Let's Go Political!

Is the CMJD taking a new political gamble that may derail the political process? If yes, how huge is it? What's Ely up to when he shouted out his anger in the face of everybody? And why the spokesperson of the CMJD broke his silence now?

The key to answering all these sticky questions is the timing of the President's controversial address. With less than two months to go before next presidential polls, Ely wanted to get his message across the board to all political players. It is that the governing military body is a power to be reckoned with and that its days are not over yet. In fact Ely had never missed the opportunity to remind the public that power is his, he got it and can preserve it. Although he never went as far as to backtrack on his promises to a peaceful handover of power to an elected government. The CMJD and its spokesman are caught in the dilemma of looking strong and relevant while being at the same time intent on winning the hearts and minds of an angry and skeptical political class. The record of the CMJD doesn't point to much success in this regard. Worse, the general mood on the ground is not on its side, which explains why soon after the warm and sincere welcome the CMJD received right after the coup it started receiving big hits. The last hit was in the form of rumors about plans to stage public rallies asking Ely to stand in next polls. This rumor came hot at the heels of another one about the CMJD's plans to back Sedioca and thus set a cabinet by proxy in power. Never mind their credibility, these rumors speak of a trust crisis between the military and the political class, a crisis that neither is willing to address in a serious manner.

If our recent history has anything to teach us, it is that we have to maintain a minimum level of trust between the government and the opposition. Twenty one years of Taya's rule kept the country perched on the brink of chaos precisely because of mistrust and absence of dialogue between the contenders of power. It costs us two coups to overthrow Taya and bring the country back on the track of reconciliation and trust. Now, the CMJD and the opposition have started the trade of accusations and this ugly tit-for-tat may be costly on the long run.

The president's address didn't do anything to solve the political stand off, rather it fueled more suspicion of plans to stay in power. Flexing the muscles on both sides of the political divide will only escalate the situation and very likely, if it lasts until 11 March, will jeopardize the upcoming elections. Until now, the two parties seem adamant in hitting at each other, mindless of the national stakes involved in their political behavior.


One thing is sure. It is that Ely can not go back on his promises, simply because it's not up to him. It is equally sure that an escalation by the opposition would not help a smooth transition and its aftermath. The two parties have to step out of their complacency and start trust building measures to spare us the trouble of political uncertainties. This is the most secure way out.

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