There has been no time when the Revolutionary Democrats were as fragmented…

There has been no time when the Revolutionary Democrats were as fragmented since their formation in 1989 as they are now, claims gossip. The fracture along several layers is mind-boggling, gossip observed.

One is the growing dynamics between the centre and regional forces, and for the latter, among each other. Political assertiveness appears to be the order of the day, gossip sees. It is as if there are centrifugal forces within the EPRDF, driving leaders of its coalition parties in the directions where they deem it fit, despite eroding cohesion at the centre, claims gossip.

The iron culture of democratic centralism, a Leninist trait of “freedom in discussion and unity in action”, is the biggest victim in the world of the Revolutionary Democrats, as both are now in short supply, claims gossip.

It seems to have dawned on many senior leaders of the party the potentially grave situation EPRDF finds itself now, as it can also be consequential to the whole nation, claims gossip. There are indeed few of its leaders churning papers after papers hoping to overcome challenges not only in leadership cohesion but also widely felt inadequacies, gossip says.

Truth be told it is the veteran leaders of the Revolutionary Democrats who are in the habit of scribbling their thoughts on paper, according to gossip. It is rare, if not far and in-between, for the second-generation leaders of the Revolutionary Democrats seen producing think pieces to win the day in the ideological clutter, claims gossip.

There is thus an evident tension between the veteran leaders who may feel they carry the burden of the party’s legacy. Their successors may see it upon them to run the affairs of the party in the best course they believe is right, according to gossip.

Although this generational tension exists in all shapes and forms in the parties of the ruling coalition, it was made obvious during a recent meeting of the EPRDF Council. Addisu Legesse, the most revered veteran leader among the EPRDFites, made his disappointments over the exclusionary tendency of the current leadership of ANDM, the party he helped to form, gossip disclosed.

Lately, Addisu is seen vocal in criticising the senior leadership of the ANDM for harbouring jingoistic attitude especially in handling the disputes in Qimant and Welqayit areas. Yet, he told the Council that the invitation to attend the EPRDF-meet was made by Demeke Mekonnen, ANDM’s chairman, but only extended to him through the party’s secretary, Alemnew Mekonnen, gossip disclosed.

Gossip claims such anecdotes show not only the veterans and their successors in the EPRDF are drifting away from each other. But in the process, the veterans believe they are being marginalised by the younger leadership they brought up to political power but failed to live up to the task, gossip says.

In that meeting, Demeke reportedly tried to ward off the discussion on Addisu’s complaints, deferring it to the ANDM’s platforms, gossip disclosed. However, the wittily incisive response from the veteran leader was what unnerved those who attended the meeting, claims gossip.

Addisu alluded, so claims gossip, the current leadership of the ANDM has dispossessed its veterans of a home in the party.


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