Democracia Operária

''Democracia'' ( am, ዴሞክራሲያ, 'Democracy') is the organ of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Party. It was launched as a clandestine weekly newspaper in July 1974, as the Central Committee of the Ethiopian People's Liberation Organization (as the EPRP was known at the time) returned to Ethiopia from exile.Tiruneh, Andargachew.
The Ethiopian Revolution 1974–1987 : a Transformation from an Aristocratic to a Totalitarian
'. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1995. p. 75 At the time the EPRP was often known simply as the ''Democracia'' group, as the existence of the party was not publicly known.Tiruneh, Andargachew.
The Ethiopian Revolution 1974–1987 : a Transformation from an Aristocratic to a Totalitarian
'. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1995. p. 394

Overview

''Democracia'' quickly acquired a significant readership in the student and trade union movements. Along with its sister publication ''Abyot'' (which had become associated with EPRP), ''Democracia'' played an important role in defining the Ethiopian revolution; at one point ''Democracia'' had a larger readership than the government publications. According to Markakis and Waller, ''Democracia'' "became the most avidly read publication in Ethiopia's history". But the publication was also subjected to repression. During the early phase of the revolution, possession of a copy of ''Democracia'' could lead to imprisonment, torture or execution. On the other hand, the fact that EPRP was able to print ''Democracia'' in the capital Addis Ababa in spite of tight control by the security forces has led to speculations that the party might have had sympathizers within the police ranks.

''Democracia'' labelled the political rhetoric of the ''Derg'' military junta as vague, in reference to its discourses of ''hibretesebawenet'' (egalitarian socialism) and ''itiyopia tikdem'' ("Ethiopia First"). Key demands raised in ''Democracia'' included democratic rights for the masses, freedom to organize associations, and the transfer of power from the Derg to a provisional popular government. ''Democracia'' pressured the Derg to suspend the imperial constitution, depose the Emperor, nationalize industries and banks, disband the old spying networks and imprison aristocrats of the old imperial regime. ''Democracia'' labelled the moves taken by the Derg in this direction to be insufficient and superficial. The only positive commentaries raised by ''Democracia'' towards the Derg junta concerned its land reform programme. However, ''Democracia'' considered that the Derg reform did not enable people to take direct control under a worker's government, but allowed the transfer of lands to bureaucratic capitalists.

By late 1975, the feud between the EPRP and its main adversary on the left (the All-Ethiopian Socialist Movement or ''Meison'') became public, and attacks on ''Meison'' frequently appeared in ''Democracia''.Tiruneh, Andargachew.
The Ethiopian Revolution 1974–1987 : a Transformation from an Aristocratic to a Totalitarian
'. Cambridge: University of Cambridge, 1995. p. 143 In the beginning of 1976, ''Democracia'' began to express concern regarding the plans of the Derg to build a one-party state in Ethiopia.Tadesse, Kiflu.
Ethiopia Transformation and Conflict
'. Silver Spring, Md: K & S Distributors .a. 1998. p. 55

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Democracia
1974 establishments in Ethiopia
Weekly newspapers published in Ethiopia
Publications established in 1974
Communist newspapers
Amharic-language newspapers