The National Conference: A Secure Avenue To Democracy

Seventy years in the history of peoples is a very short period, but it seems a long time to the naive. They think it is doable to change the natural course of people according to their whims and the outcome of their mess was a disaster to all Eritreans—the nescient panicky fanatics are flopping in dealing with it. The next step is to flee and feign victimization. Hopefully, the national conference will draw an end to all transgressions and hypocrisy in the Eritrean political arena. The number of demons among Eritreans are very few and they could be caged with a little wisdom from all Eritreans.

The national conference was a hopeful idea, a historical triumph in the quest of solutions through dialogue and an immediate achievement when its sessions commenced. To meet Eritreans from all segments of our people, face to face, to discuss issues concerning our country is a success in itself. The calamity that faces our people is grave and those who endeavor to rescue the situation from deteriorating to chaos are the sons and daughters of this great people. Eritreans could only prove that they are civilized people when insight and justice overcomes foolishness and unfairness.

The national conference inaugurates a new era in the Eritrean political arena. It comprises a unique event in the social and political spectrum. All are represented, even the absentees; no one’s rights are violated. The aim of the conference was never the distribution of power, but to put the Eritrean vessel on the right direction so it can sail and berth safely in the harbors of peace and justice. 

The national conference preparatory committee encompassed all the Eritrean political and social diversity. It is different from all preparatory committees the Eritrean political arena witnessed in the past when members were usually appointed by the leadership of one organization or front. The main mission of the national conference preparatory committee was to be inclusive, that is, all Eritreans should find themselves represented at the conference. And it was successful in that.

The national conference has caused restlessness to the regime. The oppressors have strived to obstruct the convention of the conference through their appendages. They have activated their secret agents outside Eritrea to divert the resistance force from its right destination. All attempts of the regime and its Diaspora wings were aborted except their success in the expulsion of the Eritrean News TV from Arabsat.

Many might remember the jam that occurred on the regime’s TV while it was airing the despot’s yearly interview live accompanied by its propaganda machine. The next day the regime pointed its fingers towards Wayane; they accused them of attempting to block the lecture of the third millennium intellectual gem. This deed might have surprised many observers and tempted them to question the purpose of such illegal action. The answer to this ambiguous drama was plainly exposed when the opposition TV was aired through Arabsat.

The occurrence of a signal blockage in the interview with the dictator at the onset of the New Year is a miraculous coincidence. Similar incident happened in the opening ceremony of the 2010 World Football Cup on AlJazeera TV channel six months after the former obstruction; Ethiopia was accused in both incidents. Now the opposition camp could understand that the signal blockage drama targeted the half-hour broadcast of the Eritrean news TV because it has become a great disturbance to the regime. The despot flew a long way to reach a place by the Mediterranean Sea with the intention of blocking the opposition TV from broadcasting via Arabsat.

The blockage has taken place when the opposition camp was in the middle of a very important occasion—the convention of the national conference for democratic change. The regime knows that Eritreans inside and outside Eritrea use Arabsat, thus taking out the opposition TV from Arabsat will give it a big chance to cram the Eritrean mind with its propaganda without a competitive message that would expose its lies. The regime has forgotten that Eritreans search for the news of their country and not vice-versa. Of course, it is good to receive information easily, but at times of difficulties they exhaust themselves searching for news about their homeland from reliable sources; they call those sources ‘Wakalat Hobay’—Shabia has a song in Tigre about that. 

The blockage of the Eritrean News TV reveals the magnitude of disquietude it caused to the regime. The horror of the regime from the Eritrean news TV should convey to the resistance camp a message that signifies the weapon of information is a decisive instrument in defeating the regime. Modern technology bestows the most efficient and effective tools in winning the hearts and minds of people. It is inexpensive in comparison with the rudimentary ways of communicating with people. The opposition camp should give priority and much effort to make information reach extend to all sectors of our people. The expansion of information coverage and the alignment of Eritrean people on the side of the opposition camp is the beginning of the end of the regime. 

The Eritrean people aspire from the national conference an emergence of a council that guides the resistance to its destination by introducing new techniques in the struggle—enlightening the Eritrean people and smart strikes. The regime should be faced with well studied techniques of revolution so that it can collapse within a short period. The regime is expired hollow, termites has feasted on it a long time ago. 

As far as all the delegates are elected democratically and they comprise of all the Eritrean ethnic groups, ideologies, religions, civic organizations, society elders, media organizations, intellectuals and the like, and as far as all the representatives are pursuing the quest of justice that would prevail among all the components of the Eritrean people, then I am represented. Whatever the outcome of the conference, my rights are secured. The national conference is the latest modern avenue for ushering democracy in Eritrea. It is a secure avenue, a water melon that has been sampled; and as they say in Arabic, ala sekkin.