Addis Ababa, September 13,2005 (WIC)-Members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) elected for the Addis Ababa City Administration have been making preparations to take over the Administration, while there are also strong indications which signal that several members of the party elected for the federal parliament would take up their seats, the weekly Amharic newspaper Iftin disclosed.

The Coalition has established nine committees, each comprising 15 members of the new City Council, it said. Committees in charge of justice and administration, municipal affairs, trade and industry, culture and information, capacity building and education, economy and budgetary affairs as well as social and civil affairs and HIV/AIDS affairs were formed, according to the paper.

UEDP-MEDHIN, a member party of CUD, held a meeting with its 120 members to discuss the establishment and responsibilities of the committees, the paper added. The members, however, insisted that all elected members of the City Council should have permanent jobs and salaries. It would be impossible to curb the problems of Addis Ababa if the Council members were to be left without incomes and their responsibilities limited to submitting periodic reports to the leadership, Iftin quoted the members as saying.

Meanwhile, several members of the CUD, including its Chairman Hailu Shawel who has reportedly been promised the same position in the new party to be formed following the merger of CUD member parties, have decided to join the next parliament, sources told Iftin.

Those members have been making preparations to take up their seats in the federal parliament that would convene in early October, the newspaper said quoting observers informed about the party’s recent meetings.

City: addis

This is a complete betrayal particularly to those of us who are investing intensively our time and money in order for the Ethiopian voices to be heard and throw away Woyane once and for all