Editor's Note: Conclusion of the debates

If every able voter has watched the 2010 election debates, I am sure he/she has grasped some ideas about what the post election period will be. The debates may have inspired many while at the same time they may have brought some dilemma on how to conduct a smooth transition that rewards votes to the party that really deserves them. It has been evident from the inception that the opposition parties have the double load of overcoming the heavy handed influence of the EPRDF by proving they are better suited to serve the country. As one of the ruling party's spokesmen and some opposition candidates stressed, the main goal of conducting an election is to bring about a better party to leading the country. If it is all about bickering and self aggrandizement, then elections wouldn't be necessary. In spite of all the uniform belief about the positive contributions of voting for a deservedly capable candidate, history tells us that unpredictable things can happen. One promising attitude from observing the debates is that there is a common understanding that this time it won't even closely resemble the 2005 election which resulted not only in a disaster but also nearly polarized the country.

The lessons learned from the debates is that all sides have made clear they meant business. The opposition have notable differences among each other but mostly the over all distinction from the ruling party is identified in the debates. What unifies the opposition parties is their shared commonality about the conducts of the ruling party in terms of adopting revolutionary democracy as the sole resolve for the country's future prospect. Some underscored the initial socialist orientation of the ruling party with-hard-to-deny facts that it has come a long way from that ideology by conforming its policies to changing realities in the country. To be fair, before the end of the cold war, it could be said the direction of the country's future that was oriented toward socialism heavily reflected in the working agendas of the rebels as well as those who were against them. As Mr. Redewan said, it is the ability to learn and make speedy internal transformation that counts. The other point noted by the opposition, if elected is the promise they like to make the supreme law of the nation above every one. They unanimously criticize the regime for acting as if it is above the law in the policies it acquires toward adding new rules, in some cases overnight, to challenge its opponents. The ruling party mostly shrugs this claim aside by stressing its action is the result of implementing the policies of revolutionary democracy whenever it believes the challenge is a destabilizing factor.

My hope is, this debate has and will improve the democratic culture of the population in conducting a smooth election, in which case it will have brought the understanding that there shouldn't be any surprises in any outcome, and it definitely shouldn't be a surprise if the incumbent party wins, as they should be given credit for making this possible. The most important goal of the election season should be making the future brighter.