It is not easy to prioritize but since we have to, here are 4 goals that should be on top of your agenda.

1. Reassure the stressed Eritrean public that reprieve is underway and soon they will witness the dawn of a new day so they can start breathing a sigh of relief and hope for a better tomorrow.
2. Take back the agenda of human rights, liberty, constitution and institutional governance away from your critics and adopt them as your own.  You should not have lost this to the other side to begin with.
3. Take away any and every excuse that might be used against you or the nation as a pretext to launch a war or any other form of aggression.  Let them bite their own bait.
4. Keep the interest of Eritrea first and foremost and at all times.  Your personal ego and goals or anybody else’s for that matter need to be a distant second.

Needless to say, right now no one else but you has the necessary power, opportunity and wherewithal to accomplish these badly needed goals.  You have successfully suppressed internal and external based opposition.  Between your efficiency to undermine them and their incompetence they have been reduced impotent and are not ready to shoulder the responsibility before them.  After all they first have to go through the dangerous and messy steps of wrestling the power away from you.  Our people have enough misery already.  Let’s not subject them to more suffering.  Instead let’s choose to give them a true sense of unity and the feeling that Eritrea belongs equally to all of us.  No one person or group has the wisdom necessary to liberate, build and lift-up a nation.  There never has been and there never will be.

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Therefore, if anyone should envy your position it is because what you potentially can do for millions of your citizens. Your resources will be your intelligence, charisma, love of country and all the dictatorial powers you have accumulated by hook or crook. Here is your historical opportunity to use all the resources you have and save us from the impending disaster.
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Finally, here is the strategy I am pleading with you to consider.  
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Make A Great Speech.
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Let me explain. The goal of this great speech will be to address our goal number one above –which is to reassure the Eritrean public that change and relief are underway. This should be televised live on Eri-TV but instead of creating the usual mockery of pretending to be interviewed by a “journalist” –who is really an employee of the Ministry of Information Ali Abdu picked to read you some talking points –you need instead to look straight into the camera and talk to the Eritrean people.  You are a great speaker so this should come naturally. 

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In this speech briefly tell us the importance of this very speech.  Walk us through your journey of how you joined the national liberation movement and how you played your part and led the revolution through thick and thin to a miraculous finish in 1991.  Mention that over 65,000 fighters were not lucky enough to see what they have fought for.  Talk about what it took to finally have a referendum in Eritrea –a democratic exercise that finally formalized the nation’s existence among nations of the world. Then lead the speech to the very charter the PFDJ embarked upon in 1994. Tell us that the “D” stands for Democracy and the “J” for Justice.  Then remind us that no one can honesty say that those words are now synonymous with the party you are a chairman of.  This is where you would bravely admit that despite the good intentions and achievements several mistakes were inadvertently made and the revolution and the party have veered away from their goal.  So far away that, a drastic correction is needed.  Tell the public that you are proud of your achievements and contributions and that you have given your all.  And above all, that you will remain committed to Eritrea and its people as long as you remain in power. Then announce that you will resign from power by December 2009 –merely 2 years from now.  Explain to the country and the world that you have thought thoroughly about your decision and that it was not an easy one to make but that is how much you love Eritrea and its people. If we are going to have a new beginning nothing short of this move will give us the mood and the atmosphere to go back on track and move forward. Reassure us that peace and security will be restored at all times and you will work diligently for a smooth transition of power. Ask for patience, support and understanding over the next couple of years.

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Reclaim Your Role as a Liberator

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Within days of your great speech, start taking concrete steps that will further assure the people that you actually mean what you said.  Announce that you are releasing several parliamentarians, journalists and notable citizens that you have jailed for “national security reasons”. Explain that even though it still is your sincere belief that the reason you had held them is to protect the country, releasing (not necessarily pardoning) them from prison does not place the country in immediate danger. They could not even do anything while they possessed power and influence. Tell them they will have their day in court soon. Let’s face it, jailing them for so long is probably one of the dumbest mistakes you have ever made. This has cost you and nation so much –but it probably pales in comparison to what they and their loved ones had to go through. 

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There will be so much anger and demands for explanation.  Just follow it a few days later by pardoning all prisoners of conscience and those who have allegedly committed minor offense of not following the rules of the national service scheme. Thousands will be freed. I am sure several people have lost their lives and that is something you can’t undo.  The only thing you can do is issue a presidential decree that immediately outlaws torture and extra judicial punishments.  I guess you can also issue another decree that will protect you from anyone seeking to sue you or hold you personally liable. Hey let’s not forget that you still have the power and you are trying your best. Demanding your head on a platter has to wait for another day.  As a matter of fact you can use the generals here –at least to flex some muscle.  You need order to be maintained at all times.  Perestroika blew up on Gorbachev’s face as he tried to reform the Soviet empire.  But darn it, your 2 year exit strategy should not be left to any body’s mercy but yours.  After all, it is the best choice possible for all parties.

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But the reform train has to move on.  After a couple of weeks you might want to reinstate the press law and allow private media to operate again.  Here you will need some effective but hidden censorship.  You will have to allow criticism and venting (oh boy, will there be a lot of venting!) but somehow suppress public demonstration and any call for your premature resignation.  They have waited this long and two years is not going to hurt them –so long as the reformation continues.  I am quite sure the censorship can be done discreetly.  If you don’t know how, just call your buddy Meles Zenawi, he might have some pointers :-)  But speaking of Weyane and Amharas…they may declare victory over you and dance the night away. They just have this nasty habit of celebrating first and contemplating second.  But in reality they will have to come up with their own designs of how to destroy Eritrea.  You will no longer do their dirty work for them.  No more stepping on their mousetrap.  They sure will be pissed.  And that is exactly what you and many of us want.  Let’s keep pissing them off…

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Here comes the icing on the cake.  Now that you have spurred a movement of hope, deferred dreams will awaken and a lot of Eritrean organizations who have been demanding for change will once again wonder if they will be excluded.  Some of them might be cynical and will be suspicious of your recent announcements. Well, there is nothing you can do to change their minds except to invite all of them to a National Healing Conference in Asmara scheduled for (say, May 2008) and ask them to send their representatives. 

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Your experience in conducting Somali, Ethiopian and Sudanese liberation, reconciliation, revitalization and unification conferences should come handy here.  Except this one will be dear to your heart.  No more discussing the future of our Eritrea in far away lands as Australia, Germany, South Africa, Ethiopia, Sudan, America and the Middle East.  Let them debate and deliberate in Asmara, Barentu, DekemHare, Hagaz and Tessenei. Just the announcement of the date will bring tears of joy to the vast majority of Eritreans –save some of your hypocrite followers that want to exclude anyone who has a different view.  Since your reputation and legacy is at stake here you probably should not entirely abandon this group either. Just come up with a sentence or two of meaningless words that they can regurgitate.

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Albert Einstein is believed to have said “We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.”  I think the same can be said about the people we associate with.  So a quick reshuffling of your staff may be in order here.  You have no one to answer to but God and your conscience.  Use any technique that might do to promote, demote, freeze (mdskal), fire and replace advisors, administrators, generals and ambassadors that are not willing to be on board of this reformation train. Employ your dictatorial powers but whatever you do, no more “disappearing”, false charges and late night raids.  I know -bad habits are not easy to get rid of.

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Now that you have wonderfully changed the mood, as they saying goes “kab saEsaEka’s teQoSaSe”.  Why not reconvene the National Assembly and let them “debate and ponder” what is happening?  As their chairman, remind them about their duty (hey, it’s been a while…) and do what you have to do to have them endorse your transitional plan unconditionally.  Make them bring the agenda of the Eritrean Constitution to the fore which you will accept without any reservations and affirm its implementation immediately.  By the way, I sense a great photo opportunity here. Denden Hall signing ceremony –a tent on the lawn and a marching band playing patriotic beats (can the East Sudanese claim copyright to this?).  Last time I checked you have no qualms with the Constitution at all.  I mean, you actually have a link on shabait.com.  My take is that you never abandoned the idea behind constitutional governance.  May be you were waiting for the most opportune moment. Well, just do it while doing can be had.

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By now the hardest parts are completed and you have a couple of easier but equally important items to tend to. Just relax, make sure no one derails you from your mission and bask in the thought that you have just moved your magic wand and reinvented yourself, gave liberty to thousands, offered hope to millions and reclaimed your role as a liberator. Soon, gone will be the days where the world will view you as a third-rate petty dictator. You might even be an icon for what it means to learn from ones mistakes and take corrective action. Next time a worthless, half-educated, and certainly not worthy to question your integrity, so called western journalist from LA Times implies that you are a dictator, you will be able to say “Moi? You must be mistaken my friend.” A French accent might come handy here. Or just give them your signature –answering a question with a question –smart-ass replies. It will be just as satisfying.

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The two items I mentioned above are the issue of the never-ending national service program and conducting a presidential election. Let’s deal with the dire national service issue first.  Honest people can debate the merits and demerits of the program.  But I am for giving relief to Eritrea’s future leaders who are denied the chance to develop into independent thinking adults.  It took years to have an army of right-less servants and it will require more time, money and conductive political atmosphere to bring them back to the homes they were forcibly taken from. It might be a good idea to leave alone the once that actually volunteered or love to continue their new lifestyle.

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But mockery aside, I don’t see why you wouldn’t be able to demobilize 50,000 of these conscripts right away with another 100,000 sometime in 2008.  Don’t keep patronizing the public and tell us that they are the ones who are keeping the Ethiopian army at bay! There are better ways of doing that.  If you badly need replacements so that ongoing projects can proceed uninterrupted, I suggest they get replaced by their compatriots from the “alenalki” land.  How is this for an idea?  What about asking the Diaspora residents (you know, the “beles” class who flock into Asmara every summer with video camera and cheap sunglasses in tow) to do their fair share and relieve their brothers and sisters?  Call it a “Warsay Rest & Relaxation Program”; whereby for every foreign-residing Eritrean who volunteers to serve, a Warsay gets to go home and visit his family. You can count me in as a start. 

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Besides don’t you want to stop the desperate and ever daring attempt by Eritrea’s children to flee their country?  They are perishing in vain.  Lending a deaf ear is not a wise policy.  If you are not talking about them, everyone else is.  Humanitarians, parents, and other governments and the UNHCR are dealing with them.  Eritrea’s enemies are using that as munitions to justify their policies. But you are the only one who can put a stop to this exodus.  We are witnessing a tragedy and the Eritrean youth are being reduced hapless refugees who blindly cross deserts and merciless seas. They are becoming experts of how to dodge border patrol agents and how to obtain forged travel documents. We are missing an opportunity of nurturing them and preparing them to compete in the global economies of tomorrow.

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Next subject to be tackled with would be the issue of presidential elections.  I presume this will be handled by the National Assembly but the constitution gives you power to appoint the Electoral Commissioner. Take a deep breath and let the commission work independently and schedule elections for the summer or fall 2009 –power to be handed over the day you resign.  But for goodness sake immediately name a Vice President.  Are you that sadistic? Every time I think the possibility of your untimely departure I get the willies.  If untimely death could happen to Ali Said Abdella and John Garang, why wouldn’t it happen to you too?  What will become of the country if you were to pass away today?  Does Yemane “Charlie” or Yemane “Monkey” become president?

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A Preemptive Plan to Stop a Senseless War from Reigniting

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Let’s face it. War is not a viable option at anytime but especially when you are weak and divided.  Assuming you have completed all the transformation steps we have discussed thus far, you as a leader and by extension the country would have accumulated a lot of good will with the international community. This would be a far cry from the current status of insulting and daring the powers to be and then complaining like a baby when you don’t get what you want. Just because you are terrible at it does not mean diplomacy and trust building can not be developed.  But it would never amount to twisting Ethiopia’s arm to giving-in so that you can declare victory to the detriment of the Meles regime. Why on earth would they agree to that?

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For starters consider the border issue a closed issue.  If maps from 1906 can be used to prove where the border should be the verdict of the Border Commission is more than enough to secure that claim.  Case closed. You won.  Eritrea lost a number of villages to the other side (and vice versa), but who is counting?  What remains are details.  For better or worse you are too much of antagonizing figure to deal with the details.  The best thing to do is to leave it to future Eritrean governments to straighten that out. They have enough to build on. And trust me –Eritreans will not elect sellouts.

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Imagine if you will, the Asmara Stadium (Cicero) filled to its capacity with young Eritrean men and women.  Now imagine ALL of them dead.  Dead of bullets, artillery, helicopter guns, bayonets, tanks and grenades. That is how many have died in the last border war with Ethiopia. 19,000 according to your official count. How many more should be sacrificed just to humiliate your sworn enemies?  5,000? 20,000?  May be Ethiopia can afford to feed its young to the cannon balls but even one more precious Eritrean life would not be worth it.

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So the question is not who will blink first in this pissing contest.  It is whose interest will be served first.  If indeed you are determined to place Eritrea first and foremost, it is imperative that you move us immediately away from the railroads of disaster.

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Keep Eritrea’s Interest First

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Here is the bitter truth. Without no ifs and buts, kick out all the revolutionaries of neighboring countries and anyone who the United States considers a terrorist. The cost of entirely losing the United States’ economic and political support is so great they are not worth bargaining for.  Grow up! The US can name anyone she deems fit as a terrorist. There are Afghan’s who disagree with that label for Mullah Omar or Bin Laden. Tough luck! Either you hand them over, kick them out or deal with the consequences. No discussion. But it all boils down to whose interest you are advancing in the first place.  Let them fight their own 30-year wars and sacrifice tens of thousands to gain liberty, unity or anything else they might want.  Teach them a lesson about “self-reliance” and wish them the best.

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Eritreans are quite capable of creating a constructive and mutually beneficial relationship with the United States.  Despite your misguided view of the US, tens of thousands of your fellow Eritrean-Americans can testify that Americans can be sympathetic to Eritrea –the underdog in world politics.  If you make the necessary preconditions (either have a lot of oil or democratic institutions or both) then you have a shot.  Right now, it is really hard for Eri-Americans to call their congressmen and ask them to support you.  There is little you can do about having no oil, but you can start by offering your citizens some civil liberties and you may want to stop insulting and challenging the most powerful democracy in the world.  You even manage to criticize Gandhi in the same breath. Americans have a soft belly for nascent democracies, but one thing they abhor is a third world dictator who has nasty things to say about their country.  But if Gaddafi can be given a second chance, anything is possible. 

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I have faith in you though.  By the time Ronald McMullen, the new US Ambassador to Eritrea takes office you would have completely taken away the issues that seem to get in the way. Let there be a new beginning. Don’t kid yourself though. It will not be a relationship among equals.  It will be that game you hate and Americans love -Carrot and Stick.   Pssst!...I have clue for you.  Always go for the carrot if it does not hurt Eritrea otherwise you get whacked diplomatically. They have been mentioning the two employees of the American Embassy which you could have released long time ago (again poor cost-benefit analysis) and you’d have taken that card away from the table. But I digress…my faith in you to do the right thing remains intact.

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The issues that are within your control to mend and amend are numerous. Wise men always begin with the end in mind.  They also know that every time they point at someone else to blame, three fingers are simultaneously pointing back at them. So I implore you to reconsider and lead the country to a path of proven and tried ways. Instead of continuous attempt to reinvent the wheel, it is ok to use a wheel someone else invented.  Would you stop using electricity because it was not invented in Eritrea? We live in an interdependent world. No more social experimentation veiled with self-reliance rhetoric. If communism failed in Russia and Cuba, it will probably fail in Eritrea too. Constitution, free market, democracy and civil rights are not dirty words and phrases the West invented. They are messy and complex but they have done wonders for nations that have embraced them. The difference is North Korea versus South Korea. Why on earth would anyone choose the faith of North Korea for himself or his nation? 

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Instead of claiming that you knew about democracy before it became fashionable for African governments, today may be your last chance to dispel your current reputation and lead us to a bloodless transition.  Will you seize this opportunity or let it slip away? As always the choice will be yours to make.  But it would not stop me from fantasizing what it would mean for our beloved Eritrea if you have the wisdom, foresight and guts to change course.  Peace and the possibility of prosperity.  If you do the right thing, by May 2011, when we celebrate our 20^th anniversary, I promise you, I will be wearing my “wedi afom” T-shirt again.

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Finally, whichever path you choose to lead us, please don’t forget to pray. Kneel down and say your prayers. You will need it.

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