Political program of Oromia Liberation Front- O.L.F.

Oromia liberation Front- O.L.F.

Historical back ground.

Oromia is located in the Horn of Africa bordering on the north and northwest by Ethiopia, on the east by Ogadenia and Republic of Djibouti, in the Northeast by the regional state of Afar, on south East by the Republic of Somalia, on the south by Kenya, on the Southwest by the regional State of Southern peoples and on the West by regional State of Benishangul. Oromia is the largest land mass in the empire of Ethiopia inhabited by over forty million ethnic Oromos. The Oromo people are among the largest single Ethnic group inhabiting the region and second largest national group in Africa following the Hausa. The Oromo people fashioned democratic Gadaa socio political system by which they have been governed over many centuries peacefully power changing hand every eight years of Gadaa cycle.

Towards the end of 19th.century especially during the Europeans scramble for Africa to seize colonial territories Ethiopia with assistance of modern arms from European colonizers, technical and intelligence support occupied the Oromo country after bitter resistance by Oromo people at all times of occupation effort and an imaginable genocide has taken place which boosted the occupation effort of Oromia by Abyssinians.

The Oromo people have been continuously challenging the colonial system imposed on them by a barrel of gun. Though, this struggle had been continuing in different unorganized forms in the earlier years in last forty years it has developed modern shape and qualitatively employing guerrilla warfare as a main means to regain the lost dignity at the hand of Abyssinian rulers and their occupying forces. In fact, the struggle of Oromo people has consumed millions of Oromo precious lives. The European colonial powers were instrumental in the campaign for Abyssinian occupation of Oromia and their supply of modern arms, intelligence and training of the armed forces has continued until this very day making our struggle far complex and bitter, creating the living conditions of Oromo peasants’ earthly hell. Beside unrelenting arms supply from foreign powers to Ethiopia lack of highly dedicated and united leadership has contributed to the current predicament of our nation. Regardless of the cost of the struggle in material and human live the pursuit for independence of Oromia is showing great momentum and victory is certain.

What makes the current colonial regime of Ethiopia different from all the foregoing successive ones is the shape and color of the political structure that phenotypically sound democratic they employed, intensive effort to make its image sound to outside world has mislead international communities but Fascist in practice within the empire. This fascist colonial regime is currently involved in looting of natural resources, private property of citizens of the colonial territories, excessive abuse and denial of right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness of Oromo people and people in the territories of nationalities has been excessively violated.

Today many countries that were under colonial occupation have achieved their political independence from the colonialists. However, what is shocking is the existence of colonial territories on African soil which many African nations are lacking clue only because of the color of the colonizers of our people and country different to European colonizers. On the other hand we have to also question the cause of our nation’s failure to remedy it. What are we lacking? What steps must be taken? What qualitative change can we make that is different from all organizations before us remains to be our endeavor.

To find solutions to our failures, and to move forward with solid unity and strength the Oromia liberation Front (O.L.F.) call upon Oromo intellectuals, our youth, workers, civil servants, religious leaders of all creed and peasants to join the effort of national liberation. Oromo organizations who involved in the endeavors of liberation struggle of all forms before us have tried all avenues of struggle, however the fruit of their effort is not yet insight. We have sought to find all avenues if there is a chance to achieve our goal without military means .However, we have reach a point without which independence of our country and liberty of our people is unthinkable unless we take military option. We want the world community to know that we are not war mongering nation but war has been forced upon us and we have no choice except heroically face it. We understand that war is not a good choice but slavery is worse than war. It is a blessing to die standing than living hundred years on our knees.

Our Mission
Our mission is to dismantle oppressive political system, and predatory colonial practices, and ensure the birth of democracy in place of antidemocratic governance, to open new avenue of economic progress from which the common man benefits not the ruling elites alone, to anchor peace on strong transparent democratic base, to ensure the right of citizens to worship or not to and at last to erase the last vestige of colonialism from Africa and establish democratic Republic of Oromia whose ruling power is rule of law and power vested in its citizens.

Form of struggle.
The form of struggle under the Guidance of Oromia Liberation Front (OLF) to liberate Oromo people from colonial servitude would be carried out by joint effort of military operation and intensive diplomatic activities to assemble international support from democratic forces and freedom loving nations for the success of Oromo quest.
Friends of the Oromo struggle.

The friends of Oromo national liberation struggle are democratic and progressive forces of democratic countries, oppressed nations and nationalities whose painful past is similar to our current predicaments and all freedom loving individuals’ are friends of our struggle. Beside these international forces the people in the colonial territories under Neo Fascist tribalist regime of EPRDF whose painful past and current agony is similar to ours are our natural allies in the struggle for abolition o colonialism and dismantling of Ethiopian colonial empire.

4 who are adversaries of our struggle?
Those nations that stand in support of the survival of Ethiopian colonial empire and individuals locally contribute to reinforce colonial statuesque of the empire are arch enemies of our struggle.
Oromia.
Any territory with in Ethiopian Empire where Oromos are residing within Ethiopia is an occupied territory of Oromo people.

6. Who is an Oromo?
An individual whose both parents or an individual whose one of the two parent is an Oromo is Oromo.
7. Who is considered citizen of Oromia?
7.1. Any person of Oromo blood regardless of his place of birth is citizen of Oromia. (See article VI)
7.2. Any person born on the soil of Oromia, on any moving property of Oromia nation is national of Oromia.
7.3. Any citizen of the world who is naturalized by sovereign power of Oromia is citizen of Oromia.
8. Fundamental human right of citizens.
8.1 All inalienable right of human beings shall have full protection of the law without any abrogation by the state.
8.2. All citizens shall have the right to association, demonstration, right to express opinion as individual or groups, right to life, liberty and pursuit of happiness shall be inalienable right under the law of sovereign power of Oromia State and remains law of the land that cannot be altered or abrogated,
8.3. In sovereign State of Oromia both men and woman shall have equal right and women shall have right to compete or hold the highest office of the sovereign State.
9. People are the source of political power in sovereign state of Oromia.
9.1. In sovereign Oromia the people are the source of political power and no one can ascend onto political ladder without the will of the people.
9.2. Citizens shall participate in political life of their country through elected representatives at all levels of administrative structures of the sovereign state.
9.3. Citizens have full right to recall their local, regional and national representatives or any elected officer. The president of sovereign state shall be removed from office only when legislative bodies impeach the president for wrong doing or incompetence and the judiciary approve the ground on which the president has been impeached is found legal and constitutional.
9.4. When found necessary and constitutional citizens of Oromia shall decide important national, regional or local laws through referendum.
9.5. The sovereign state of Oromia shall have three branches of government so that the governing body shall govern democratically and transparently. The three Branches of Oromia state shall be judiciary, executive branch and the legislative. The authority of each branch shall be defined by the constitution and related laws and all branches shall operate harmoniously.
10. Law and the constitution of the land.
All citizen of Oromia are under the law. The superiority of the law and constitution is unquestionable.
11. Sovereign of the state of Oromia
The sovereign power of the Democratic Republic of Oromia shall operate at all levels democratically .The three Branches of the sovereign power are judiciary, legislative and executive branch.
11.1. Legislative branch.
11.1. Laws of the national government shall be crafted by parliament of the country. All law shall be signed into law by the sovereign of the national State. Regional (provincial states) shall follow similar practice when they make local laws which would be crafted by regional/State/ legislative branch and signed into law by regional law enforcing officer (governor).
11.2. The election of National and local parliament shall be determined by vote casted at the ballot box by the general populace whose right to vote has not been denied by the law. The length of service of each legislature at all level shall be four years. . Law makers shall be elected for extended terms of office until the public vote them out of office.
11.2 The executive branch.
11.2.1. Election to national parliament, regional legislature body and local executive and legislature entity shall be contested by all legally registered political parties recognized by independent election. Candidate(s) who collected highest popular vote shall be certified to hold office.
11. 2.2. All election shall be conducted by secret ballot at all levels and elected candidate shall serve one term of four year and may run for re-election for the second term which is final for executive branches of government at all levels.
11.2.3. The president of Oromia shall be elected by the popular vote of all citizens whose age is appropriate to vote.
11.2.4. The president of Oromia shall be elected for one term of four years.
11.2.5. The president shall have right to contest for same office for second tem which is the final if re-elected.
11.2.6. The responsibility and accountability of the power of the president shall be defined by the law crafted by the legislature of the sovereign power of Oromia. And shall be signed into law after the judiciary justify the constitutionality of the defend power to be exercised by the executive branch.
11.3. The judiciary.
11.3.1. The judiciary’s main duty shall be interpreting the law and protecting it.
11.3.2. Judges shall be appointed by the president of National sovereign executive office and their nomination all be approved by the parliament and thereafter be assigned to benches they are nominated for.
12. Administrations.
12.1. Administrative and employees all state departments (civil servants) shall serve the populace with clean hand, transparently and professionally.
13. Defense national territory and ensuring peace and security of citizens.
13.1 All branches of security, law enforcement forces and national defense shall be established to ensure peace, life and liberty of the general public and to defend national territory effectively. Such bodies shall be effectively trained, equipped with modern technology to execute their national obligation at all level. The function of such body shall be transparent and within the frame work of the law only.
14. National wealth and land policy.
14.1. Land belongs to the citizens of Oromia. The Oromo people shall have full right to own land to build residential and commercial properties. Rural land shall only be owned by those who work on it privately, cooperatively and as large commercial farms. Underground water, rivers lakes, thermal resources and underground wealth such as precious metals, and radioactive minerals shall be property of the national state and its exploitation shall be regulated by the state and the proceeds shall be used for economic developments and improvement of living standard of citizens only. No foreign power shall have sovereign ownership on Oromia Rivers.

15. Economic policy.
15.1. The economic policy of independent Oromia shall be based on market economy.
15.2. The economic strategy of Oromia shall be the one that serve economic growth of the country and up lift the living standard of citizens. The government shall participate in strategic economic ventures that are required by the law and are considered militarily sensitive.
15.3. The economy of the nation and citizens shall be protected by the state at all times.
16. Educational policy.
16.1. Education is free to all school aged children including at institution of higher learning. Teaching of science and technical knowhow shall be expanded intensely. Sport, music, film making and production and creativity of citizens shall be encouraged and financed. Expanded and continuous literacy campaign shall be conducted to enable citizens to read and write.
16.2. Citizen shall have right to obtain training to improve their skills to enable them to compete for employment. Private employers shall have equal right to open up training centers for their employees to improve their productivity through heightened training to attain better skills to increase labor productivity.
17. Public service policy.
17.1. Efficient medical service shall be launched to fight diseases that are epidemic, pandemic (contagion), and sexually transmittable diseases shall be vigorously treated to minimize loss of citizen’s life.
17.2. Services that is necessary to protect the health of Workers, breast feeding mothers, children, elderly people shall be intensified and hugely expanded into rural areas.
17.3. Social services shall be introduced and expanded to meet the needs of physically and mental challenged citizens, woman, children, and unemployed persons.
17.4. The Oromo language shall be the only national language of the sovereign State of Oromia. All government institutions, factories, public service agencies shall use and assist in growth of Afaan Oromo (Oromo language).Oromonization of the economy shall be the base and fundamental tool for the growth of Oromifa (Afaan Oromo)
18. Environmental protection policy.
18.1. Economic growth, scientific advancement and expansion of industries would be priority in a manner that such progress would not have adverse environmental hazards to the public health. Protection of human wellbeing remains a priority of the sovereign State at all level.
18.2. Under all circumstance foreign nuclear discard (waste) and other industrial harmful wastes would not be buried in Oromia. Waste management of local industries shall be managed according to the law.
19. National defense policy.
19.1. Oromia shall build a defense force that protects the territorial integrity of Oromia as prescribed in the constitution. These forces shall remain the vanguard of the nation which would be armed with modern weapons that allows them to be superior to all enemies of the State and that can withstand foreign invasion and capable to suppress internal outlaws.
19.2. Members of Oromia defense force shall participate in international peace keeping mission when request for such mission is presented to the government of Oromia and approved by national parliament and the order to execute such mission is issued by the president of Oromia only.
20. International relation and policy on intergovernmental cooperation.
20.1. The State of Oromia shall have bilateral friendly relations with all democratic forces, governments, Non-government organizations and international organizations at all times. Such relation shall be on equal footings and shall be based on protection of collective economic, political. Military cooperation to ensure regional and international peace needs of all parties interests and respect to integrity and common good of all parties.
20.2. The government of Oromia shall honor all international protocols and agreements. Approved by member States of African Union and United nation and shall enforce such agreements as far as these agreements are not against the interest of Oromia.
20.3. Government of Oromia shall practice at most willingness in spheres of cooperation that strengthen the wellbeing of countries and refrain from interfering in internal matter of other nations.
20.4. Our cooperation with other nations bilaterally is based on common economic progress, peacefulness of all nations to strengthen friendliness.
20.5. The nation of Oromia shall closely work with democratic countries to serve multinational interest that strengthens democratic governance, peace and economic sustainability of all parties.
21. Amendment and applicability of this political program.
21.1. This political program remains in use until sanctioned by the general assembly of all members of Oromia Liberation Front (O.L.F). The power to partly modify or fully change the content of this program remains to be the prerogative of the general assembly of the representatives of all members. The executive committee shall have power to recommend changes that can be implemented by the general assembly. Such change requires two third votes of representatives assembled.
O.L.F General Assembly August 2013
Contact
Organizational Affairs at- oa@oromialiberationfront.org
Spokesperson –sp@oromialiberationfront.org