The stage is now set — it will be Woyanne vs Woyanne in 2010. With the announcement on Saturday by the newly formed "opposition" alliance in Addis Ababa that it will participate in the June 2010 elections, it will be a match between one Woyanne-led group (EPRDF) vs another Woyanne-led group (FDD). EPRDF is a cover for Meles and gang, while FDD is a cover for Seye and gang. Every one else who are giving them cover such as OPDO are useful idiots. The following is a report by Sudan Tribune.
(ST) — With Ethiopia’s national election approaching, some opposition groups have reportedly begun to hint boycott from the upcoming election, accusing Ethiopian government Woyanne of already stepping up harassment against them.
Despite opposition’s growing claims of "harassment" and "undemocratic actions" perpetrated up on them by the ruling EPRDF party Woyanne, Ethiopia’s biggest alliance of opposition political parties on Sunday said that it will contest in the country’s [fake] election scheduled for May 2010.
"Currently the party has no intention to boycott election nor did it yet set any preconditions on to it" Gebru Asrat (Woyanne and former President of Tigray Republic), the person in charge of public relation and vice chairman of the group, Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) told Sudan Tribune.
Gebru Asrat, a former ally of Meles Zenawi, said that his party’s primary efforts are to engage in negotiation with government on key election issues ahead of the election but he said that Meles Zenawi-led government is being reluctant to take his party’s offer.
"We are pushing the ruling party to tolerate negotiations for a binding election rule to be set” Gebru said adding “if a fair and democratic election is to be held in Ethiopia, it will highly depend on whether or not the ruling party is willing to hold talks on the binding law of election."
FDD is insisting to engage in a pre-election negotiation with the ruling party on 10 key subjects, among which the issues of access to Media for campaigning, supremacy of law, free flow to international observers, establishment of independent electoral board and a stop to harassment on opposition members.
Gebru Asrat further said that the Ethiopian government Woyanne last month hinted a little interest toward the offer but on second thought changed its minds.
The Ethiopian government Woyanne has repeatedly guaranteed its commitment to conduct a fair and democratic election but when asked if this is likely, FDD chairman, Dr. Merara Gudina, told Sudan Tribune that he strongly doubts that promise.
"I can’t be certain on that pledge. But with the reality going on ground, a fair and peaceful election is unlikely to happen." He said adding "Why don’t you go ask the government? The government knows that answer."
The opposition official further said that his party, Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) has been appealing to the international community to put pressure on the Ethiopian government to stop harassing opposition parties and also to release political prisoners, including potential candidates jailed in the recent "wave of arrests."
"Calling to the international community is our daily bread but responds we have are either deaf ears or not satisfactory" Dr. Merara added.
Recently the opposition group has accused the Ethiopian government of arresting as much as 480 opposition members on false allegations and the opposition chairman now says that the mass arrests to opposition members, candidates and supporters are still being carried out but on “on and off bases.
Recently FDD, the coalition of 8 Opposition group and two prominent politicians, including former president, has pulled out of talks on election code of conduct, demanding separate talks with government to negotiate on what they said was election binding law.
In an interview, Bereket Simon, government communication office Minister Woyanne propaganda chief on Thursday said that the opposition group this week has rejected an offer by the government for negotiation.
"We invited the opposition group for a negotiation in the presence of Germany and British Embassies but they declined" Bereket said adding "a party which walks away from a negotiating table doesn’t have a moral right to accuse us for shutting down political space."
Last month, Ethiopian Prime Minister tribal warlord Meles Zenawi, at a press conference blasted some opposition groups that demanded a release of an opposition leader Birtukan mideksa, as having an intent to discredit the election process from day one. Meles stressed that her re-arrest is a legal matter and has no any political motive.
Since last December, Birtukan mideksa is serving a life term in prison for denying a pardon that let her freed in 2007. She was jailed after the 2005 post-election violence for attempting to overthrow constitutional order.
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Dear Elais you have put things in their right persepective. The next fake election will be contested by the weyannes under different brands.
October 12th, 2009 at 8:37 am
It is like an old saying – 'gim legim abreh azgim'. The whole shtick stinks to high heaven. What sell-outs!!!!! The goon from Adwa has as a very reliable asset to survive now – Al Shabab. As long as Al Shabab is out there, the goon will continue to be bank rolled unabated. It is sad. Isn't it?
October 12th, 2009 at 11:52 am
We have to challenge terrorist TPLF at every turn and twist. It is the responsibility and duty of every patriotic Ethiopian to make sure that terrorist TPLF won't have a free hand in terrorizing the Ethiopian people. If we really make a concerted effort, we have shown that we can make a difference. We have been there, done it…Look at what we did in May 2005. Suffice to remind ourselves of the stunning victory of the Ethiopian people against the terrorist TPLF in Addis Ababa alone where the elections were considered relatively slightly free of the TPLF terrorism compared to the other parts of the country. In Addis, it was 134 to 1 for city council and 26 to 0 (egg – nada) for federal in our favor against terrorist TPLF. Even that lone vote for the city council grabbed by terrorist TPLF because Kinijit withdrew its candidate at the last minute after the deadline for replacing candidates passed and TPLF got it just because there was no other one competing. No doubt our concerted effort in May 2005 paid off. It shook terrorist TPLF to its core and terrorist TPLF has been on life support since and it is a matter of time before we wipe terrorist TPLF off the Ethiopian soil completely. Even by the recent admission of the terrorist-in-chief of the TPLF terrorist group, terrorist Meles, May 2005 was one of the most difficult moments for him in his life. Remember, to be frank, most of us supported Kinijit, Hibret and others half-heartedly in the run up to the May 2005 so called elections but we all were caught by big happily surprise in the outcome. To be honest, we did not expect, at least if I may speak for myself, that Kinijit, Hibret and others made the groundwork ready for wrecking the terrorist TPLF into pieces beyond recognition with such ease and little effort while operating under one of the most, if not the most, prohibitive political climates in the entire world. There is no dispute that the Ethiopian people have not gotten what they wanted and expected from the May 2005 efforts but it was a spectacular and historic achievement in its own right in the annals of the political history of the country. We need to build on those achievements instead of walking away from the gains we made. We should not allow our hard won gains to fall off our hands simply because we did not get what we wanted then in full in one stroke and/or because terrorist TPLF despised or chipped away our gains and/or because terrorist TPLF is threatening; harassing and terrorizing the Ethiopian people not to make any efforts that remotely resemble the efforts of the May 2005. We must not allow any effort of the terrorist TPLF to go unchallenged including the sham upcoming election it is preparing itself for to run against itself only and win itself. Since terrorist TPLF came to control Menilik's palace, no effort has ever done as much damage to the terrorist TPLF as the May 2005 efforts. So why do we want to walk away from our gains when we know that it is one of the most effective tools to wipe off terrorist TPLF from the Ethiopian territory? Who benefits from our walking away from our gains and effective tools? There is no doubt that the likes of the efforts of the May 2005 are not the only tools we have in our tools kit. However, it is one of the most effective tools we have in our tool box and let us use it effectively. Those who advocate for other tools can use the tools of their choice but they have to still support the use of this tool like the efforts of the May 2005 as it proved to be effective then. We must not throw out one of our most effective tools in our tool box simply because it did not give us the outcome we expected just in one stroke. At least, it has shaken the terrorist TPLF to the core and has placed and kept the terrorist TPLF in bed on life support since and in fact the strike with the tool was a near knockout blow. Terrorist TPLF has never recovered from the knockout blow and it will never. Therefore, the problem was not the tool. The problem was the aftermath of the strike with the tool for which we were not as prepared as we should have been because we had not expected the tool to be as effective as it turned out to be and we were not prepared or were unable to protect the gains achieved by the tool and our efforts. Therefore, for me, it is not entirely appropriate to blame the tool for not being a good tool or for not doing a good job. Our tool is a good and very effective tool but we have not used it as effective as we should (ke mogne dejaf mofer yi qoretal). Therefore, the solution for our problem is not throwing one of our effective tools out of our tool box but rather this is the high time to take it out of the tool box or its case and lubricate and polish it and use it effectively in the next phase of our struggle for freedom, democracy and justice in Ethiopia and against terrorist TPLF. The tool is very effective if we use it wisely and if we devise a way how to protect and consolidate the desired results the tool helps us produce. MEDREK is the outcome of the realities created by the achievements of the May 2005 efforts. Let us support MEDREK and build on our gains of the May 2005 efforts. MEDREK is much more prepared than the previous political alliances in Ethiopia and with the right kind of support from all of us, all patriotic Ethiopians, it will produce a much more spectacular result than the one in May 2005. Learning from the past, MEDREK is also much more prepared to protect and consolidate any gains of the Ethiopian people and transition us to democracy than what was done in the aftermath of May 2005. The international situation is also much more conducive than it was in 2005. The only thing that is lacking right now is our concerted effort and let us join hands and stand behind MEDREK. MEDREK is the only viable coalition in Ethiopia that can effectively challenge the terrorist rule of the terrorist TPLF in Ethiopia. MEDREK has already become a nightmare for terrorist TPLF and the camp of the terrorist TPLF is in panic. We have to get prepared to play the game again and beat the terrorist TPLF humiliatingly in its own game in its own field as we did it in May 2005. With one strike in May 2005 we have forced the terrorist TPLF to be placed on life support. Two strikes, terrorist TPLF is out. So let us build on our past gains by supporting MEDREK. dire
October 12th, 2009 at 2:17 pm