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The PFDJ held a three-day meeting in Massawa. If we take the number of participants into consideration, it can rightfully be called a congress, but they don’t want to call it that because congresses this size are usually followed by elections. According to the PFDJ mass media, the main agenda was improving the livelihood of the people, the role of government and the private sector in developing the stagnant economy, and a report on major achievements recorded so far etc. However, DIA, the ever-loyal ministers and the loyalist ambassadors were saying (mimicking, if you watch it on TV) quite another thing. In fact, the meeting was held to find a therapy to the declining economy and financial mess the PFDJ finds itself. So far, various mechanisms were tried but to no avail. The Warsay Yekealo Campaign, “Eritrea’s Marshal Plan”, did not show impressive results. In fact, in cost-benefit analysis term it was a total failure. As a result, a certain Habteab, who is famous for his nagging behavior, is the coordinator of all the Warsay companies. He tried to investigate where the problem lies. Nevertheless, he was unable to pinpoint the mess in such a muddle of corrupted military companies. Even if he happens to detect the tip of the iceberg, he will never disclose it for fear of his life.
Let us look at the issues DIA discussed with his yes-men.
1. Improving the livelihood of the people:
The PFDJ is a bunch of people that is trying to prolong its life with DIA at its helm. DIA is trying to act as a doctor who makes a last ditch effort to save the life of a person suffering from cancer by prescribing whatever medicine is at his disposal. The economy is now like a sick man in ICU with intravenous tubes everywhere. Economic matters cannot be solved in such a manner. They need a scientific approach and a principled commitment. Such commitment is not available because DIA is too impulsive to settle for the scientific approach. DIA is a cynic concerned with his survival only. He blocked the supply of all consumer goods and as a result, people are suffering from lack of basic goods. He talks a lot that his concern is the livelihood of the oppressed masses not the elite living in Asmara or the big towns. But he should know (he knows by the way) that the peasants are the ones that are suffering from lack of goods and price hike of transportation, sugar, kerosene, detergent etc. Year in year out, DIA claims that the New Year will be a better year. Last year he claimed that 2006 will be a much better year, but what we witnessed was the exact reverse. Poverty is in the increase in all parts of Eritrea including the towns and Asmara itself. It has become commonplace to see lunatics and beggars in all corners. People’s faces are gloomy and you never see anyone laughing. By claiming that he will improve the life of the people, DIA can cheat those in the Diaspora but never those living in Eritrea. To add insult to injury, he is imprisoning numerous poor parents in his dungeons for the simple reason that their children have deserted the military and crossed the border. The question that is not answered and will never be answered is, Is it because the livelihood of the people have improved that they are making queues at bakeries doorsteps for bread only some of them get?
2. Government and Private Sector Endeavours in the various economic sectors:
In fact, some words DIA uses have become a cliché because he simply says them since he has nothing of substance to say. Thanks to Eira Ero, no one can challenge him in the fashionable Silusawi Akebatat nay Ahbay he holds for his pupils (the so-called ministers) any time he likes. The mass media is not true to its profession but to DIA, and thus repeats the same words. What the government has done in the past three years is this:
If such is the situation, whom is DIA trying to cheat? He could probably hoodwink some PFDJ cadres and those who have purchased a bond. But the people here have started considering him a lunatic. All his speeches and his actions have become like one expected from a lunatic.
3. The achievements in infrastructure, social and cultural development:
Since 1993-4, people in all corners of Eritrea including those in Diaspora were keen in reconstructing the country by starting from village and district level. There are so many examples of such achievements. However, thanks to the ravenous DIA, all such attempts were prohibited because they do not give any credit to the Hangolima PFDJ. True to its Stalinist character, PFDJ never wants any decentralized project. To come to DIA’s report, what are the achievements? He can enumerate the following:
- The road from Massawa to Assab: Year in year out we hear that it is a great achievement but still it is not finished. Despite all the Libayan money, and so many years later, it is only about 25% asphalted!
A bridge in Dogali finished just now. Another two bridges repaired on the same area, two bridges in Barka region, and the Agordat-Teseney Road. Housing project in Decemhare. 114 houses in four years and according to official reports only 55% finished! There are micro-dams, which they should better call them mosquito ponds. Some of them burst and some do not hold water for more than 3 months. In contrast, there are some dams constructed during the Dergue reign and they have become natural lakes. PFDJ can never boast one like them. There are the failed projects like sugar plantation of Sawa that DIA never wants to talk about. There is the fishery industry that is teetering like a drunken person. The housing project in Qehawta that people refused to pay in advance in USD is in a standstill.
This kind of list may continue. The list of failures is endless. DIA lacks confidence and never wants the people to know his failures. In the tripartite meetings he holds, he is seen mimicking only. The reason for this is that he never wants his own people to hear what he is saying. The question to be answered is: does the government have to boast about such miniature projects? After all, these projects are built by mini companies in other countries. Again, is the government paying the cost of labor? No. Why does it claim to have done a major job for such below-standard projects? Moreover, the government is notorious for improving something in one sector and destroying the other. For e.g. If it improves roads and bridges, buses are not available because of the shortage of diesel. If it constructs some colleges such as Adikeyih TTI and Massawa Marine Biology college, it shuts down the university. By the way, Mai Nefhi accepted 300 students only and the rest of the students have returned to SAWA. 4. Fighting corruption so that the economy should not be strangled.
This topic in fact invites laughter from anyone who knows what is going on in Eritrea! DIA knows that all generals are clandestinely aggrandizing their capital in their relatives’ names. For example, General Wuchu has a joint construction company with Samson (this is the man who was, along with Wuchu, assaulted by China, according to Gedab News. In Asmara, they call him the “civil general”). General Tekle is involved in the border trade and foreign currency dealing. Others are active in stealing the pocket money and dry ration of agelghilot who either are in prison or crossed the border. A youth who has crossed the border or went to prison is rarely reported on time so that the generals can divert his meager salary and whatever is sent by his family to their own pockets. When the disappearance of the youth is confirmed, the generals do not get in trouble; it is the poor parents who have to pay! While corruption has become the bone and flesh of the military establishment and specifically in the logistics and finance departments, DIA, for fear of being toppled, never wants to talk about the issue let alone mention them. According to DIA, someone is corrupt not when he or she steals public funds or abuses public trust; corruption is when someone dares to question DIA’s legitimacy and shows signs of insubordination. Nevertheless, as usual, he cheats the poor people by haranguing about fighting corruption whenever it serves his evil purpose.
5. The government’s policy on economic cooperation with foreign investors:
Most investors consider the macro economic policy of the PFDJ as a piece of rubbish but that never stops the PFDJ from boasting. The government is always suspicious of foreign investors but always talks of how Eritrea has “conducive atmosphere for investors.” In this topic, it is better to talk in examples. Starting from 1995, numerous investors came to Eritrea but failed miserably: the flower plantations of Adi Nefas; the fishery industry of Asmara; the gold mining companies like Ashanti, Anadarko; the shrimp project of Gurgusum, and recently, Coca Cola, are some of the glaring examples. The biggest problem of all investors, local as well as foreign, is the chameleon character of the PFDJ. In the beginning, it welcomes them as benefactors. After the investors pump all of their money and become established, it gives them an ultimatum to either make PFDJ a shareholder with a lion’s share or stop their operation. This is a typical PFDJ technique of investment. While these are the facts on the ground, our charlatan sings “Eritrea is a country with all the preconditions for investment etc. etc.” Only his ministers, if at all they are ministers, can believe this or act as if they have believed it. Otherwise, even nonprofessionals know where the problem of Eritrea lies. There are always willing victims who never learn though. The Canadian Nevusun company will soon learn that it is out on the cold and a Chinese company more willing to share with PFDJ Eritrea’s loot will replace it. It is only a matter of time!
6. The role of the Diaspora in investment and trade:
It is a pity that DIA is inviting the Diaspora in such a noble idea while he froze their hard-earned cash after luring them to deposit it in Eritrea. As if this is not enough, he asked them to pay to the Red Sea Trading Corporation in hard currency and finally ordered all construction activity, even that of a kitchen, to stop. Some of the buildings that were ordered stopped were finished up to 90%. As usual, no reason was given for this order and no one knows the real reason. After months of stagnation and deterioration of precious building materials, owners are now being asked to present their case to the infrastructure section of the municipality of Zoba Maekel. Nobody knows so far about the decision in the other regions. People are not fools and the Diaspora knows the experience of their companions who were cheated earlier in investing their money and made a net loss because of PFDJ interference or high handedness. This is in plain Tigrigna is, “mibli’u zeteberihom ena kiri’eyuwo embahiqu.”
7. The role of the youth:
Whatever age Eritrea’s youth, they are hunted down from their homes and school and sent to Kiloma or Wia. The underage are sent to Sawa. The poor children, some under seventeen, are still suffering in Sawa under the guise of political education. The worst policy that is happening is the shoot-to-kill policy of PFDJ. Shooting your own people and disseminating news that enemy soldiers arrived safely in Eritrea is so disgusting. This tells you everything you need to know as to why PFDJ is doomed to fail. After all Eritreans, young as well as the elderly pay the obligatory 2% after they arrive at their destination. Has DIA not said, “slakatkum alo zibehal biret tegezi’u”? Why now the cruel shooting? Where we not saying the Dergue Army cannot be victorious because its commanders are shooting it from the rear? The same is happening now. The youth love their country and will defend it valiantly but as long as they have their rights respected.
Conclusions If the congress the PFDJ held was free from fear of DIA and Eira Eiro, if this was my old EPLF, these are the conclusions it would have drawn. 1. We cannot make any progress as long as we treat our youth as an enemy with shoot-to-kill orders, while we welcome the safe arrival of enemy soldiers;
2. Our economic policy is impulsive and is not governed by the disciplines of scientific economy;
3. Our economy is burdened by corruption and this will not change as long as DIA is using the most corrupt to be his regime’s bodyguards;
4. Investors will not invest if the PFDJ insists on wanting to benefit from partnership without sharing the risks of partnership;
5. The infrastructural achievements the PFDJ boasts about are few, inefficient and wasteful.
6. The warsay-yekaalo project has been a huge drain and has not brought Eritrea any returns. It has achieved its goals of keeping young and restless youth busy in time-consuming but meaningless projects;
7. The PFDJ promises every year that life will be better next year. But every year is worse than the previous year. The people are poor, destitute and demoralized. |
