OPPOSITIONS IN OR OUT?
By SELINOVA- PIASA

Notwithstanding the accusation of fraud and discrepancies by the oppositions, the May elections have changed the political landscape of the country for good. Voters turned out in mass and elected their leaders for the third time in the history of the country and power emanated from ballot than bullet. The incumbent government played pivotal role in the institutionalization of the democratization through creating rose ground to hold free and fair election.

The opposition parties on the contrary, were preoccupied with creating impediments. They took part in the election process halfheartedly. Parties like CUD and UEDF in particular set pretexts and preconditions time and again to withdraw from the on-going process. The other feature of the oppositions was that they wanted to seize power at any cost. This was vividly evident in pre and post election period.

When the final results were announced by the national electoral body, the oppositions declined to accept the verdict of the public. Rather, they accused the ruling party for vote rigging and vowed to foment hatred, violence, civil disobedience and what have you.

Committed from the start for smooth transfer of power, the government’s level of tolerance was off the limit. Leadership of the oppositions, mainly remnants of the bloodstained Dergue regime, went on preaching violence as the only legitimate means to come to the helm.

After the announcement of the tally by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), once again the CUD and UEDF are threatening to usurp political power through unconstitutional means. Nevertheless, this time around there should be zero tolerance for any kind of illegal act that undermines the constitution and institutions established by the law of the land. It is time to say enough is enough. Another farce in the making, they are calling for new type of political arrangement, i.e., national unity government.

This proposal put forward by CUD and UEDF seems a new but last ditch effort at least to lick their wound. The tactic of “join them if you can’t beat them.” For me, the oppositions lack integrity. How on earth do they work with the ruling party which they accuse of “treachery and made the country land-locked?” It must be merely a petty action to secure political gain.

Ethiopia is among the poorest countries on the planet. Hence, we can’t afford election every other year like a birth-day party. After all, it is insane and unacceptable to label undemocratic an election which brought to the polls over 90 percent of the electorate because the oppositions were left in the cold as the tallies show.

We have to move forward and fight poverty. As Prime Minister Meles Zenawi asserted the opposition parties have to decide unequivocally whether they are in or out of the process, stop going flip flop to delay the culmination of the elections. They have to Play constructive role as a loyal opposition or face the consequences.

Our current constitution has given us our rights which we were denied during the ousted regimes. We are now proud Ethiopians. We have now unity in diversity. What we want is your attention of help in the areas mentioned above. What ever demonstrations are conducted in USA or EUROPE or any continent, none of them represent the poor people of Ethiopia who are living the real poverty here in their beloved country. Therefore, we appeal to you not to listen to the “cries of the wolves” that sucked the bloods of our sons and daughters. Listen to us, the real poor people of Ethiopia. The come back of the GENOCIDE criminals is so dangerous to us the poor people and the country as a whole.

We, once again appeal to you Excellencies to double, triple AID to ETHIOPIA. Cancel our DEBT. Invite your Investors to Invest in Ethiopia and create jobs and wealth and contribute to development of the country and to international trade. Let us make poverty history in collaboration with you.

Respectfully

The Poor People of Ethiopia

GZ - you are realy hopless, yet you are earning your daily bread. How much do you get paid to sell out the anotomy between your two ears?
Banda, in name and deed is GZ - ye Geday zebegna.

Email: hiwot@optusnet.com.au

City: Melbourne

Sewenet!

Don't you think it is worthy to concentrate on the substance rather than insulting people?

KASSHUN = MULUGETA= GOBENA is the same confused woyane cadre disrupting the discussion

Kassahun and Gebreselassie,

You both talk rubbish. You are saying that CUD is Amhara dominated party!! you don't even know anyone of them and that's what woyane's view is. CUD is not based on tribe like woyane. You always think (ke'af eske afnchachihu!!) nothing else. This is how you try to divide and rule. Even if they are (of course they are not!!), at least they don't have anyone from Eritrea like TPLF,

We don't know what you are talking about. We don't expect any thing more or better from Woyane any way. the author of this page, so called Gebreselassie, and his follower Kassahun are both the lead agents of Meles and Bereket.

Email: ab89891@yahoo.co.uk

City: LONDON

Ab

You seem confused than you thought.

Gebreselassie,

You are the one who try to confuse the whole nation. You are confused yourself and that's why you want to confuse others. You don't have any reason to suggest that 'opposition in or out'. It's not upto you to decide. It is upto Ethiopians not the ones who sell Ethiopia. For this and other reasons, you better SHUT UP!!

Email: ab89891@yahoo.co.uk

City: LONDON

AB,
Don’t you know Gebremeles controls this web site? He can write or copy and paste whatever his little hateful heart desires.

No wonder 'yeteqbezebezew'. He has blood in his hand.

Email: ab89891@yahoo.co.uk

City: LONDON

Gebrelekuskus,

If you are trying to tell us that "the government was committed to transfer power from the begining" the only hope you have is brain transplant. You are a moro, if you think this will convience anybody. Tell your masters that it is stupid of them to criticize Gomez and Clarke. If anythng both have been soft on EPRDF.

Mamo Qilo

Email: mamoqilo@yahoo.com

City: Virginia Beach, Virginia

Gebrelekuskus,

You asked an interesting question: Opposition in or out. They are in. It you who is out. Egezier YaTenah.

Mamo

AB:

Don't you know the Eritreans call you and your likes "lazy and paper tiger". If TPLF has members of Eritrean origin, nothing wrong. If fact, it may be for the good of our Ethiopia. After all they are our brothers.

Abebe,

You don't have to tell us that you are Eritrean. Because we already knew. One thing you don't know, or still dreaming of is, to look like a good person, and join Ethiopians. NO PLACE FOR YOU AND YOUR SHABIA/TPLF EMPLOYERS. NO CHANCE!!

Email: AB89891@yahoo.com

City: LONDON

Gebreselassie,

You would rather omitted all except parts of the last paragraph. Why did not they also ask about freedom and free election? Perhaps the outcome will not be desirable to you and your friends. However, I am sure that they would also demand that.

I doubt if even the intention of whoever wrote this "article" was about development. It seems to me that he/she was in defence of the ruling party.

By the way, where and when did the "Poor People of Ethiopia" tell SELINOVA- PIASA the contents of this letter?

Gebrelikiskis,

Dont' worry about if the opposition is in or our. Just worry about your masters future.

I am sure the americans must be making his exit strategy, since they know he is not wanted by the people and the last thing they want is another messed up east african country.

City: AA

Gebreselassie,
Now that you realized you cannot defend your know-it all beloved leader's diatribe, you picked up another useless piece.

What is new in this article that have not been repeated ad infinitum on the ENA and Walta?

Please, let us call a spade a spade. It is not just the opposition but also independent observers, journalists (watch the dateline video), and even diplomats who in the past blindly endorsed Meles and Co. (I am talking about Herman Cohen here) who declared the election a failure. Rigged/engineered/manipulated, take your pick, are the words they used to describe it. The election has failed to meet international standards and the aspiration of the Ethiopian people for democracy. Face reality, do not bury your head in the sand ostrich like.

Meles and Co. are desperately trying to demonize, discredit every person, every institution that is telling the truth, nothing but the truth. No amount of name calling will change the facts, though. The facts are : (1) Meles and Co. rigged the election; (2) Meles and Co. murdered innocent youth in the capital (3)Meles, the MONSTER he is, celebrated his daughter's graduation party at the Sheraton, while the soldiers he ordered to "stop the unrest" (his words) killed a 14 year old boy coming home from school. Meles does not even have the courage to respond to the mother, of the 14 year old boy murdered by his soldiers, who sent him her son's books and asked him how he (Meles)would feel if it were his boy who was killed? (4) Meles and Co. jailed thousands in the most inhuman conditions all over the country (5)Meles and Co. relentlessly tried to discredit the opposition, independent observers, journalists, etc.
(6) Finally, the Ethiopian people have unconditionally, unequivocally rejected the tyranny of Meles and Co.

The wirter of the article you posted, just like his boss Wedi Zenawi, self-appointed him/herself as the agent of the Ethiopian people. Please tell the writer of the article that the Ethiopian people do not need self-appointed speakers. They can speak for themselves and they did. They said NO to the dictatorship of Meles and CO. No amount of posturing, twisting of the facts, terrorizing will bend the will of the Ethiopian people to be free from dictatorship.

Please also tell the writer of the article, the Ethiopian people have no love lost for the Dergue or its atrocious acts. By the way, it is not Melese and Co. and the TPLF army, as the leaders arrogantly claim, that brought about the down fall of the Dergue. It was the Ethiopian people's disgust and anger and having enough of Mengistu and Co. that made it possible for the only organized group at that time(TPLF/EPRDF) to take power in the country. The Ethiopian people do not choose one dictator over another. They reject all dictatorships, all unfair systems and regimes. Please tell your writer to stop using the Dergue as a scare crow. The Dergue was then and we are done with it; now is time to get rid of the dictatorship of Meles and Co. Please also tell the writer, we are all Ethiopians, no matter where we live and what ethnic group we belong to. No more pitting one ethnicity against another. We know what happened when Meles and Co. played that music in the early years of their regime. Let no Ethiopian dies to keep few shame less dictators in power.

Meles and Co.,
Dream on but you will not distract the Ethiopian people from their march to freedom and democracy. Keep calling people names but that will not change the facts on the ground. You are rejected by the people. Remember, no dictator has ever ruled people against their wills for ever and you will not be the first.

The end is near. Time to jump ship Gebreselassie!

Gebreselassie,

For your information.


Current Affairs: Archive by region: Africa
also part of: African focus

A pack of lies: Ethiopian prime minister lays into EU report
by Newsline and Kim Renfrew, 30 August 2005



Meles Zenawi



Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has dismissed a new European Report report on his country's recent elections as “a pack of lies,” and a “farce,” questioned the EU’s impartiality and said he intends to implement diplomatic reprisals against EU members.

In May, officials from the EU Election Observation Mission monitored both the run-up to, and the aftermath of the polls, which ended in severe disputes about the final results. Although Prime Minister Meles’ ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front won a parliamentary majority, there were important gains by the two opposition parties. There were also accusations of widespread corruption.

Violent uprising
This led to violent rioting in June over the fraud allegations, involving the deaths of around 40 people who died after police opened fire on a crowd of protestors. Mr Meles blames the Observation Mission for encouraging this violence by leaking information to the opposition.



Click to listen to Newsline's interview with Jos van Beurden
The observers’ report, published late last week, says the ballot “did not live up to international standards and to the aspirations of Ethiopians for democracy.”

Ethiopia specialist Jos van Beurden says before the controversy broke out around the elections, EU relations with Ethiopia had been very good:

“After Meles Zenawi took over in 1991, the EU was quite positive towards Ethiopia. Through the years this relationship improved [even further]. For instance, in the years after 2000, they were co-operating very closely and the EU was one of the major donors to Ethiopia. At the same time, the EU was pushing for more democracy and more respect for human rights. The Ethiopian government was willing to do that, and through the years you see that the electoral process has improved a lot.”

Dismay
But the first signs of an unravelling of these ties came with May’s elections and the publication of an initial EU report:

“This observer team came out with a reports [on] 17 May, two days after the election. It was still quite positive – they were talking about the very peaceful atmosphere on the polling day. But, at the same time, that first report [paved the way] for the second, and also [caused] dismay on the Ethiopian side. In the second report, the conclusion is that the elections were not up to international standards – and that hurt a lot.”


"The [EU] mission, against the regulations of its tasks as an observer, illegally and secretly leaked unfounded information to the opposition which gave them confidence wrongly to take to the streets to protest against the elections.”

Statement from the Ethiopian government
Still smarting
Mr van Beurden blames the government’s accusations about the EU passing on information to the opposition on the hurt he mentions. The government is, he says, still smarting from the fact that they didn’t do as well as they had hoped.
“When the Ethiopian government discovered that many more people had voted in favour of the opposition parties than they had expected [it] was difficult for them to accept, and it’s [the reason] why they are accusing the EU of leaking information to the two major opposition parties. I don’t think they have been leaking information; they have been in touch with them”

“After the elections, with an outcome that wasn’t extremely positive for the government, these contacts became much more crucial and more sensitive.”

The 'enemy'
The Ethiopian government, he says, subscribes very much to the if-you-aren’t-with-us-then-you’re-against-us school of thought:


On 28 August, repeat elections were held in 31 seats. The outcome of this is not yet known
“The Ethiopian government is panicking […] they want people to be more than 100 percent in favour of them, and if you are not, then you belong to the enemy.”
Mr van Beurden thinks this turn of events is just the start of a new chapter in bad EU-Ethiopia relations, and he predicts that the situation will decline from now onwards:


”I’m very much worried about it, more, in fact, than a few weeks ago. For instance, one of the opposition parties pronounced that they will start popular campaigns to get the real outcome of the elections. Now we are back at square one, it seems, and tension is increasing, and I’m a bit worried about it, to be frank.”

© Radio Nederland Wereldomroep, all rights reserved

THIS LINK IS YOUR BEST PLACE TO BE IN.

http://zete9.asmarino.com/index.php?itemid=58

Gebreselassie,
Thank you and NO thank you. If you cannot defend your position in a civilized way, you should stay in the forums Meles and Co. run.

As you well know this is a free forum. No one will be banned or expelled for having a different view as long as s/he behaves in a civilized way. Sorry, buddy!

These days, your emotion is getting the best of you! Are you losing sleep?

The end is near. It is time to jump ship!