tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32060070.post686347283887507463..comments2024-03-28T10:14:04.854+03:00Comments on Gathara's World: Leadership? What Leadership?Gatharahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05615274760892257015noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32060070.post-37390882227657892762008-01-06T01:14:00.000+03:002008-01-06T01:14:00.000+03:00Excellent article. I am an Ethiopian and have been...Excellent article. I am an Ethiopian and have been following closely the post electoral violence in Kenya. My prayers are with my Kenyan brothers and sisters. I hope reason will prevail and Kenyans will start the healing process sooner rather than later. <BR/><BR/>In hindsight, I believe the electoral dispute in the 2005 Ethiopian parliamentary elections could have led to the same degree of violence had the government not reacted firmly and rounded up 30,000 inner city slum dwellers suspected of involvement in the violence and put them in prison for a few days (that being said, the murders committed by the police are deplorable, to say the least). The government may have lost the elections and wanted to stay in power by any means necessary, but there were also credible reports that some residents of Addis Ababa were stocking up on machetes... The recent events in Kenya may have vindicated Meles Zenawi. <BR/><BR/>The poor in Ethiopia are worse off than in Kenya and although the gap between the haves and have-nots is not as bad, it's widening. There is also an increasing hatred towards the Tigres because of a real and apparent perception that they are overly represented in government. With twice the number of population and ethnic groups, and a plethora of liberation fronts, there is a serious risk that things could get out of hand in the 2010 Ethiopian elections and beyond. I hope Ethiopians will look at Kenya and wake up and smell the coffee.<BR/><BR/>I agree that economic growth in Africa should be more equitable. What Africa needs is not more tribalism and fake multi-party elections but less corruption,more transparent institutions, a better tax collection, an effective redistribution of wealth, improved social safety nets and education for the poor. We also need a better, if not a compulsory, civic education on the meaning of democracy and tolerance in order to get rid of the winner-take all mentality that's dragging the continent down.<BR/><BR/>DamteAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com