Finfinne

*Some Feedback* THIS IS NOT OUR ELECTION By Abba Magaal (Sent to the Webmaster on May 12, 2004) The result of this election is a foregone conclusion. The EPRDF will win, not because it is the will of the people, but because the whole process is designed to lead only and only to that conclusion. The verdict about the fairness is already given. Human Rights Watch and others, and the OLF have come out and clarified the atmosphere in Oromia leading to this pseudo election. We do not have to wait for the result to come in to give our opinion. We cannot expect a dove to be hatched from a snake’s egg as the Amharic saying goes. The question for the Oromos is not who would win the election or not. The question is not even whether this election would be free and fair. The question is whether in the first place it is our election or not. Just like the Ethio-Eritrean war was not our war, this election, even though it is about us, is not our election. Period. It is an election designed and implemented to legitimize the TPLF rule at the expense of the Oromo people. It is an election designed under the Woyane constitution. That is where the problem lies for us. This constitution was drafted in Dedebit, even before the TPLF came to power, given professional touch by the opportunist Fasil Nahom, and unilaterally enacted by the Woyane’s rubber stamp parliament, to legalize the TPLF rule and dominance. This constitution is not a pact between the people in Ethiopia. The people of Oromia did not participate in its creation, as a nation, and did not endorse it in any expressed free will. As a proud nation, the Oromo should not accept a legal document that will by and large determine its political life without participating in its very creation. We should be too proud of a nation to accept this. Moreover, the Oromo people should not accept a constitution which was created to sideline it and establish the dominance of the Tigrai Woyane over it. We should never lose sight of this as a nation; this is not our constitution. A constitution that is illegitimate from its birth cannot be rehabilitated, nor its defect be cured. It is illegitimate to its bone, no amount of amendment or politicking or time can cure it. For us, it is dead on arrival. By the same extension, an election that is designed under an illegitimate constitution cannot be our election. True some Oromos out of frustration are participating in this election. But, even they should make it clear to their constituents that they are participating only to prove that the Woyane is not even capable of respecting its own constitution. It is understandable that sometimes it is advisable to use reforms in order to advance ones own strategy. But we should never lose sight of the fact that this is not our constitution. We should never as Oromos be deluded or get excited by the election atmosphere created in the empire currently. We should recognize it for what it is. It is just political theatric conducted for the very purpose of elongating our bondage. President Bush had made it clear to its authoritarian allies that unless they democratize they would not get his administration’s support. Woyane as a perennial opportunist is jumping on this bandwagon and is trying to prove to them that there is democracy and election in Ethiopia. The truth is very far from this. There is neither democracy nor fair and free election in Ethiopia, and cannot even occur under the existing constitution. Even though he may have said it for a different reason, Professor Mesfin was absolutely right when during the debate he said, “the constitution is not worth the paper it is written on.” This is how we should treat this Woyane constitution that they go to a great length to establish its legitimacy. Our focus should not only be to expose what the TPLF did in Oromia prior to this election, but it should also be focused on exposing the illegitimacy of the Woyane constitution. Let’s work in unison to bring about a day when all will be voting freely in an election under the legitimate constitution created by free will of the people. The Woyane constitution should be cast to dust bin of history where it belongs. Webmaster's Note: Presenting balanced view of its readers is Voice Finfinne's commitment. Some of those who send feedback to Voice Finfinne use only their screen names. Although Voice Finfinne doesn't encourage the use of screen names for public discourse, it focuses more on the message than the messenger and publishes feedbacks under the names received. In such approach, Voice Finfinne makes refrains from making effort to verify if the reader is from the Oromo, Amhara or Eritrea people, the latter two of which have indirect stake in Oromo issues and sometimes their members write using Oromo names to advance their respective interests. We leave to the intelligence of our readers the judgment of arguments such as "this election is not our election" or "the Ethiopia and Eritrea war was not our war". We simply note that the opinion of Oromo political activists are divided on both issues. I have just visited your website, and had the occasion to read a very interesting article 'Kiya and Arkamani' that, despite few errors, I find certainly superior, qualitatively superior, to what average - or rather conventional - Oromo intellectuals produce. In addition, it makes me truly happy to attest a non independent nation like the Oromo advance substantially to that high sphere of Historical Perception where so much is at stake, and where other countries and peoples from Egypt to Iraq and from Sudan to Uzbekistan have been left so markedly behind! Professor Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis First and foremost, I sincerely thank you for your continued efforts in bringing out the greatness of the Oromos in the past and their rich historical and cultural background. I read and reread Kiya (Tiya)'s biography and enjoyed every minute of it. You guys are great with great minds. Please keep up the good work. I am proud to have you people out there. Kitaabaa Magarsaa Dear webmaster thanks for the wonderful job you accomplished by interviewing Shams. Here is a link on the same issue. An interview with an Egyptologist called Jean Doresse. He is of a similar opinion with Shams on the presence of striking similarity between ancient Pharaonic Egypt and Oromo language. He says: "Formerly I was an Egyptologist with knowledge of the hieroglyphics system. But when I was in Ethiopia I found that there are the same names, the same appellations for so many things that appeared at the beginning of Pharaonic language. For instance, there is a word "Oromo" in Ethiopia which appeared in ancient Egypt referring to the same subject, with consonants only, without using vowels. It would have been good for a person who is an Egyptologist to study Amharic and Oromiffa and try to list out words that were in use in both countries." I think it would be of a paramount importance to the Oromo history if you could trace this man in France and conduct an interview with him. You could also forward the interview of Shams to this man or vice versa and kindle a dialogue between them. May be they know each other as Egyptologists and you might find his address from Shams him self. Awash Webmaster's Note: Thank you very much Awash for the suggestion. Voice Finfinne will continue its efforts to conduct interviews with international scholars versed in the history of East Africa so that we all continue to have a better understanding of this part of the world. If we can trace his contact address and if he accepts Voice Finfinne's interview invitation, it will be a pleasure to have Dr. Jean Doresse as our guest. Voice Finfinne, you did a very wonderful job in interviewing Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis. For sure, you did for the benefit of the people, in particular, for those who believe in constructive debate, and for those who want to hear world class intellectual views on issues that matter the most. I hope that Voice Finfinne will continue with their good work. God bless you all. Thank you Jeylani Ebrahim Harka fuune, bakka jirtanitti nagaan koo isin yaa ga'u. Marsaa 'internet' keessanitti akkuma tasaatin itti dhufe. Voice Finfinne jecha jedhu yogguun arguun bira taruu dadhabe. Booda garaa ishii keessa sassaqee yogguun ilaaluu waan baay'ee bare. Kessattu 'interview' Prof. Muhammad wajjin gootan baay'ee nagammachisee jira. This is probably the first Oromo internet I have ever come across with such an scholarly interview. It rather inspired me to read more books related to what the Prof. is saying. It is truly illuminating and informative. Thank you Voice Finfinne. Toleeraa Jabeessaa Home

In addition, it makes me truly happy to attest a non independent nation like the Oromo advance substantially to that high sphere of Historical Perception where so much is at stake, and where other countries and peoples from Egypt to Iraq and from Sudan to Uzbekistan have been left so markedly behind!

Professor Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis

First and foremost, I sincerely thank you for your continued efforts in bringing out the greatness of the Oromos in the past and their rich historical and cultural background. I read and reread Kiya (Tiya)'s biography and enjoyed every minute of it. You guys are great with great minds. Please keep up the good work. I am proud to have you people out there.

Kitaabaa Magarsaa

Dear webmaster thanks for the wonderful job you accomplished by interviewing Shams. Here is a link on the same issue. An interview with an Egyptologist called Jean Doresse. He is of a similar opinion with Shams on the presence of striking similarity between ancient Pharaonic Egypt and Oromo language.

He says: "Formerly I was an Egyptologist with knowledge of the hieroglyphics system. But when I was in Ethiopia I found that there are the same names, the same appellations for so many things that appeared at the beginning of Pharaonic language. For instance, there is a word "Oromo" in Ethiopia which appeared in ancient Egypt referring to the same subject, with consonants only, without using vowels. It would have been good for a person who is an Egyptologist to study Amharic and Oromiffa and try to list out words that were in use in both countries."

I think it would be of a paramount importance to the Oromo history if you could trace this man in France
and conduct an interview with him. You could also forward the interview of Shams to this man or vice
versa and kindle a dialogue between them. May be they know each other as Egyptologists and you might find
his address from Shams him self.

Awash

Webmaster's Note: Thank you very much Awash for the suggestion. Voice Finfinne will continue its efforts to conduct interviews with international scholars versed in the history of East Africa so that we all continue to have a better understanding of this part of the world. If we can trace his contact address and if he accepts Voice Finfinne's interview invitation, it will be a pleasure to have Dr. Jean Doresse as our guest.

Voice Finfinne, you did a very wonderful job in interviewing Prof. Muhammad Shamsaddin Megalommatis. For sure, you did for the benefit of the people, in particular, for those who believe in constructive debate, and for those who want to hear world class intellectual views on issues that matter the most. I hope that Voice Finfinne will continue with their good work. God bless you all. Thank you

Jeylani Ebrahim

Harka fuune, bakka jirtanitti nagaan koo isin yaa ga'u.

Marsaa 'internet' keessanitti akkuma tasaatin itti dhufe. Voice Finfinne jecha jedhu yogguun arguun bira taruu dadhabe. Booda garaa ishii keessa sassaqee yogguun ilaaluu waan baay'ee bare. Kessattu 'interview' Prof. Muhammad wajjin gootan baay'ee nagammachisee jira.

This is probably the first Oromo internet I have ever come across with such an scholarly interview. It rather inspired me to read more books related to what the Prof. is saying. It is truly illuminating and informative. Thank you Voice Finfinne.

Toleeraa Jabeessaa