CUD had guaranteed its supporters in Ethiopia and the Diaspora that it will defeat the EPRDF in a fair and free election. CUD told its supporters that if it does not win, the EPRDF must have rigged the poll results .CUD has concluded that if it does not win in this election, it will not have a second chance since the EPRDF will come stronger in the coming five years by way of rectifying its mistakes. CUD's motto goes like: "If I don't get the power now, I will never get it in the near future".

There fore, CUD's destructive agenda of "make it or break it" has began to surface in Ethiopia. This is where we are now.

Recently, I was discussing with CUD supporters about this issue and asked them why CUD is pursuing this destructive agenda. According to them, CUD has won the general election and should take power in September. They told me that the EPRDF is squarely defeated in towns and also in rural areas but is trying to steal people's vote.

I told them that if that is what they think, an investigation must be conducted and that is exactly what is happening now. Infact, CUD has asked for that and what everybody should

ask now is for the investigation to be transparent, all inclusive to the satisfaction of all parties. The parties should then accept the final result with honour.

My friends laughed at me and said that they can not expect the Election Board to give them a fair decision since it strongly favours the EPRDF. I told them that if that is the case, CUD can still take the case to the courts. My friends again laughed at me and said that they can not trust the courts since the judges are EPRDF appointees. WOW.

I tried to give them an example of the US election in 2000 between Albert Gore and George Bush. The Florida election was controversial and, election officials, after recounting the votes, they decided that Bush was the winner. Gore was not happy and he took the case to the supreme court and he lost again. What did he do? He criticized the supreme court for delivering an unfair political decision (most of the judges were Republican party appointees). However he said that the law of the land must be respected and he accepted the decision. He said that the country's interest comes first and party politics comes second. This is what you call a matured statesman, law abiding and a true democrat.

I told my friends that all political parties in Ethiopia must follow the example of Gore.

They said that, since EPRDF is so much hated in Ethiopia and people want change, it should transfer power to CUD and other parties and the EPRDF must exit from the political scene.

On my turn, I started laughing and asked them why in the first place did we hold an election then? I told them that after investigating the irregularities, if CUD wins, it will take state power, and if it loses it should continue

as an opposition. On the other hand if the EPRDF wins, it will continue to lead the country for the coming five years. If it loses, it will operate as an opposition. There is no other way of achieving power in Ethiopia.

I told them that CUD and the EPRDF should be ready to accept the final results.
First of all, according to the preliminary results, CUD has won big in Addis and has won close to 200 seats in the federal parliament. This is a big achievement for a party that was formed about eight months ago and that does not have a clear set of alternative policies.
My friends admitted that the election was a protest against the EPRDF rather than a vote for CUD. I told them that whatever the case may be, CUD has won big and should be happy to govern Addis and make the federal parliament a vibrant one. Let it prove to the people that it can perform better than the EPRDF in solving urban poverty, unemployment, crime and housing shortages etc. in Addis. To do this, it should get a full support of the EPRDF and the Oromia administration.

Political maturity, protecting national interest and tolerance are what we want from political parties. They should respect the law of the country. By the way, election is only one part of democracy. The main test is how the ruling party and the opposition can coordinate their energy to democratically govern this poor country so that it can come out of poverty.

Ethiopians who live in democratic countries and who enjoy the fruits of good governance have the responsibility of sharing their experiences to their beloved country. They should come out of hate politics and should try to have balanced views.

The type of discussion I held with CUD supporters must continue in Ethiopia and in the Diaspora. Extreme views will not help our country. After all, we all love our country.



Dibaba

Dibaba
Your analogy doen't fit here.If you remember people were demonstrating every day from both sides and no body shot at them.People were demonstrating at George Bush's inaguration and he could do the traditional march.but no body was shot.The congrational black caucus complained about the election even after it was certified and they were not purged from the house.Have you heard that an In coming represantative was killed? Do not compare apple and orange. Who cares in USA if people demonstrate day and night.But Meles is a killer whose hands are soaked with blood.There is no law.Meles is the law.

Email: Alemb2@yahoo.com

Dibab(Hailu)
What do you mean by that "This is a big achievement for a party that was formed about eight months ago and that does not have a clear set of alternative policies"?.

First, you are wrong with the time you mentioned. With in the coalition there are parties formed about eight years ago (AEUP and EDP-Medhin). Ofcaurese, as a coaltion it was formed about ten months before the election. Did you forget that EPRDF as a party was formed a year before it declared itself as a goverment(Only TPLF among the other "parties" with 16 years field experience). Secondly,you are telling us, like your friends of EPRDF cadres, CUD has not a clear set of alternative policies. Funny. What about the Foreign, Land, Economic,federalism and other policies set by CUD. Any way where were you? Were you some where out of the universe.
"ANTA HASAWI KEKNDAKA HAFIRE" "HIZUKA YIKID HASHKER"

Email: belayt01@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Dear brother, here is my thought if you will listen me. In U.S. who ever demonstrate against the government do understand law and order brother but in my country demonstration means destruction that’s the only different we had also You can scream but you don’t assault or throw stone to any one.

Keffa

There was a demonstration a week before the election and no stone was thrown.Meles Zenawis security forces under direct order from him started beating the people first.We have seen The LA riot after Rodney Kings Virdict in USA but there was no mass murder.You know why? The US government is not a Killer.They controlled the unrest in a civilized way.What kind of justice is death penality at the spot for throwing stone.Think?

Email: Alemb2@yahoo.com

Dibaba,
You are spewing your weyane cadres propaganda. The truth is that, the weyanes lost fair and square at the ballots therefore in order to stay in power they resorted to bullets and that created all kind of chaos. Stop siding with these dying butchers eprdf/tplf savages. Ethiopians are ready more than ever to sweep them clean from our great nation.

Email: ****

City: ******

Dibaba,
- In the civilized world a police officer is not allowed to shoot-to-kill a bank robber or a convicted murderer unless the police believe that robber or the murder would kill him if he doesn't act immediately.
- In the civilized world, protesters throw stones or shout on the streets but riot police will not fire live bullets at the demonstrators.
- In the civilized world police doesn't enter universities to arrest students who are protesting because their human as well as constitutional rights are violated.
- In the civilized world, an independent enquiry will be called if police use excessive force. In Canada, for example, a public enquiry was conducted in 1999 into the use of the excessive use of force by police on students of University of British Columbia. Do you know what was labeled excessive force? The police used tear gas on students who were demonstrating peacefully. The police was eventually found at fault.
- In the civilized world, the ruling party does not have a military force of its own (unlike the infamous agazi).
- In the civilized world, people who kill are accountable for the murder they committed; unlike in our case PM Meles effectively made the slain to be responsible for their own death.
- In the civilized world, the electoral board is independent and free. In the civilized world, professionals such as lawyers have ethical standards and are accountable for their role in illegal activities.
- In the civilized world, a government steps down and take responsibility if it can't feed its people adequately let alone if people die of hunger.
- In the civilized world, governments seek legitimacy or referendum before they embark on massive structural changes such as demarcation and supporting the break up of a province.
- In the civilized world, the potential for the loss of one life is too many before a government engages in confrontation with its neighbors.
- In the civilized world, the heads of states' first and foremost objective is to improve the standard of life of their citizens and not to accumulate personal wealth at the expense of their poor citizens. The president of the US and the PM of Canada, for example, make more money by not being heads of states of their respective countries.

I can write more, but you know the gist of my argument. If you currently reside in a civilized world, it will be nothing less than shameful for you to write your piece. Don't you wish better for the dying, starving, oppressed and helpless Ethiopians?

And yes, please take a few minutes of your time to read the platform of CUD before making uninformed comments or misinforming others.

Email: samuel_van@hotmail.com

City: Vancouver, canada