Political debate is spreading

Debate and dissent have spread quickly among the general public in Eritrea, as the country hits its first political crisis since establishing independence, ‘The Economist’ UK-based weekly said on Tuesday. It said that within the ruling elite “arguments had been going on for a while about the record of the government, the future of the country and the conduct of the debilitating war with Ethiopia”. This month, two critics from the central committee of the ruling People’s Front for Democracy and Justice were sacked from ministerial posts. They were among 15 members who had signed a letter accusing President Isayas Afewerki of high-handedness. ‘The Economist’ said lack of accountability was the chief complaint. “The government is still called ‘transitional’, but looks pretty well entrenched,” it said. Isayas is accused of blocking democracy and his government of failing to abide by the rules. “The party’s vast business interests have never been audited, nor has it paid taxes,” ‘The Economist’ said. But according to the report, Afewerki is still popular and some say it is not time for debate and change. Elections are scheduled for December. ‘The Economist’ said Eritrea’s aid donors, particularly Italy and the United States, were watching closely. “War and its aftermath have changed Eritrea, and it cannot be the same politically passive place again.”