An advice to the preparatory committee of the 13
 political opposition organizations before convening the congress

By Fesseha Nair

I hope that the conference that will be held on 30^th march 2008 will be successful by providing us an organisational mechanism and strategy to salvage our people suffering under an iron grip of the tyrannical rule and lay the ground work for democratic changes.

The objective of this conference is to bring all political organizations together, provide an opportunity for all member organizations to discuss, plan and reach a maximum level of consensus on addressing the potential and actual political crises. This conference is to be seen as a democratic transition by establishing an umbrella organization consisting of all opposition political organizations and is preliminary move towards reconciliation of the opposition political organizations. This conference will bolster the legitimacy and get the support of the people by creating more inclusive political climate and reduce the internal destabilizing factors.

The preparatory committee consisting 13 members have already organized its work and activities but the tasks are not specified and are not public. The grass root of each member organizations must be always informed or reported.

One of the tasks of the preparatory committee is drafting the agenda-clarifying the issues to be discussed.

Setting the agenda

The preparatory committee need to know and agree in advance the broad subject of the conference. It is important to define and shape the agenda not actually addressing but listing and ordering them to the reasonable satisfaction of all members. It is important what the problems are and the requirements of their solution. I hereby would like offer a normal structure.

Measures to establish a spirit of cooperation

My advice here is implementing a good process to the advantage of all. A good process increases the chance of good outcome. Good process generate cooperation,

-         Promote confidence building.

The preparatory committee must foster confidentiality, demonstrate competence and commitments, emphasise and belief in solution.

-         Promote clarity

It must maintain focus on the substance of the issues, defuse anger by acknowledging emotions on all sides.

-         Promote understanding.

It must take expert advice to enlighten discussions and fact findings.

-         Promote movement/flexibility

It must identify common ground which encourage all participants and generate momentum. It must prioritise issues in order of importance.

Measures to establish a democratic structure and political program

My advice here is on the agreed document or the charter and organizational statute. The issue of the charter and the organizational statute are the key components of the agenda providing a transitional framework to address the present crises and future plans of our country, therefore the job of the preparatory committee is to cling to the structure rather than ideas. It is the charter and the organizational structure that provides security of the umbrella organization to be built. There are rumours among the member organizations that what they need is to unite their joint activities until the downfall of the dictatorial regime then divide. It must be remembered that such experiences during the armed struggle between the ELF and EPLF ignoring agreed and signed programmes without commitments have led to armed conflicts during the liberation period.  What has happened in the EDA meeting last year in Addis is similar agreed and signed documents without commitments. I hope such event will not happen again.

The preparatory committee must focus on the requirement of a charter and satute that guarantees the desired framework of the democratic changes. It should set the purpose of the charter and the constitution. The issues of conflict in the charter and the constitution must be clarified, for example, the election system and the decision making system must be differentiated.

The preparatory committee must come with proposal on electoral rules or laws. The issue of electing the head executive has been the issue that caused split among the EDA last year. Depending on this, specific provision related with election should be enshrined in the endorsed statute.

Formula for decision making

The EDA representatives have been mixing decision making and electoral system in democracy. The most suitable formula for decision making should include:

-         total agreement. All parties must endorse a point,

-         simple majority acceptance, more than half of the parties or delegates agree,

-         consensus, the point is defined and refined until all can agree to it,

-         sufficient consensus, a certain specified proportion of the delegates agree to the point,

-         secret ballots to discover the degree of consensus,

-         an open show of hands to discover the voting preferences

-         final endorsement by referendum.

As Cyril Ramaphoss has described the South African decision making,   all agreements and decisions were to be reached by general consensus but when this could not be achieved decisions were to be taken by sufficient consensus. Sufficient consensus is defined as a process of reaching agreement that would take us to the next step. It means that sufficient agreement does not hinder the process from moving forward. The party or parties with objections can have their points recorded. In democracy, there are many instruments to be used I hope all options must be searched before leading to deadlock.

Managing the congress

The preparatory committee has also the task of nominating the chairman of the congress, secretary and monitors who are responsible for monitoring the process of the congress and the votes in the meeting. The key question who will chair the congress may assumed by an acceptable individual. It is not only the acceptability but individuals skills to manage the congress must be concerned. Chairing can be by rotation.

The preparatory committee has right to nominate candidates for the head executive by asking mandate from the member organizations. It is the member organization that gives mandate to its delegates to be elected on the executive office.

The EDA( Eritrean Democratic Alliance) representatives have been loose forgot that they represent their organizations. This time the preparatory committee can propose nominate for the head executive by consulting member organizations before elections at the congress. The congress can vote on the nominated list of candidates. Such method of election makes all participate on the elections- primary and general elections. The primary is the nomination or election of the candidates by member organizations and the general election is the voting by the representatives of the congress.

The coming congress of the 13 political organizations will ease the mistrust and suspicions of the political elites in the opposition camp and may lay the ground work for establishing all inclusive and democratic transition.