouldn’t be blind to what is happening in the EPRDF land.
Abe i think whatever he is and how ever u hate him it’s very important to know the in and out of your enemy if you want to deal with him whichever way you like physically or psychologically so don’t hate AN’s reporting.Rather i beg you guys to tell us more about the EPRDF people.
I generally dont prefer to talk about what ppl think about me but @ted, I am not above 30 let alone 40, but there is no such thing as above 40 and below 40 to see the problem of such posting as this one. In any case, I have a full awarness of the way the different articles are written in this website. For example see very recent 5 postings, Siyoum mesfin, Ephrem Essac, Ashebir Woldegiorgis, and this guy … I mean where is the difference between addis neger and reporter. I know that they have every right to post about every cadre of woyane. But I am just wondering how could woyane expel them from mother land while they are doing such a thing?
just a question … tedy?
@KirosBirhan, the smart way of playing with the opposition is not talking about the non existanant strengh and smarteness of the opposition. actually this is the usual talk that we have been hearing from guys who looks like independent but are really supporters of woyane.
@Belsti, you are right it is important to know about your enemy but if you are just trying to know a quality that doesn’t exist in the area of the enemy in the first place, then you are doing a wrong thing
what if we finaly end up with men like Redwan? God protect Ethiopia from such kinda guys! but i also suspect that this guy will soon fed from the picture after snatching some cool dough.
By the way, I like you guys at AN that I fear u would stop editing this site, as everything good among us Ethiopians doesnt last so much.
Knowing the inside of EPDRF would the Ethiopian people. You guys are doing professional job. I don’t know when Ethiopian people can read and write freely? I hope I will see that before I die.
WONDATA!!! you guys are the best! we all are hungry of information, and your journalism skill is delicious as “fitfit”. keep up the good job.
@abe:Sorry for being so judgmental about the age thing.I did not mean to mention age in the way it is interpreted on my comment rather,I was trying to say all the so called ”YA TIWILD” ppl who are acting as the know it all and egna enawkilachuhalen(though I believe they have got their chances and they have failed).
And about your question,I am not sure if you knew AN when it was printed as a newspaper in Ethiopia.It was a kind of newspaper where all the policies of the government were being scrutinized from the perspective of the public and the elites.The first shock we felt when we heard about AN’s closing was that it is a great loss for the government because it was the only type of feedback from the public(Addis Ababians especially) which were refusing to show and to talk about their miseries and desperation(Even at some point there was a rumor around town that the PM had stated reading it).But above all EPRDF knew that the awareness and the trust created among the youth and the youth and the elites was really making them scary in addition to the approaching election and also the cases they were putting Birtukan’s inappropriate imprisonment.
Melkam Mishit!
besides abe,if you ever heard this guy speaking you would understand what the article is trying to talk about.This guy called Redwan is so not competent at all,of course he can talk and call you name but gibberish.I am not understanding where you got the idea they are praising EPRDF(though i have nothing against if there is something to praise and if AN did that).But about Professor Issac,Seyoum Mesfin,Ashebir….man you must be joking.That don’t even add up.If you really know what who Ashebir is for real you would not have judged them like that.C’mon…let’s be realistic.
I don’t even think he was alleging that AN was praising EPRDF with these articles, he just sounds annoyed that they would write about them at all. Silly in either case.
Abe,
To help you become more familiar with their journalism, here is a pdf of one of the editions of their newspaper. Coincidentally, the feature article makes mention of Ato Redwan!
http://www.mediafire.com/?ynxy4mnizcj
(hopefully the creators/admins won’t mind? feel free to delete the link if so, guys!)
you seem to be so annoyed about my comment. But to tell you the truth I am smart enough to differentiate what is good to read and reading about some chatam cadre who does not have any clue except insulting ppl , is not one of them. Common man I was not talking about journalism and even if I repect the profession I dont like to be a journalist since I have a nice profession which I like very much. But the thing is u dont have to be a journalist to understand things . Common dont read that pdf , just use your mind.I mean if u have one
Well come back this was what I missed. Last year when I was in Addis for the first time I read your paper I was surprised such kind of paper printed in Ethiopia, till I came back I always buy your paper and read page to page. I still have the papers. I was really very sad when I heard you stopped the paper. I said professional journalism get aborted in Ethiopia. I am ur are here again.
This person, Redawan, is as arogant as Berket and as eloquent as Meles. His presences in the debates had to give a new strengeth to the eprdf.He is, by far, a well articualted politician. Even if I don’t buy many of the things that he said, since i couldn’t understand the substance of his speeches, that doesn’t make less efficent for job. to be an Eprdf solider! It is my wish to see politician like him in the opposition parties. Though, I am just wondering, why those who opposed eprdf at the first turned out to be a great weapon for the party–to excutie what the party goals– and that includes Shmieles kemal and Redwan Hussien.
i really really miss your concerned anaylsis specially in politics and now i think you will do it more freely ………. we all miss addis neger .btw there is no news paper like adiss neger now the only thing we can do is just to think of the old days ……..
LONG LIVE TO FREE PRESS……..
Yet another mesmerizing piece on the man in charge. Shimeles got busted then. He was tipped to takeover bereket’s job as communications minister. Now he’s outshined by Redwan…..I hate shimeles…altough they are of the same type in nature, it’s a deserved win for Redwan….and at the end of the day, we all know who calls the shots (Meles Zenawi)….
Sebtember 2010. meche derese?
Well written article, we deserve to know who is who. I still cant forgive AN for leaving Ethiopia. You have done us a great injustice.
Dear AN,
I always appreciate your Analysis.
However, I do not know why you want to spend your good time and consume your cyber space for this opportunist called Redwan. This man is an ugly face of Woyannie and he runs the Silti Department of TPLF. The guy is the most “frifari Lekami” of his master Zenawi. He is the manifestation of every evil of the TPLF thugs. Please write us how to get rid of this criminal regime than wasting your time on Zenawi’s toys called Redewan and Shimeles Keaml.
Good bless Ethiopia! Death to Opportunists!
I wish the guys like ahnd, teddy, SendekAlama, etc are at the state of mind where u are. It is only because ppl like em are talking that our nation is being used by woyane. Thanks any ways
Redwan is one of those old fashioned politicians who use hard(arrogant) words but soft arguments. This is rubbish,
Dear Girma Tesfaw, Your report is fantastic piece of work as a professional journalist. You have exposed the ugly images of those around the Meles gang.
I felt confused why so many comments focus on the men at the top only, forgetting those who are doing the dirty jobs for them. Some have even asked you to provide them tools to get rid of the hated regime. It is a petty that one needs to be feed by spoon in this century. If one need real tool to change the system it is the ‘Information’ and you have provided it nicely.
Thank you & Keep Up!
This information is very useful. Thank you Addis Neger for your bringing us this story. I am amazed by the stupidity of EPRDF. Having Redwan lead an important part of the organization shows how EPRDF is losing its capable leaders. I saw Redwan during the debate and he was an automotan. he did not seem to understand the issues. He just kept repeating silly arguments with zeal. No conviction in his argument. Arkebe who accompanied Redwan said little but he made a more convincing argument than this guy who was talking at 100 mph but conveyed little information.
What a joke
Gays, I am sick and tired of all hate. I think we should start to look things from every angle and prepare ourselves to be genuinely fair. I believe we all have common interest and sense of concern toward the country’s fate. Every one of us want to see Ethiopia a free, prosperous, extra ordinarily civilized and democratic country with justice unconditionally for all, where its people enjoys every aspects of opportunity it has to offer with no exception. However to get up to this point require us learn to respect one another, share ideas and discuss it contemporarily. The reason I said this because, whoever comes to power there is no guaranty that assure us safe and fair government, unless we all fight together to build a reasonable system. For this matter, some of us must start think positive, sell our idea in a very professional manner. Unable to make it, Learn to take the heat and work together until the time comes. I believe we should say no to racial based undemocratic rule that divide the country in to pieces. We should continue to put more pressure. So let us focus on our primary goal not on an individual’s because those people like you and me deserve and demand their right .
If he fight for Silte tribe not being Guragie, what he would say if he were Oromo. He would probably say Oromos aren’t Ethiopians. He isn’t ethnocentric more than that he is tribalcentric. I don’t know how he reconcile his tribal centric view with his Islamic value and principles. Islam from day one 1400 years ago was against tribalism. “O mankind we created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other. Verily the most honored of you in the sight of god is (he who is) the most righteous of you and god has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).” [Al-Qur’an 49:13]
Legesse Asfaw did not save Mengistu from his demise and all this hodams at the end
bring catastrophy not only to themselves, their leaders, party and the country as a whole. It is very unfortunate but Meles would have been more wise if he listens to what he calls “TELAT” rather than hodams like Redwan.
I know redwan and the information is true. Good job addis neger. When i watched some of his debates. he looked to me like an empty tube in the debates. He knows what his bosses want and like, and he was defending for it with poor understanding of what he talks and lack of maturity.
I knew Rediwan Hussien in person, as my distant friend during my university days at Arat kilo even if we had not studied at the same department. What baffles me now is that he was not even EPRDF supporter.
As a fresh man student at that time , most of students who joined Biology department have a grade under 2 point. I think Redwan is one of them.
I know Redwan is so arrogant/psychopath but I would never imagined that he would sale his moral so long.
He seems for those who meet him once a while he is knowledgeable but if you observe him closely one can see soon his knowledge is shallow.
Rediwan can talk but for us who we know Rediwan is talkativ only.He is always an ambitious man climping up to get something .
Getting Redwan such a position under TPLF government it seems that the country is in the verge of collapse. I have no more hope for this country, a country which is always lead by a collecctions arrogant. Addis Neger I tell you really Redwan nothing more than opportunistic
Like many of his “comrades”, he has faced a hard defeat in those meaningless debates. But the most important thing is that his way of speach was totally un Ethiopian, I can say. This makes the future of our politics hopeless.
Dear Editor:
You just said a lot of garbage about Redwan…He is very argumentative…he is the one exposed out the weakest points of the opposition parties better than any one amongst EPRDFITES…He sold EPRDF to the public very well while trashing down the opposition…The guy deserves credit from his party…it does not matter whether he is from this ethnic group or that ethnic group…We all surprised when Redwan was flying above Lidetu Ayalew again & again.
Congra! They Got another narrow minded and rude guy.
I agree with the most of analysis about Redwan. What makes me worry is the country of many intelectual and reasonful people is subjected or punished to bear another rude and aliterate once again.. We don’t now where the misery of theis people stopped….
Excellent piece. I wish the opposition had their own Redwan. His rhetoric appeals to the majority of Ethiopians who have to hear something repeatedly to get the point. It is politics after all. Driving the message home.
EPRDF is sick of having genuine and reasonable people just because they are not. as of the prior ones, this man is also orator talking as fast as Eminem songs. however if one write it and read it again, it wouldnt challenge him to understand how silly the man is.
Interesting Addis Neger !!!!. it would have been nice if all are big enough to be your analysis. no options. as long as they are sabotaged, writing about them is mandatory.
My sincere appreciation for your article.
Ato Redwan was more or less a good speaker as compared to others in the debate.
He is not a good speaker but also knows how to insult and devalue his opponents which I think is rude!
plus he wants to please the big boss by resembling himself….
I guess he has some good qualities but he should use it in a constructive ways
if he wants to be a good politician he should learn to be himself…
the PM wants to reign forever and he has zero tolerance for those who wants to be just like him!
Privileged to read this political piece and optimistic about it, Politics is a ball someone must kick it to score a goal. I am glad we have people for this matter. The writer attempt to expose the politician’s background by mentioning he is from minority, he went after his religion and systematically revealed his alliance with prominent Islamic academy as a teacher. Also, he blended additional two Muslim folks to spin and spice the piece.
1) Piece has undeniable political substance and explanation.
2) Allegedly, trying to stir fear, that eloquent Muslim is ascending towards the political arena.
3) The writer attempt to justify the person is a surrogate politician. But this is called politics and they should perform a generational change. Ridwan Happen to be that candidate.
@Feruz
I had same feeling when I read the article, the editor’s shallow way of bringing his ethnicity and religion is unfortunately the daily cup of coffee of African politics, and it tells volumes about the writer than Redwan Hussein.
PS note to the editor, please do not use the word “tribe” when you reffer to the nationalities of Ethiopia! Ethnic group is more appropriate. Peace.
ኢትዮጵያውያን ምን እርግማን እንዳለብን አይገባኝም፡፡ በታሪካችን አንድም ያከበርነው፤ ያደነቅነው መሪ ያለ አይመስለኝም፡፡ አንዳንዴ ሳስበው ፈጣሪ በሰው ተመስሎ አለምን ሊያስተዳድር ቢመጣ በተቃውሞ አደባባይ የምንወጣው የመጀመሪያዎቹ ዘሮች እኛ ሳንሆን አንቀርም፡፡ በአንድ ወቅት አቶ ልደቱ ከሌላው ተቃዋሚ ጋር አብረው ባለመታሰራቸውና ሌላ አማራጭ አለን በማለታቸው ስንወርድባቸው ኖርን፡፡ ዛሬ ደግሞ ተራው የአቶ ሬድዋን ይመስላል፡፡ አቶ ሬድዋን የወከሉትን ፓርቲ አቋም በፖለቲካ ፓርቲዎች የምርጫ ክርክር ወቅት በብቃት አንፀባርቀዋል፡፡ካየናቸው እጅግ ጥቂት ተከራካሪዎች መካከል (አቶ ልደቱን ጨምሮ) አንዱ ነበሩ፡፡ ለእኔ ለክርክሩ ህይወት የሰጡት እነዚህ ሁለት ሰዎች ነበሩ፡፡ መርሳት የሌለብን ሊደንሱ ሳይሆን ሊከራከሩ ነበር የተሰለፉት፡፡ አስተያየት መስጠት ካለብንም የሰዎችን ስብእና፤ ብሄረሰብ፤ እምነት መዝለፍ ሳይሆን በጉዳዮች ጭብጥ ላይ ያተኮረ መሆን ይገባዋል፡፡ ሁልግዜም በፖለቲካው መሰላል ጫፍ ላይ መሆን የሚገባቸው ሞኣ አንበሳ ዝዕምነገደ … ከሚባለው ነገር ጋር የምናዛምዳቸው መሆን የለባቸውም፡፡ ወደድንም ጠላንም ፖለቲከኞች ያስፈልጉናል፡፡ ነገር ግን ሁሌም ወደ ፖለቲካው ብቅ የሚሉ ሰዎችን የሚኮረኩም ክፉ ባህል ወይም አስተሳሰብ እስካለን ድረስ የትም አንደርስም፡፡ በዚሁ አሉታዊ ባህል ወይም ኢትዮጵያዊ አመል አቶ ልደቱን ከፓርላማ አዳራሽ ልናጣቸው በቅተናል፡፡ በገዢውም ፓርቲ ይሁን በተቃዋሚው ጠናካራ የፖለቲካ ሰዎች መውጣት አለባቸው፡፡ አቶ ሬድዋን እንዳየነው በገዢው ፓርቲ ውስጥ ካሉ ጠንካራ ሰዎች አንዱ ይሆናሉ ብለን እናስብ፡፡ እናም ለአገር የበለጠ ጠቃሚ ዜጋና መሪ እንዲሆኑ እናበረታታ፡፡ ለሁላችንም የሚጠቅመው ይህ ይመስለኛል፡፡ ለነገሩ እነዚህ ኢህአፓ፤ ኢጭኣት፤ ወዝሊግ፤ ኢሰፓ፤ ወዘተ ይባሉ የነበሩ የቀድሞ ያልተሳካ ፖለቲካ ውስጥ የነበሩ ሽማግሌ ፖለቲከኞች በቃን ብለው ካልተቀመጡ ወይም አለም በቃችሁ ካላለቻቸው መቸም የምናርፍ አይመስለኝም፡፡ ያኔ በመካከላቸው ጨርሰው ያላወራረዱትን ሂሳብ እኛ ላይ (በአዲሱ ትውልድ ማለቴ ነው) እያወራረዱ እንደሆነ ይሰማኛል፡፡ እባካችሁ ተዉን፡፡ እኛ አቶ ርድዋንና አቶ ልደቱን የመሰሉ አዲስ ወጣት ፖለቲከኞችን እንጂ የቤት ስራቸውን የሚያወራርዱ አረጋውያንን ወይም የእነሱ ሰለባ የሆኑትን አይደለም፡፡ ለነገሩ አዲስ ነገርስ ቢሆን የዚሁ ሰለባ አይደለች፡፡ ቸር እንሰንብት፡፡
The problem in ethiopia is kind of a vicious circle. Education and economic development are keys for having a free society. but the problem is you need to have a free society to develop your economy. they are kind of interdependent. Look at the man in the article and many others in this administration. the majority of them are teachers.If you ask why they are joining woyane, they need to feed their children and themselves. with out a significant independent middle class, it is very hard to make a strong pressure on the dictators and bring a democratic system peacefully.