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Only two weeks before the Nairobi Consultative Conference, the German Felsberger Institute (FI) for education and research organized a constructive dialogue among Eritrean political and civil society representatives to discuss vital issues related to political transition from dictatorship to democratic governance in Eritrea.

The invited representatives were required to explain their respective organizations' viewpoints on a number of key issues.

Published below are the written responses given by the EPDP delegation at the Frankfurt workshop held between 13 and 14 November, 2015. Good reading.

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EPDP Talking Points at the FI Workshop

Based on questions raised by the organizers (Felsberger Institute) of this workshop, the notes below try to give a summary of the political positions and basic policies of the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP).

1. Political Transition in Eritrea

(Questions suggested by FI: 1. How do you expect a future transition to take place? By people-power 2. What is your standpoint on a peaceful, or a military solution, respectively? By non-violent struggle 3. In your organization's point of view: what should be the “starting point” or the fundament, on which Eritrea’s political, economic, military and societal reconstruction should be based upon? Unity based on citizenship)

Full Response:

Every country has its own unique history, social characteristics and challenges that need to be addressed in a transition phase. Therefore, discussing political change/transition in Eritrea will necessarily give due attention to the country's social and historical background of at least the past 125 years, with more emphasis on the 1940s, the 30-year liberation struggle and the past 24 years under the one-man/one party rule. A political transition in Eritrea will be affected by the absence of democratic tradition, the military mentality ingrained in the society, the low level of education and political awareness of the average citizen, the religious, linguistic, geographic diversity in the society and other factors.

It is known that a number of political transitions in Africa were achieved through:

• Rulers making concessions;

• National conferences;

• Popular revolutions/uprisings;

• Negotiated settlements;

• Military coup d'états.

The EPDP is convinced that, in the Eritrean case, the preferred path to transition from dictatorship to democratic governance is a popular uprising that is supported by all segments of the population, including the armed forces. The supportive factors to a popular uprising include:

• Presence of democratic struggle inside the homeland;

• United diaspora force that can convey a coherent and correct message;

• International support to regime change;

• International support to the opposition and concrete diplomatic pressure weighed heavily on the regime by major regional and international organizations;

• Relation and attitude of neighbouring countries need to be favourable to the required change.

Only to emphasize, regime change in Eritrea will be successful when it is achieved through a non-violent struggle that facilitates the participation of effectively mobilized people. The creation of a national democratic front that includes the vast majority of the people, especially that gives prominence to the mobilization of youth, women and internal forces is a critically essential task. On its part, the EPDP aspires to create short- and long-term political alliances to achieve its goal of establishing a democratic, stable and prosperous state.

National Conference for transition

We are where we are because the start in 1991 was not inclusive. It was part of the old winner take all mentality of one-party systems. Today, fighting this attitude and creating trust among all actors is a big challenge. Therefore, a national conference should be help immediately after the fall of the regime to help the forces of change to agree on fundamental issues of urgent importance like:

• Adopting a national charter;

• Formation of a national unity government for a specified duration;

• Launching a healing and reconciliation mechanism.

Security: To prevent any disorderly situation in the immediate aftermath of the dictatorship, it is imperative to have peace and security in order to ensure the success of the transition.

Economic revival: Prevent any economic hardship, and create incentives for investment and the return of Eritreans to help build the private sector.

2.  Political Parties

(Qs suggested by FI:1.How does your organization want to promote its political program inside and outside of Eritrea?  By appealing  on unity in diversity 2. How is your organization preparing for acting as a political party in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? By coalescing/merging with others of same vision for Eritrea.

Full Response

The EPDP shall continue to mobilize Eritreans of all religions, regions and ethnicity under its fold. This can be approached through coming closer or merging with other groups/parties espousing similar programs for Eritrean political formations. This is a party base on equality and social justice. The national charter is expected to chart out the specifics of party formation in post-dictatorship Eritrea in which the mass media and the civil society must be capacitated to have big roles in building a democratic state of institutions.

3.  State Structure

(Qs suggested by FI:- 1.  What kind of state structure does your organization promote? Well considered decentralized system of governance. 2. What is your organization's standpoint of the role of religion in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? Separation of church/mosque and state but being respectful to all faiths. 3. What is your organization's standpoint on the role of ethnicity in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? Promotion of rights, specially cultural 4. What is your organization's standpoint on the role of languages and education in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? Two official, others also promoted.

Response

As its political program affirms: The EPDP staunchly believes in, and respects as valued national treasures, the religious, ethnic, cultural and linguistic diversity in Eritrea. In recognition of this reality, the Party shall struggle to realize a decentralized system of governance that ensures equitable distribution of power and economic resources to the people.

In other words, the plurality of cultures and traditions in the Eritrean setting demands a decentralized system of governance that allows extending political  power down to the provinces, districts, sub-districts and villages. This will prevent the concentration of state power and wealth in the hands of a few, a phenomenon which can jeopardize national unity. What is to be done will include:

• Proper socio-economic and historical/geographical study on the condition of the regions;

• Prepare the willingness of the people to create the new administrative divisions;

• Approve the plan by constitutionally established organs of the state. Until then, EPDP shall support the continuation of the administrative divisions/provinces that existed before the independence of the country.

  The state shall be separate from the church/mosque but respectful to religious institutions. The human and political rights are enshrined as follows in the EPDP political program:

1. Respecting freedom of faith, and thwarting any discrimination whatsoever on the basis of religion, ethnicity or gender;
2. Guaranteeing by a national constitution with a multi-party system of governance the rights of the people to freedom of expression and speech, freedom to organize, and freedom to peaceful demonstration.
3. Sparing no efforts for the formation of advocacy groups like civic and professional associations.
4. Defending rights of prisoners and protecting them from physical and psychological torture.
5. Working to respect the rights of children and the elderly.
6. Defending the right of ownership and protecting the property of citizens and residents.

Regarding languages and education, the party believes in the right of guaranteeing and encouraging the development of Eritrean languages. Also as stated in its political program,

1. Arabic and Tigrigna shall be the media of instruction in elementary education, and English from middle school upwards. At the elementary level, Arabic will be taught as subject in Tigrigna classes, and Tigrigna will be taught as subject in Arabic classes. In middle school and high school, both Arabic and Tigrigna shall be taught as subjects.
2. Education can be given in mother tongue upon demand and decision of the concerned locality. In those localities, Arabic and Tigrigna, being the official languages, can be taught as subjects. Efforts shall be made to lay down the right mechanisms to prevent undue domination by the official languages and to prevent marginalization of the rest of the languages.

4. The Military

(Qs suggested by FI:- 1. What is your organization's standpoint on the role of the Eritrean military in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? To be inclusive 2. Will your organization promote a downsizing of the army? Yes 3. Will your organization promote an end of the National Service? Limit it.

Response

The military is part of the oppressed and victimized population. Yet, the current formations of the armed forces are beyond national needs. The EPDP shall downsize the army but always make sure that a qualified army defends national sovereignty, the constitution as well as the promotion of peace and stability.

• The army need to be composed by all social segments;

• Politically neutral army;

• Well trained army;

• May include men and women who support the new system;

• National service for a limited period of time;

• Army members not to be candidates in elections or join parties.

5. PFDJ

(Qs suggested by FI:- 1.What is your organization's standpoint on the role of the PFDJ in a future post-Isayas Eritrea? Not as we know it now. 2. Are you willing to negotiate and/or cooperate with parts of the PFDJ in case a change comes from within?

Yes dialogue for transition.

Members of the party who have not been top level decision makers in the government or who were not involved in acts extremely harmful to the people can join the national conference for democratic change......

LAND in the EPDP Political Program

On the question of land, the EPDP political programme states as follows:

6.1 Ownership and Management of Land:   The EPDP champions the conviction that the land belongs to the people. To guarantee a long-last land tenure system which not only reflects the wishes and best interests of the people but also benefits the present and future generations in Eritrea, the EPDP shall replace the unfair and monopolistic policies and proclamations of the regime and restore land to the ownership of the people. On top of that, the Party shall introduce policies, as stated below, in order to reassure that the unfair allocation of rural and urban land is set straight and forward looking land tenure system is introduced:

1. Mindful of the fact that land and land resources, which already have a critical space in the prospects of economic growth, the Party shall exert efforts to scrupulously register land and land resources and direct them for national growth and prosperity;
2. The Government shall be responsible for the implementation of ministerial policies through a board for land administration that oversees activities at the level of lower administrative units, as appropriate;
3. Rents from major land leases shall be collected and used by the state to benefit the residents of localities in the surroundings of such lands;
4. Plans shall be laid down to benefit residents of areas where land in their environs is exploited both for underground and over ground resources. Whenever the state designates land for strategic uses, peasants and herders of that region shall be duly compensated with land elsewhere or become stakeholders in the projects established over their land property.