Introduction by BBC’s Stephen Sacker

“Ethiopia’s Parliamentary elections were held in May, but we still don’t know who won! The opposition here (in Ethiopia) says that the government is to rob them of their stunning victory. There has been street clashes and serious bloodshed. But what would be the opposition’s next move?

“Well, my guest here is the leader of Ethiopia’s biggest opposition group, Hailu Shawel. Welcome to “Hard Talk”!

“Would you accept that the Ethiopian election on May 15th was the freest and fairest in Ethiopian history?”

Hailu:- “Until the day of the election?”

“Yes.”

Hailu:- “Yes!”

“Because you had access to the media, you had the opportunity to debate with the ruling party. It was remarkable, wasn’t it?”

Hailu:- “It was the first time in our history, we had access to our people. At least we could tell most of the people what we stand for and what we have a dream for Ethiopia.”

“Do you think that, in light of what happened since the election, you have lost sight of just any achievement that democratic process was?”

Hailu:- “It was not only us! The people came [out] in masses - in big numbers - believing that this is a chance to say what they want to say. They lined up all day and in to the night, without any complaint. They cast their vote, but then came the danger. I call it a disaster!”

“Well let’s talk about it in detail. When did you decide that the vote count was rigged?”

Hailu:- “We had certain ideas from the beginning that there will be something.

“They didn’t wake up very quickly - I guess - that the voters were massive (that) was opposing them. But then…”

“Mr. Hailu, why did you complain that the vote was rigged in Addis Ababa - at the root - in the capital city?”

Hailu:- “It was! As I told you just now, people were coming two times and the organizers were trying to, to tell the people what to do, where to put their marks and so on. But the people were refusing!”

“But this is puzzling! You are saying the vote was rigged in Addis Ababa.”

Hailu:- “No, they were trying to rig it! Finally…

“But you were actually complaining that it has been rigged! As soon as the election ended you complained “this vote in the capital city has been fraudulent.”

Hailu:- “It was fraudulent!....

“Well how was that? What was the result in Addis Ababa?”

Hailu:- “It is a clean sweep of course for the C.U.D. There is no question about that. But ...

“It was a clean sweep for the opposition. What kind of a fraud is that?”

Hailu:- “The fraud was there, but the people overcame the fraud.

You should see what kind of calls we get the whole night. Who did what and there are marked ballots coming out. If you look at the wasted ballots, you will be surprised. And one of the observers from abroad asked me “why all these?” - you know - “wasted ballots? “There were pre–marked ballots.”

“I think a lot of people, who watch this, will find it hard to take your claim that the entire vote was rigged, seriously. When in Addis Ababa - the capital - where one would think the government [as well as] the ruling party has most control of the situation the fact is the opposition swept the board. Every single one of the 23 constituencies was given to you?”

Hailu:- “You know why? There were observers in almost every location! They can’t do very much about it. In the cities and towns, where there were observers present, we swept it all! But where there were no observers, where there were peoples with guns, then the issue changed.”

“Well, let’s talk about the observers. Because the E.U. was here. The Carter Center from America was here. They did confirm some allegations of harassment and intimidation and inaccessibility of the vote count to their monitors. But they stressed there is much to be impressed about with the election process. Where is your claim of systematic, nationwide fraud? Because they do not say that.”

Hailu:- I think if you ask a little deeper, they will tell you that.

“But they have thus far not backed your claim. For example, Isac Kifle, one of you top advisers, he told us that “26 million out of 29 million voters have been cast against the ruling party. That would suggest a 90 percent to 10 percent election result. Where is your evidence to back your claim?”

Hailu:- “The evidence is with the board itself.You look at the result….”

“You mean the National Electoral Board?”

Hailu:- “Yes! If you look at the results, and what they chopped and changed on the paper; they didn’t even change the paper! They give us certificate for winning that precinct, and then the ruling party gets another paper with changed result on it. So we knew how much rigging there was. And there were areas where the whole box disappeared.

“You did present all this evidence to the electoral Board?”

Hailu:- “Yes!”

“So you presumably had confidence that once your evidence is seen by those members of the Electoral Board this wrong would be righted?”

Hailu:- “Well, under normal circumstances, it should be. But who is the `Board? who is the `Board’?”

“But do you really accept this process? Many wonder whether you are really acknowledging the right of the National Electoral Board to decide on who won on this national election.

Hailu:- “I think you question is right! We have serious doubts! On who is appointed there and on what they did. From our own experiences, right now…”

“Let’s cut the…the political nuance! Let’s be absolutely honest. Are you saying that this process is pointless?

Hailu:- “No, I didn’t say pointless! If….”

“But you just said that the Electoral Board is assigned by the ruling party.’’

Hailu:- “If you leave them alone, it is pointless! But if there are people working with them to ensure that the process is not secured as they would like it then they would have a chance to screw it through.”

“The Electoral Board ultimately appeared with the preliminary results; and it gives a clear majority to the ruling party and the current Prime Minister. Would you accept that result as legitimate?

Hailu:- “If the process was legitimate, yes! If the process was….”

“What does that mean?”

Hailu:- “That means, if it was done openly…”

But you just told me you don’t believe it will be! So, in that sense you are saying you wouldn’t accept the result as legitimate.

Hailu:- “No! They are saying “We will now work openly. So we said let’s give it a chance. We have been giving a chance even when we were coming into this election. We knew what was going to happen. But what we thought was that there might occur minor irregularities here and there. We didn’t think of daylight robbery.”

“On May the 21st you said that you would boycott the parliament unless justice was been done. It sounds to me like there will be a boycott from your party?”

Hailu:- “Most probably.”

“What kind of democratic values do you uphold then? Millions of people vote for you. The Electoral Board, which, there upon, according to the Constitution, will decide that actually you did well but you didn’t win. And then, you turn down all the people who voted for you and so you say “We are not going to represent you at the Parliament; we’re going to boycott”.

Hailu:- “Most of the people in the countryside have been robbed of their voice. Nobody listens to them. Everybody tells them to shut-up. So, somebody who hadn’t been elected into parliament and into government...; that is the democracy that you would have?”

“Prime Minster Meles told this programme that he has great sympathy for the idea of having a new election. What do you think?

Hailu:- “Great, perfect! I will accept it anytime!”

“You would accept?”

Hailu:- “Yes!”

“How quickly you imagine that election could be?”



Hailu:- “Well, we should agree, you know; the way… it should be done between all parties. It is not an order from one man. It should be agreed and timetabled; how to do it, correcting of all the mistakes that have been made before. All this has to be done together! Somebody from up there, telling us what to do when it is done, wouldn’t be fair.

“Let me read you a statement that was issued on the 31st of May and I am quoting. It was a call for numerous and successive protest demonstra- tions: ‘…stopping of school, transport, a nationwide general strike. The decision” it said “of whether or not we want to continue the part of the illegal government rests in our hand!’ Do you know who wrote that?”

Hailu:- “I don’t know!”

“That was your own party - the C.U.D, the main opposition party.”

Hailu:- “No! No! C.U.D didn’t write that.”

“Well, I have seen the document.

Hailu:- “Well, how does it look? Does it have our emblem, and our signature?”

“Absolutely.”

Hailu:- “No, we didn’t issue that. Sorry.’’

“I have seen the document, the insignia,”

Hailu:-” No! But…”

“Are you saying you never made a call for protest, demonstrations?

Hailu:- “No! We said we have called, but not this time; for a strike or anything. We never…. After the election we didn’t call for any single demonstration. None whatsoever! What the government calls demonstration is not ours. They made it and they killed it!”

So, you are denying that the document I have seen is not genuine?”



Hailu:- “It’s not genuine. It did not come out of our office. You can check it any time”.

“The fact is though; people did take to the streets. Opposition forces went to the streets.”

Hailu:-’’ No…. No…. No…. No…! I am sorry to correct you.

On the 8th of June thousands of people- in Addis Ababa- students, even some high school students; all of them were angry of the election.”

“Are you telling me that your party had nothing to do with that?

Hailu:- “None, whatsoever.”

“So, it seems to be a remarkable coincidence that they all gathered in Addis on that particular day!”

Hailu:- They didn’t gather….”

“After…. After 3 days they ….”

Hailu:- “They didn’t gather.”

“If they had invited you, would you have worked with the committee (screening committee of the Electoral Board)?

Hailu:- “No, they wouldn’t invite us anyway!

“If it is an independent body, yes! If a government arranged body, forget it! It’s worthless. We have seen it.”

“Bereket Simon, the Information Minister, said: “After this incident on June the 8th, which left many people dead, if you allow people to defy law and order take matter into their own hands while government sitting by the side and not maintaining true responsibility for law and order - anybody who is capable of taking matters into their own hands will reign over society and will bring the whole of the Ethiopian society into turmoil.”

He is right. The government has a duty to maintain law and order, when the election result remains a source of doubt.”

Hailu:-) “No! It will remain a source of doubt. But it will not be a reason to kill. If you….”

“The government says there were organized agitators on the streets attacking the police. They were looting some shops. The government has the duty to impose order.



Hailu:- “It’s a blatant lie. I would like to see one shop that was looted, one bank which has been broken. No place, no where.”

“Were you there?”

Hailu:- “I was.”

“Were you there?’’

Hailu:- I have been driven around by my driver”

“O.K. Well, what I heard was a little different. That you were under a house arrest a short while earlier, weren’t you?”Hailu:- “Yeah!”



“But you were not; you are talking to us. You were rather free?”

Hailu:- “Yes.”

“You seem to be...”

Hailu:- You think they take my freedom and give me back? This is not an improvement, is it?”

“My point is that you are portraying a government that is intent on imposing, some sort of, fogish police state of Ethiopia.”

Hailu:- “Exactly!..Exactly!”

“And, here you are, leader of the opposition, talking to the B.B.C, free to do whatever you want and travel around. You had been - indeed - having a dialogue with the government. You had been- indeed talking to government officials since your house arrest?”

Hailu:- “Haven’t talked to anyone; to any government official.”

“Well, your party issued a joint statement, stressing the need for accepting the peaceful process; the need for avoiding violence on the streets.

Hailu:- Yes! And we even said it before the government said it. So, where is the big deal about it?”

“Well, this is my point. There is a contradiction in your position right now. On the one hand you are saying this government is beyond the poll and you are involved in the process through the National Electoral Board. You also issued a Joint Statement of Commitment for peacefully resolving the problem. You can’t have it both ways. Either this country is facing revolution and...”

Hailu:- “No! No! We are not facing revolution; we say it’s a peaceful demonstration. Not a revolution, O.K? Anywhere...don’t people demonstrate when they are disappointed in where you came? Don’t they demonstrate in any country? They even demonstrate in Ouagadougou. So, why can’t we here demonstrate in Addis? But we never called for that demonstration. But I am not saying we will never call a demonstration. When we call a demonstration it is going to be a peaceful one. But, the government created this whole incident.”

“Well, would you bring your people out in to the streets, if - as you suspect - the Electoral Board upholds the government’s victory and you regard the process is illegitimate?”

Hailu:- “If I consider it illegitimate?”

“Yeah.”

Hailu:- “Yes! I will.”

“What do you think? What will happen then?”

Hailu:- “It’s up to the government to behave as they claim to be a democrat.”

“Even after what happened on June the 8th what do you think will happen when you bring your people - tens and tens and tens of thousands of them onto the streets at the end of this?”

Hailu:- “You know what? If the government wants to do it, then it’s done! They don’t permit it; free expression of opinion.

“Then to dislodge - what do you call them; regimes like this? We have died before? We’re dying right now; today, yesterday, the day before. If you go all over Ethiopia, you will find people being apprehended, killed, taken to jail or kicked-off their land; becoming destitute and become beggars in Addis. What kind of a system are we goanna live with, if it’s gone continue like this?”

“Your policies and your decision over the next few weeks may lead to a terrible bloodshed in this country.”

Hailu:- “No! It would not. It will not. It has never done. We had the biggest demonstration in Addis before the elections. Nothing happens, if the government behaves itself.”

“Let’s look at the international reaction to what is happening here. Britain announced the suspension of 20 million pounds. Do you support that? Do you want the G8 countries to suspend their debt relief for Ethiopia?”

Hailu:- “I don’t agree on unmonitored fund; giving of funds to any governments.”

“You don’t support the debt relief?”

Hailu:- “My support is giving fund directly to the people; directly to a specific project, directly where money is needed. You know? You call it `Budgetary Support’; that is giving some money in to the kit. What happens to that money? There is no way of determining where it goes!

“Well, let’s be clear about that.”

Hailu:- “Why do you give that money?”

“Let us be clear about that. Are you telling the International Community, which is giving billions of dollars of aid to Ethiopia that they should now reconsider all of that aid; given what is happening in your country?”

Hailu:- “Reconsider the process of giving aid.’’

“Why do you think Prime Minister Meles is one of the favorite African leaders of the Donor Countries? They regard him as a beacon of progress and good governance! Tony Blair appointed him in the African commission. Why?”

Hailu:- “Tony Blair has his own yardstick for measuring.

Acceptability, I guess. Because….”

“Are you just saying that they have been duped by Prime Minister Meles?”

Hailu:- “Of course!”

“Are you so naïve?”

Hailu:- “Possibly. They don’t know our culture, our behavior; how an Ethiopian behaves under different circumstances. There are many two faced people in this world. They don’t know this country in-depth; that is what I believe. And I don’t blame them.”

“Could it be that you, with your own political ambition, are using the current situation against the people of Ethiopia. You now are advising that aid should be reconsidered. Can you, yourself a man who served for two years under the so-called `Red Terror Regime of Colonel Mengistu…”

Hailu:- “Yeah.”

“This is more about your political ambition rather than for the good of the Ethiopian people.”

Hailu:- “I was the only person who stood up at that time and told the `Dergue:”You are wrong! I’m quitting.”



“How many years did you spend serving Colonel Mengistu?”

Hailu:- “Two years, two years or 1½ years.”

“Two years?”



Hailu:- “Yes.”

“It took you two years to understand that you were going in the wrong direction?”

Hailu:- Yes, it took me two years! We were trying… we were trying to get these people to take the right direction; even to take the try. We gave it a try…”

“Two long years?”

Hailu:- “But I don’t have access like everybody else. I don’t have access in itself. I’m just a technician. OK? I’m an expert in management…”

“You were a top official.”

Hailu:- “I have children. To protect your children there are certain things you do, but then, when you reach a certain boundary, you say “sorry I don’t agree with you, you are wrong!” If you are talking of my ambition, you didn’t do any homework on who I am?”

“I tell you what I talk about. I talk about you as a politician. I talk about your track record. I talk about what happened to Ethiopia under Colonel Mengistu. And I talk about where Ethiopia is today. It is making progress; for example it is educating its children, making progress economically. We have seen an 11 percent growth rate recently. It is slowly… slowly emerging from a terrible poverty under a leader that Western experts believe doing a decent job. And you are now trying to drag that process down.

Hailu:- “That process is already down. I don’t have to drag it down. Its record shows those 11 percent … I know those figures. I have been in the business of consultancy. These figures, you can screw them in any way you like.”

“So what would you do if you may? If the electoral board were to over turn the preliminary result and be the leader of Ethiopia in a few short weeks. What would your priority be?’’

Hailu:- “My priorities are obvious. It is shown in our manifesto. What we’re going to do:-

1. Free up the financial system,
2. Create a conducive environment to create jobs for the young; create special training for that the young can get employed.

At the moment we are concentrating only on state sponsored companies instead of attracting private investment locally and from after and abroad.

We C.U.D. are on a private investment root. And I am sure I have links everywhere. If the atmosphere changed there will be a flood of investors coming here. That is the only way you create jobs and the only way you educate people.”

“And what would you do with the land?”

Hailu:- “ Privatize it obviously.”

“How? It’s not quite obvious.”

Hailu:- “ Because the farmer has to own something. He is not going to be pushed around by some cadres; if you don’t agree with them they kick him out of his land. How can you talk about democracy when, even, a farmer doesn’t own his own cloth and say no to anybody?”

“Almost all international observers agree that 85 percent of Ethiopian are Desperately poor peasants living at the edge of starvation. There are million and million of people who would die, was it not for international food aid. How are these people gone own Land?

Hailu:- You will have to give them allocated land. You know how it’s done? Every community has elders. The elders decide how to allocate the land.

If this is communally owned for private ownership. And other for grazing, and so on… They decide. But the government’s role will be to get that certificate.

The Information Minister, Bereket Simon says: “If the opposition continues with its inflammatory rhetoric, Ethiopia could slide towards the kind of instability and then violence that Africa last saw in Rwanda!”

Hailu:- “ That is his negative thinking. It will never … never happen in Ethiopia! Never! Because that is not how the country has come about. People live here side by side. It is a mixed neighborhood. We talk to each other. The ladies have coffee together. We are intermarried. Inconceivable for this to happen. You should look at the heavily Tigrean areas like the Tekel-Haimanot. That are is 75 percent Tigreans. They voted for non Tigrean-- the CUD.

So where is the problem?”

“Are you are optimistic of Ethiopia’s future? Till the last year people wanted to believe that this country is dragging itself from poverty. Now the out look looks much bleaker.”

Hailu:- “It’s not. Well it is easy to solve. Let the government take its guns away. Then we have a beautiful future; I can tell you.”

Hailu Shawel, thank you very much for being on “Hard Talk”.

Hailu:- “Thank You for having me here.”

(The interview was conducted on July 5, 2005.)

[END]

Desta,

Great thanks.

Email: belayt01@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Desta, thank you for posting the text. Ato Hailu did very well.

Ato Hailu exudes confidence, honesty, and integrity. These are the qualities our country needs in a leader right now. Look also the insurmountable difficulties he overcame to achieve what he accomplished. We have a leader who's proven himself under fire.

What is the truth? that Ethiopians are inherently liars? and cannot be trusted? Isn't this too sweeping a statment? Hailu S. is totally devoid of that caliber to think quick and articulate whatever was in his mind, or better be prepared for the interview. Meles had no TRUTH in that head of his, but was smart and knew how to play even in the absence of honesty and truth in his entire system. I think that is what matters. If you don't have the capability to play the game, better not play the game at all. And tht is how liars and impostors like Meles make it, playing games with deficient and incapable people.

Email: Jirru@yahoo.com

City: Finfinnee

Birmadummaa Jirruu:

Ato Hailu didn't say Ethiopians are liars. Don't put words in his mouth. I don't understand why you and other decide to gang up on Hailu. He is one leader we now have who overcame all the difficulties and obstacles that have been thrown at him, who stood toe to toe with Meles and Bereket and defeated them in their own games. Do we need to support this man, or tear him down? What benefit do you get out of that, except prolonging the Meles rule? I've always respected Hailu Shawel, and after the interview, I respect him even more.

Adane,

If Hailu or any one for that matter made mistakes we've to correct them or challenge them to correct it. Why do we have to hide mistakes. Mistakes should be dealt on time. We don't have to cover up.

Adene
I like Hilu showel for your information but i was disappointed after the interveew. He was alright unill he said " i was driven by my driver at the demonstration and i was in house arrest at the same time" Tell me he lives in trailer! Adene this is our chance Melese will be defeted now or never but we need a good non lier leader too. He literally said " we ethipians are lier or have double face" that is too general and to silly to come out of a leader who had experiance in Dergue Regime. I still like Hilu, as a CUD supporter I expect appology from him!

Email: hopester@yahoo.com

City: usa

This is a bit embarassing...oh mayn.

Can u also post Meles' interview plz. Thanx.

Ze Abyssinian,

What is so embarassing about? Is it because he is not fluent in English?

There are a lot of foreign leaders who don't even know a word of English.

Have you heard George Bush speak English. George Bush himself makes fun of his own English.

Do you want someone who is honost and not fluent in English? Or you prefer who can speak English very well and rob and kill you later?

By the way, whatis ..oh mayn means?

Adane,

I agree with you. You put it right. Hailu will lead CUD to victory!!!

Hopester, (what ever you mean by your choice of your name ):
Listen, from your post it is very clear that you did not follow the interview well and therefore you do not have an understanding off what was said and discussed. Befoere you put down your pen to your paper, you should make sure you have chewed the subject matter you want to comment about, very thourougly; that way you might even sound knowledgable about what was discussed.
It will be a west of time for me to try and convince you that Ato Hailu is the father of Ethiopia. He, at his age, is doing what people like, you who sit on the side and like to throw their comments on public forum, think is the undoable, the unthinkable, which is to stand up for your country against Meles and his evil regim. What are you doing to save your country and your people from Meles's omenus talk of interhamwe and his evil plans to devide our country and her people ? What are you doing ? See in comparison to Ato Hailu, you and the likes of you are nothing my dear. You and your misguided comments are insignificant !
This , I think will be a very good advice from an individual that you don't even know. In the future, if you try to throw a comment abou some one, let alone Ato Hailu, you better be prepared. And don't put words in other people's mouths like you did with Ato Hailu.
And last but not at all least, he could be your father, where is your respect ? He is Ato Hailu for you and not Hailu. Get some manners too.

Your name sounds stupid so I won't repeat it.
In any case my reply to Hoppester goes to you as well so read it.
You are a spectator and you think you have a right to judge the players ?
If you want to pass your judgment at least show what you have done.

Aaclog, Akitaa, ancufaa,

Whatever your name. YOu will have to go back to school to understand my name, and you will one day. All that I stated was that Hailu's discourse was full of contradictions. NOt that I support Meles and his party. The fact here is Hailu was not upto the challenge. Clearly, he failed and that you should admit. First, he did not prove to be intelligent. Second, his statements are not consistent and contradictory and that reduced his cause and purpose of attending that very interview. For instance, how could he state that he has been followed up every step and how could he simultaneously be driven arround by his driver to see the demonstrations. How could not he present a plausibe response to the question of his being a dergue servant? These all added up to everybody's assessment. If you say we accept him as he is well and good.

My name again, don't worry. sitti dhufaa jura waraabessii. Akka an kaffalee baradhee atis isa tuffatte kana kaffaltee ni baratta. Afuuuuuuuftuuuuuuuuuu!!!

Email: Jirru@yahoo.com

City: Finfinnee

Read this and judge!

".... The ladies have coffee together. ....." Not we ("Zelimad")

" ... Tigrean areas like the Tekel-Haimanot. That are is 75 percent Tigreans. They voted for non Tigrean-- the CUD. "
Ethiopia without Tigray!


"...? Don't they demonstrate in any country? They even demonstrate in Ouagadougou. So, why cannot we here demonstrate in Addis? .... "

("Zelimad")

Better be yeeder dagna!!!!!!!!!!

Email: lmazgenet@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

This woman,Almaz, must be sick. She neither knows what she wants to say nor blinded by racism.

Everybody, almost all Ethiopians for that matter, should be a supporter of that club of the chauvinists or labelled as Weyane. What a democracy!

I wish I hadn't been born in a country that breeds thses *******s.

Email: moges@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Moges you're arrogant like your Master Hailu.

Almaz,

I've been thinking for the post that best fits Hailu. You got it right. I'ld vote for Hailu Shawel to be "Ye Idr Dagna" but no more. Some members try to portray him to be Visionary as "Hugo chavez" and Charismatic Orator like " Malcolm-X". This guy is nothing but typical Feudal,Chauvenist,Sexist and Arrogant. He's living in the 19th Century. This Feudal owe Tigrians, the Rwandans, and the rest of us an apology. It's typical of Most Ethiopians to say "Baria" to Africans and African Americans alike. To hear from an Opposition leader like him is shocking. He thinks all Ethiopians are Double faced like him. He has nothing what so ever in leadership quality. I feel very sorry for the Country and the people.

Let me clear the confusion. H.E Hailu shawl was under house arrest, but was also allowed a certain mobility by car. Don't forget he was as well somehow talking to the MURDERERS. The murderers (TPLF/EPRDF) did want him to go out for their own end i.e talking etc. Don't pick a word and try to make too much noise. Rather let me remind you what the MONSTER said. "int'l observers accepted it as free and fair". Do you remember the reaction of the interviewer? He said, "No no no...with all due respect....no no they didn't say that....". The MONSTER backed down like a small boy and in a very weak tone said, "until the polling day...".

Email: hagere_ethiopia@yahoo.com

City: Addis

Aaclog&hagere,

I am sure this is not your real name. Anyway, you are blind of the situation in ethiopia.Your sun has already setand will not have a chance to rise again.
So do that of your bloody leader, Hailu shawel.

we know you were planning for years to bring back the neftegna system of menelik, which suppressed our identity for a century. But, thanks to the peasantry(who defeated the derge and the CUD eqally), hailu&co will never haveeven a second chance to run for elections unless they admit their defeat unequivocally and are ready to play by the rules.

Email: ali_20042@yahoo.com

City: Addis Ababa

Hgere Ethiopia

Are you a paid one to defend the undefendable one?

Let’s ask ourselves what would each of us have done differently if we were in his position at the time of the Derg? Would we have outright refused to work with the government? If we had children would we not have considered what impact our action will have on their survival? Would we have been courageous enough to tell Mengistu in public that we are resigning because we did not like how the government was run as Ato Hailu says he did? So let’s be kind in our judgement of others as we would like others to be to us.

How many of us dread public speaking in general? Do we accept that we are incompetent to perform an important task because we did not do well in our first public speaking? Let's have one standard to judge ourselves and others. This being said, Ato Hailu did very well for the first time interviewee on a foreign TV program as tough as this one.

Can you the harsh critics imagine what weight this man was carrying while seating in that interviewee chair? He was carrying the responsibility of expressing the concerns of millions of Ethiopians to the world as this was a rare opportunity; his response in that interview will be taken as the position of the coalition of political parties that may not share the same view on every question; his response will influence the actions of the Meles regime; the embassies of the powerful countries who for their own interest support Meles have expectations; the issues that need attention are so many that the 25 minutes window will not allow him to address them all; the interviewer may not give him a chance to finish his sentences; Ethiopians will judge him and the party he represents based on the interview… Could you have carried all this load and do better?

In Europe and North America millions of dollars is spent to public relation gurus when new governments come to power because they have to be trained how to conduct themselves in interviews, how to dress, and even how to smile. Meles is also known for hiring highly paid public relation companies to advance his cause. And it appears he has received some training from them. This was proven in how he conducted himself during the interview. Although he did not do well on the facts he did well in trying to wrap his message to cover how weak his responses were. If it was not Hard Talk where the interviewer will not be easily cheated, Meles could have performed exceptionally well.

For Ato Hailu to do as well as he did without the benefit of all these public relation coaching merits praise not ridicule.

Belete thank you for your reasonable judgment. I know you thought well about what you have to say before you said it. That shows how matured you are. Guys it is not to praise just Belete but it is to say that is how it should be. We don't see any worshipping of individuals he just said the fact reasonably. Thank you again. I wish I know what the others (who criticized blindly) could have said if you were the ones who have been interviewed. And those of you who believe that language is a measurment, you need to rethink. Language is just an instrument to communicate it doesn't measure brilliance or knowledge. I don't mean you don't need fluency to express one self but the point is your philosophy not your tongue. We know million stupids but multilingual.

Bye love you all

oh By the way who can tell me where are Mr. Hailu's children