"Kinijit Continues"


On the way to earning respectable existence, every organism faces growing pain. It will stumble and rise and it will wilt and regenerate. Probably not a surprise considering that fact that we live on a planet which sometimes is harsh and unfair. In the total scheme of things, Kinijit is an organism that necessarily has to go through life’s cycle. There is no way around it.

Along with Kinijit’s meteoric rise came organizational, financial and political challenges that no young party could possibly have been prepared for. You can compare it to a Katrina type crisis which even mighty America failed to handle skillfully. Along with that meteoric rise also came a great deal of expectation from millions and millions of us. That we were inspired by the party and bestowed it with massive trust was all good; but I am not entirely certain if it was fair to the budding organization.

No doubt Kinijit had faced set backs - it has stumbled, it has disappointed, it has disgruntled its supporters, albeit temporarily, and it even has been a subject of some ridicule. All these come with the territory and they are things the leadership, members and supporters can and must be able to handle. “The greatest glory” Confucius said, “is not in never falling, but in rising after every fall”. Indeed, Kinijit is rising after some very trying political times much to the delight of lovers of democracy and to the chagrin of others who craved its untimely death. With valued experience in its inside pocket, the party will continue with its journey much wiser, stronger and with even greater magnanimity.

The teams of Kinijit parliamentarians and party officials who are about to be dispatched through the length and breadth of the country to collect supporting signatures are harbingers of renewed hope, peace democracy, unity and reconciliation.

No matter which way we look at it, this is a moment to celebrate, to renew vows, to regroup and to look forward to a promising future for Ethiopia. We just cannot afford to let the ugly cloud of gloom and doom prevails over us. When the brave sons and daughters of Kinijit and of Ethiopia volunteer their services and their lives in a most unpredictable environment, the least the rest of us can do is give them the moral and financial support that will help them in getting the job done. We will follow their every step and echo their call for “Andinet”, for “Democracy” and for “Fithe”.

May the team’s presence amidst our people bring good omen as they go through what could be termed as the severest economic hardship and a drought that threatens over nine million lives.