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Aug 5, 2005 - 6:10AM

NEGEDITE! FAMOUS WORD UNDER GOOGLE ENGINE SEARCH.

US and EU come to the defense of our democracy

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By: Mulugeta Aserate Kassa
London 16th July 2005

It’s not quite often that we witness Washington and Brussels agreeing on a foreign policy issue and then speaking with one clear voice. But Ethiopia’s current political climate, not to mention the clamor for some form of intervention by Ethiopians in the United States and Europe must have provided these rich and powerful nations to spell out in no uncertain terms what course of action in Ethiopia could expect to get their accolade. The unprecedented joint statement between the US and EU of the 13th July 2005, therefore, administered a coup de grace to the Negedites who had very much hoped that the international community would give – at least a tacit approval – to their anticipated action of mugging Ethiopia’s electoral process. The Joint Statement, on the other hand, seems to be a blessing to the ruling EPDRF which had all along refused to be brow-beaten by the Negedites.

Washington and Brussels – Ethiopia’s principal partners – only know too well that a peaceful, democratic and pluralistic Ethiopia is in the best interest of their respective countries. In addition it is but logical that it is only democracies that come to the defense of other democracies. True, there have been instances in the past when the US and Europe had overtly supported insurgencies, as was the case with the former satellites in the 1990s. But these were insurgencies against a tyrant and his tyrannical rule. It is this deliberate Negedite’s refusal to accept that no one, least of all the US and Europe, is prepared to buy their claim that their detour from the electoral process ought to be viewed as a legitimate insurgency against a tyrant. This stand of Negedites, continues to be mugged by the reality on the ground. If Negedites thought Ethiopia was not a democracy, why did they participate in the May 2005 Election? Why did they even take part in the panel of investigation? To have participated in the Election and subsequent investigation – according to the Constitution and the law of the land – and then take recourse to violence when it failed to win a majority is tantamount to a puppet show. Just imagine what the world of foot-ball would be like if the loser of a match takes recourse and starts mugging the law-abiding spectators because it doesn’t like FIFA’s constitution!

If only this ‘patriot’ and ‘democrat’ in Comrade Negede Gobeze were there in the 70s, 80s and 90s, then, he would definitely have been our Yushenko today.

Now NEBE’s investigations into alleged irregularities is nearing its completion, it was prudent of the Joint Declaration in reminding all parties “to renounce all violence, ethnic hate messages via the media or Internet, and any other action that is likely to further increase tension in Ethiopia.” That this Election has been divisive is an understatement, however, it is also true that rampant rumor has been adding fuel to the fire. Infact, nowadays, if one who doesn’t toy with the evil idea of an uprising taking place in Addis as we speak is not regarded as patriotic enough. I believe it was Emperor Menelik II who was reputed to have remarked: “The power of rumor is mightier than an army in defeating an enemy.” No better a section of our society than Ethiopia’s Fourth Estate, therefore, seems to be enjoying good fishing in troubled waters. If there is a country called Ethiopia, she is either dead or in a coma; if Meles Zenawi attends the G8 Meeting in Gleneagles with other invited African leaders he has either defected or has been severely reprimanded by Tony Blair and George Bush. While still on wild rumor, about two weeks ago, while attending a briefing by Ethiopia’s Minister of Education, I received a call on my mobile from a friend of mine informing me of the spectacular defection of Woizero Genet Zewdie to the United Kingdom, when I challenged him with the stark reality he said that if I think so, then I am not a patriot. My lesson of the day was, therefore, in order to be regarded a patriot by today’s vociferous minority I have to be economical with the truth, not to say fabricate a story.

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Haile Fida

Aug 9, 2005 - 5:35AM