Thursday, August 02, 2012

Ethiopia and Meles: leadership crisis can become a democratic opportunity (By Alula Alex Iyasu)

(Aug 02, 2012, African arguments, By Alula Alex Iyasu)--Rahm Emanuel , President Obama’s former Chief of Staff, was often heard saying, “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.”  Asked to explain what he meant, he said, “Crisis presents an opportunity to allow you to do things you thought you couldn’t do.”

There is a potential crisis looming in Ethiopia in light of the Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi’s health concerns.  Depending on who you choose to believe, Meles is anywhere between speedily recovering to dying.  To date, he has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the day-to-day governing.

I for one wish the Prime Minster a full and speedy recovery, but if he decided to step aside earlier than the 2015 election as he had previously indicated, the impact of his departure would be enormous to a country of 80 million whom he had ruled with an iron fist for the last 20 years. Whether you agree with his polices or not, one thing is certain:  Meles has been at the helm of a nation which has seen unprecedented economic growth and prosperity rivaling that of China and India. Read more from African arguments »

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