የኢትዮዽያውያን ዴሞክራቶች ድረ-ገፅEthiopian Democrats' Website

This article is posted on 157th edition of Addis Fortune news paper in 2011.

Concerns that Lidetu Ayalew’s abdication of his presidency would be doomsday for the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) have been laid to rest. Most EDP supporters had thought Lidetu’s presidency was indispensable and were worried about who from the rank and file of the party could replace him.

It took a few days of sober thinking to recognise that the voice saying, “Lidetu is indispensable,” is the product of Ethiopia’s stale political culture, which nurtures and produces autocratic states and dictators.

The same voice is whispering to the EPRDFites and their supporters about Prime Minister Meles Zenawi as could well be the case with supporters of Hailu Shawel at the All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP).

It takes only a reflection on the EDP’s history to see that the party has been defying this culture by replacing its leaders with new ones. Lidetu himself replaced Admasu Gebeyehu (PhD) five years ago. Before that, he was secretary-general of the party. The succession of leaders is not new to the party, as it may be for many Ethiopians.

Regardless of the anxiety of some supporters, the general assembly of the party finalised its fifth convention by electing a new president and central committee members.

Anxieties were mollified when it was learned that the newly elected president is Mushe Semu, a founding member of the party who, until a few weeks ago, was serving the party as secretary-general. The composition of the newly elected central committee inspired even more hope.

Some of the most experienced members of the party, including Lidetu, serve on the committee alongside new, young members mostly in their 20s and 30s. This combination, if harnessed well, is a recipe for great success.

The question is what is expected of Mushe and his leadership team?

There is a big void in Ethiopia’s political space that was created by the absence of a capable political party which can compete in the market of political ideas against the ruling EPRDF, as an alternative political force. Yet, are more than 90 registered political parties in the country.

The EDP, under Lidetu’s leadership, climbed from being despised to being one of the four (including the EPRDF) major political parties in the country. This is a great success considering the challenges the EDP has faced over the past five years.

This sets the stage for the next step of becoming the party that fills the void of an alternative party. This is a great challenge that requires great leadership qualities.

A list of the qualities needed by a leader to catapult an organisation from mediocrity to greatness has been suggested by Jim Collins, a contemporary leadership pundit.

The most powerful and transformative leader possesses a paradoxical mixture of personal humility and professional (in this case political) will, according to Collins. Leaders with these two qualities are called “level-five leaders” for being timid but ferocious, and shy but fearless, according to Collins.

Strong will and determination are possessed by level-five leaders to make the organisation successful regardless of personal advantage. Other leaders make an organisation successful only if it guarantees their own personal success.

Lidetu has proven to be a level-five leader by sacrificing all he had for the success of the EDP and showing humility with strong will. Mushe is the same; they differ only in that he is not the celebrity Lidetu was, which is a good opportunity.

Now is the time for building the organisation. It is time for groundwork, not for rhetoric. Mushe has been doing that since the founding of the party. He was tested in bad and good times.

Will he prove to be a level-five leader as a president?

Time will tell. Helping him become that is all that can be done.

Mersea Kidan is an administrator of www.ethiopiandemocrats.com, a website that promotes liberal democracy. He can be reached at mersea.kidan@gmail.com.