Ethiopian Review Readers Forum
http://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2005/47807.htm
Email: GZemariame@aol.com
Press Statement
Sean McCormack, Spokesman
Washington, DC
June 13, 2005
Ethiopian Elections
The United States condemns the violence and unnecessary use of excessive force in the continuing election-related violence in Ethiopia. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families of those who have died. Reports of numerous arrests and detentions have increased tensions. We urge the government to respect the rule of law, international principles of human rights, and due process with regard to those arrested or detained. The United States looks to the opposition parties to abide by the rule of law, to respect their commitment to end the violence, and to ask their followers to remain calm.
The United States commends the signing of the June 10 Joint Declaration by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF). The parties should abide by their commitment to the agreement without condition. We expect the parties to resolve electoral complaints through the established legal electoral mechanisms.
The United States commends the Ethiopian people for their peaceful and democratic expression of political will on May 15. The elections have immutably changed Ethiopia’s political landscape and broadened that country’s democratic horizon. We stand ready to assist Ethiopia as it meets these new democratic challenges and looks forward to engaging all elements of civil society during this important period in Ethiopia’s history. We are working closely with the European Union, African Union, United Nations, and others in this effort.
2005/606
Email: GZemariame@aol.com
G/sellasie,
The United States condemns unnecessary use of excessive force in the continuing election-related violence in Ethiopia. They urged the government to respect the rule of law, international principles of human rights, and due process with regard to those arrested or detained.
Undiplomatically Sir Bob Geldoff conveyed the pertinent message- by uttering words like, “grow-up, behave and pathetic”. Diplomatically, the European Union, the U.S. Congress and the State Department condemned the excessive use of force and made it clear that the rule of law has to be upheld according to international standards.
KEMY DEHAN'DO?
Email: belayt01@yahoo.com
City: Addis Ababa
G/sellasie,
The United States condemns unnecessary use of excessive force in the continuing election-related violence in Ethiopia. They urged the government to respect the rule of law, international principles of human rights, and due process with regard to those arrested or detained.
Undiplomatically Sir Bob Geldoff conveyed the pertinent message- by uttering words like, “grow-up, behave and pathetic”. Diplomatically, the European Union, the U.S. Congress and the State Department condemned the excessive use of force and made it clear that the rule of law has to be upheld according to international standards.
KEMEY DEHAN'DO?
Email: belayt01@yahoo.com
City: Addis Ababa
Looking into CUD?s June 22, 2005 meeting
Minute of meeting incorporated
[The following text is translated from Iftin, a weekly Amharic news paper, Friday, July 1, 2005]
Meeting of the Council of Coalition for Unity and Democracy
(June 22, 2005)
Agenda:-Strategy of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy and the complaint investigation process of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).
Participants:-
Engineer Hailu
Dr. Admasu
Dr. Hailu
Dr. Yacob
Ato Lidetu
Major Admasu
Major Getachew
Ato Gizachew
Ato Kifle
Ato Chekul
Woizero Lenesil and others
[Though the meeting on this day largely dwelt on the investigation process, the controversial issue was the strategy devised on resolving the dispute around the election. The following is the minute we secured regarding the subject. ]
Ato Lidetu:- ? We should not participate in the investigation process for the following reasons. One, we should not enter the process while the conditions upon which we have reached agreement with the EPRDF are not met and those imprisoned are not freed. Two, the organization of the Complaint Review Body is not in accordance with the agreement reached. On these bases, we should withdraw from the process. We should boycott it. The EPRDF and UEDF may proceed, if they wish to do so.
On the other hand, taking part in the process would make us vulnerable to criticism. We have to boycott the process by even citing lame excuses. No benefit would be earned from the investigation process and re-run. EPRDF is not in any way willing to give up its power. This tactic would even help us to continue accusing the EPRDF of vote rigging and irregularities. On the contrary, if the case is legally settled, EPRDF would get legitimacy. Yet when I propose boycotting the process you should note that I am not saying we should abandon the seats we have won.?
Engineer Gizachew: - ?We should not boycott the process by looking for lame excuses. It is our right to demand that conditions be fulfilled.Otherwise, we have to abide by the proclamation we have signed and identify our complaints and request for a hearing within 48 hours as required by the NEBE. Yet it would be good if we demand that the government release the persons it has detained.?
Dr. Yacob:- ? I agree with Ato Gizachew. We have to abide by the agreement. We should further engage in the process forwarding all our complaints. Boycotting would lead us into conflict with the international community. And this would be harmful to us. Abiding by the agreement, on the other hand, would lend credibility to our organization.?
Dr. Admassu:- [He was the chair of the meeting as Engineer Hailu didn?t attend the meeting.] After listening to similar views of the other participants, he took same stand as Engineer Gizaw.
Summing up the consensus of the house he said, ?the process should continue. And that in effect was the essence of our agreement.?
At this juncture, Ato Lidetu was again given the floor.
Ato Lidetu: - ?We are here because we have always been subservient to the ferengis (the foreigners). Therefore I would like my difference to be put on the record.??
The morning session was thus concluded. But an extended meeting continued in the afternoon. Engineer Hailu, who in the morning met diplomats, summed up the outcome of the meeting with the diplomats to the group stating that ?the demand requesting the release of detainees should be dropped from the strategy?. Then, a second round meeting on the strategy followed.
Engineer Hailu:-[The Chairman began by citing what Ato Lidetu in particular said in the morning and went on to sternly say that,] ?agreeing does not mean allowing the EPRDF to do as it pleases. EPRDF won?t leave us alone even if we do so. It detains our members, closes offices and would dissolve the Coalition. We could however get support from the diplomats by only sticking to the strategy of abiding by the agreement, by putting aside the problems we have been facing and will be facing in the future, securing the seats we have thus far won at federal and state levels as well as those we shall earn through the investigation process.?
[The demand that has earlier been raised by the participants subsequently subsided and the view of the chairman prevailed.]
However, Ato Lidetu agitatedly forwarded the following statement.
Ato Lidetu:- ?To begin with, we never expected to get more vote than what we got. And now, we cannot get anything from EPRDF. We will not gain from the process, except losing what we have already won. If we are expecting to seize power through this process, we are simply dreaming. EPRDF is not also ready for this. Therefore, to secure what we won and to also not displease the people, we should boycott the process and engage in demonstrations and strikes refraining from causing damages to life and property. Having thus diffused the anger of the people, we should prepare ourselves for the coming election in the five years by securing the seats we have won.??
Engineer Hailu (Furiously): - ?Why then exert all this effort, if we are not going to win. We shall actively engage in the complaint investigation process. And during re-run, we should integrate our efforts and ensure the participation of international observers to make sure that we win. If we fail in doing so, we can at least demonstrate that the process is undemocratic.?
Dr. Admasu:- ?I have assessed that we can win over the Amhara State council. It is however difficult to say that winning the majority seats in the federal parliament is possible because, we are beaten at the other states in a wide margin. Even then, if we ensure our victory in Addis Ababa and the Amhara State, this would be a springboard to the coming election. Thus as Engineer Hailu said we should do our level best to win in the Amhara state by concerting our efforts.?
The afternoon meeting finally ended with the view of the Chairman taken as a common stand.
The CUD leadership also convened a secret meeting on 28th June 2005. It was indicated on the occasion that diplomatic victory that would boost the morale of CUD members has been gained. This was manifested when Dr. Birhanu Nega in his stay in Germany held discussions with the foreign minister of Germany. We will publicize the details of the discussion and change of political stance in the next week edition.
A political analyst who spoke on the issue said the leadership of CUD is found in cross roads. Because the time will not allow them to spend their time on wishful thinking and unfounded gain. Instead they should devise clear directions on the basis of concrete results and objective realities on the ground. He said they are failing to work out the burden of their past. The analyst said apart from common understanding to change EPRDF, they seem to have no vision and program and strong inter party relationships. He said he would be surprised to see them coming out of this situation without splitting.
To all my dear Ethiopians!
For your information
"Iftin" is a pro-EPRDF weekly newspaper. The July 1,2005 is its fourth edition. So if the minute is true the security of the government is behind this. We can say that the security force was spying the meeting of the Council of Coalition for Unity and Democracy.
Email: belayt01@yahoo.com
City: Addis Ababa
Thank you belay,
I posed abou this question to Mr G/S which he failed to respond to? Ethiopian people know the clandestine nature of TPLF moves. Now the world knows them.
G/S don't you think June 13, press release is too old an information for anbody here. You need to catch up with the recent developments. You would serve better to ETV/walta/ANA, unfortuntaely for you not here.
Good luck in your new assignment
Email: jaduethio@yahoo.com
City: DC area
Jadu;
If I say to you, you have assignment from destructive forces like commanderinchif (Dr. Negede Gebeze) and the like, it would be my immagination. (Hope you will get my point.)
To make it clear, I don't get(or have) any assignment from anybody. But, it made me sick to see bunch of individuals who are hatching lies and blurb things from their deformed mind and try to do my share in correcting them.
You are infact one of them and deserve a correction.
Email: GZemariame@aol.com
Mr. G/S
Would you swear that you don't have any blood/personal or financial relationship with the current regime?. If your answer is yes, would you please describe your relationship with the current regime what ever it may. I amn't in any way related to any of the oppositon groups/parties none what so ever.
Expect honest reply.
Email: jaduethio@yahoo.com
City: DC area
Jadu,
Expecting to get the truth out of G/S is like trying
to get honey from a fly.
G/s boss is the biggest lier ever created. I just saw the BBC interview with Meles. What a tough journalist.
Meles contradict himself again and again. Thank you!!!BBC.
G/S=Meles.
G/S
thank you for your response, I understand what silence means and I respect your honesty. I would have loved to know what your authority/connection is to EPRDF, just to guage my communication with you. But, never mind.
Email: jaduethio@yahoo.com
City: DC area
Just don't respond to Gebresselasie and Ibrahim. Let them say anything but keep on denying them any reply. This is the best way to keep them away. They may use different names but they can be easily identified by the intent of their message.
Regards
City: Addis
Jadu!
You seems you have short mind. You did ask me to swear and since, I didn't give you answer on time you took it as an acceptance.
To come to your point, even if I swear, I don't believe that you will take it at face value because you already have made up your mind that, I am a beneficiary of the current government.
Bear in mind, I have also the right to consider you that the reason you hate the current government is because you are not beneficiary. This will not lead us into common understanding if we blame each other the other way around. And, also this kind of accusation & counter-accusation will not help us to concetrate on the real problem our county has faced.
Finally; take this piece of advise. Aoid being emotional as this won't helpful for you & the country you care about.
Hope you will get back to me & we will have civilized discussion about the homeland we care.
Thank you,
Email: GZemariame@aol.com
Good work Ladies and Gentlemen! No response to Gebreselassie and his friends.Let them say anything but keep on denying them any reply. This is the best way to keep them away. They may use different names but they can be easily identified by the intent of their message.
Regards
City: Addis
Mamule,
I think challening Gebreselassie and his friends is the better way to difeat Meles Zenawi. Why should we throw towel so soon and give Meles and his gangs to give us another five years of misery? the fight must go on till we drone meles in the red sea.
Beza Beza,
I agree with you, we don't have to give up. Regarding G/S, he is just a repeation of the government owned medias. Do we have to waste our time by arguing with someone having a predetermined opinion? I don't think so.
City: Addis
Mamule;
Are you ok?
G/sellasie
Do you have any news from Radio Fana, Walta and Iftin? Please.
Email: belayt01@yahoo.com
City: Addis Ababa
You all! do you have some ideas to discuss about? I think every body has a right to belive, say and support what ever he or she wants to belive, say and support. Let us re-think what we are fighting for. Isn't it freedom of thinking? freedom of expression? If so why we hate people's ideas or opinions? we just can show our strength by expressing our ideas, we can show our truths with facts and evidences. I believe we have "Tsehay yemokew" truth right? So why do we need to scare of lies and why do we need to attack just personalities? show them this overt truth if they were unable to see it yet, if they are blinded involuntarily or voluntarily. I am sure their inner being don't let them sleep with the lie they are adoring and worshipping, If they have the love of truth and God they will wake up very shortly alezia "awiko yetegna bebermil wiha bidefubetim silemayikesekes" discuss your ideas and be honest for yourself love Ethiopians. Then you will teach whom you want to learn.
Love you all
Email: lilifikir@yahoo.com
Belay,
Iftin is simply full of lies. There is no structured plan by the Woyanne to take secret recordings. You need stable minds even to do this. This is in short supply in the TPLF?EPRDF camp.
Iftin is established to initate the story so that the likes of MULUGETA ASRATE KASSA will have references for their obsessive compulsive lies.
Liberty
I just want to show that what G/sellasie is up to.
Email: belayt01@yahoo.com
City: Addis Ababa
TO CUD LEADERSHIP It is obvious that you proceed from the stand point tha political power is possible only through riot.Well,I donot have any problem with your judgemet as far as you something out of it.BUT,it could not be effective only through the blood of others.YOU as a leadership have to be A ROLE MODEL IN YOUR CAMP.What I am saying is that,you have to show how the taste is sweet or sour.OTHERWISE you simply remain a thing-in-itself.In order not to be lifeless in the camo of burglars,which you very much belong to,say ZERAF YE MENGE ASHKER either in MERKATO or anywhere you think suitable.
CUD aspires not political power,but the disintegration of the country as a whole.If it is for power through peaceful process it has to aspire to gain the confidencce of the community as a whole first and foremost.For this to be achievable,it undoubtedely needs extraordinary skills of influence and persuation.It should not keep on reiterating lies on off-chance.IT IS NAIVE AND FULL OF STUPIDITY.
