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Hailu Shawel to face angry supporters in Washington when he arrives today

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) chairman, Ato Hailu Shawel, will arrive in Washington DC today, Saturday, 4 PM, at the Reagan Airport from Minneapolis. He came to the U.S. on Tuesday and had been staying with his relatives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Hundreds of Kinijit supporters are expected to welcome Ato Hailu at the airport, but the reception is not expected to be filled with the kind of enthusiasm and joy that was seen last Sunday when the Kinijit delegation arrived. Many of those who will greet him at the airport today are angry by his recent behavior. Not only he continues to closely associate himself with individuals who have squandered and diverted hundreds of thousands of the party’s funds, he has also been going against Kinijit’s democratic principles, which he was elected and swore to uphold. His disregard for the decisions of the Kinijit executive committee is an unacceptable behavior in any major political party.

Ato Hailu’s most recent misconduct is his refusal to implement the decision by the Kinijit central council and executive committee to embark on a worldwide tour to mobilize critically needed support for the party.

At first, Ato Hailu agreed and made an official announcement that Kinijit high level delegation, including himself, would travel to the U.S. and other countries. But after the decision was made and he signed on it, he changed his mind and started giving different excuses as to why the tour should be postponed. Later it was revealed that he changed his mind after his close friend Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew and group asked him not to come. The Shaleqa group — which is accused by Kinijit North America auditor and inquiry commission of financial improprieties — is concerned that the delegation would conduct an investigation into the allegations and take appropriate measures. So the shaleqa group started to pressure Ato Hailu not to come to the U.S. To the shock and surprise of many, Ato Hailu has succumbed to the pressure.

After giving all kinds of excuses to delay the delegation’s visit to the U.S., Ato Hailu yet again changed his mind and decided to come after his colleagues arrived in Washington last Sunday. The enthusiastic reception for the delegation by Ethiopians in the Washington DC area may have played a role in his change of plan. Nevertheless, Ato Hailu’s decision to come was received as a good news by many of Kinijit officials and supporters in the U.S.

But the good news is a short-lived one, since it has now been revealed that Ato Hailu changed his mind and decided to travel to the U.S. only after asking the shaleqa group to give him a recommendation on what to do. After a heated debate, the shaleqa group decided to recommend to Ato Hailu that it is a good idea for him to come without any further delay. Among the shaleqa group, the shaleqa himself and Ato Moges Brook, the two individuals who are thought to have direct involvements in the reported corruption, have bitterly argued against Ato Hailu’s visit, according to sources close to the group. But a group within the shaleqa group led by Ato Solomon Bekele has prevailed and sent a recommendation to Ato Hailu.

It is wrong for Ato Hailu to arrive at decisions or make up his mind in this manner, i.e., through the advice and recommendations of a group that has no official leadership or advisory role inside Kinijit, while ignoring the decisions and directives of the executive committee he chairs.

The decision by the Kinijit executive committee to go on a worldwide tour is not the only thing that Ato Hailu has disregarded. He has so far refused to implement the executive commission’s decision signed by himself to terminate the Kinijit International Council (KIC) that is led by the well-known anti-Kinijit Dr Taye Woldesemayat. The KIC is actually run by Shaleqa Yoseph from behind the scene. It is the shaleqa who pays all the KIC’s expenses, including Dr Taye’s airfare, hotel and travel expenses as he travels from city to city to speak with a mostly EPRP audience of 10-20 individuals. When the Kinijit delegation arrived in Washington DC last Sunday, Dr Taye was in Dallas, Texas, holding a public meeting with less then 20 individuals. The once respected Dr Taye has practically turned himself into the Girma Wolde-Giorgis of Shaleqa Yoseph — a puppet.

Ethiopian Review has a great deal of respect for Ato Hailu. At one time we even recommended to the Kinijit executive committee to give him an emergency power so that he can make decisions on urgent matters by himself in times of crisis. Such a power can only be authorized and rescinded by the executive committee or the central council that appointed him chairman. What Ato Hailu is doing now can only be characterized as a reckless disregard for Kinijit’s rules and procedure, and its democratic principles that attracted most Ethiopians to the party.

The executive committee so far has been highly respectful toward Ato Hailu and did not utter any public criticism. At the same time, they are firm in making sure that the committee’s decisions are fully implemented. Otherwise, the party could not have been taken seriously. It would look like a personal fiefdome of Ato Hailu. Kinijit is a people’s party that is governed by democratic principles and a set of rules and procedures. That is why it is able to earn the support of Ethiopians from all walks of life.

It would be great if Ato Hailu comes to his senses and starts to work with the Kinijit executive committee. He has to make a choice between the crooked friends who have encircled him, and the executive committee whose members had languished for almost two years in jail with him. At the same time, the Kinijit executive committee needs to continue to show patience while staying firm about implementing the decision it is making to move the party forward.

Because of his age and worsening health condition, Ato Hailu may retire in a matter of few months. It would be a tragedy if he leaves Kinijit in disgrace after contributing so much for the struggle to bring freedom and democracy to Ethiopia. Great leaders often have sad endings. After leading the U.K. to victory against Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill was defeated at the post-war election, and later on he was forced out of his party’s leadership. Our own Atse Haile-Selassie’s fate was even worse — he was murdered by his own officers and buried unceremoniously. These leaders could have made a graceful exit at the right moment. But they chose to be forced out. There are examples of great endings, too, such as Nelsen Mandela of South Africa. History now remembers these leaders’ positive achievements more than the mistakes they made at the sunset of their career. No matter how Ato Hailu decides to end his political career, when the dust settles he will be remembered in the history books as a national hero who worked tirelessly to bring a better future for Ethiopia.

34 thoughts on “Hailu Shawel to face angry supporters in Washington when he arrives today”

  1. I hope Ato Hailu will never commit such grave mistake. Because he scarified himself for democracy and rule of low. The CUDP executive committee should give him enough time for discussion as they are struggling for democracy and tolerance.

  2. Where is your proof apart from assertions that this persons are corrupt? It is easy to make assertions like this but where is the beef? If you do not have the proof it is better to stay quiet. Otherwise you are only contributing to the very divisions you claim to prevent.

    One other problem I have noted with your website is that you seem to have gone extreme in your hatred of EPRDF enough to laud separatist groups which are themselves violent and would if they take real power kill people on the basis of religion or ethnicity. Some of them could pose a threat to the survival of any Ethiopian state present or future if they gain the upper hand. Why do you insist in throwing the baby out with the bath water?

    After all Weyane may be extremely bad and corrrupt but they are not going to blow up Addis Abeba , declare the Ogaden independent, evict the other ethnic groups out of Finfeenee or want to declare central ethiopia an independent state intiating a massive civil war.

    In case you are wandering I am freelance ,not Kinijit of any stripe nor a member of any other party.

  4. This is a right call Ato Elias. I hope and pray ATo Hailu Shawel will make the right choice and join his friends who shared with him the same cell in Kaliti for the last 20 months.

    Ato Hailu must remember no one person is more than the freedom of the Ethiopian People. Kiniit is the hope and symbol of peaceful resistance of Ethiopians. he must remember those who died for the cause of Freedom. He must remember SHibere Dessalegn and many many who were incarecerated. He must remember the 26 million people who voted for KINIJIT.

    I ask he immediately end his association with criminals and solve his differences with the other great leaders of Kiniit.

    Failure to do so, will have dire consequences on ATo Hailu legacy. I disagree with Elias Kifle. WHen the dust settle, he will be remembered as the one who undermined and damaged the struggle. HE WILL SURELY NOT BE FORGIVEN.

    GK.

  5. Selam Elyas, I have no doubt about your Love to Emama Ethiopia, but you have never used the say “We have a lot in common than our difference’’ Elyas, you know and every body know that Eng. Hailu is in US and he is doing some kind of treatment (Give respect) you said he is visiting his Family you are wrong. At this time we need how to make piece for the sake of Ethiopia not to exaggerate.
    God Bless Ethiopia

  6. Elias,

    This probably is the most profound and seasoned comment you have ever made in your “journalistic” career. I thank you for the analysis and the recommendation you made regarding Ato Hailu. I also share your idea that Ato Hailu should resign gracefully and be considered as “the father of Kinijit” – as we call Prof. Mesfin “the father of human rights and democracy” in Ethiopia.

    If the evil acts of his friends are not forcing him to resign, at least his deteriorating health should. This should give enough reason to leave gracefully and stylishly. The thugs of KIC are nothing to the Ethiopian people – they are not even known by Ethiopians at large. Kinijit is more than a party now – it is a national treasure like Lucy. And no one can mess with it. Kinijit is a “spirit” and at the same time it is a “person” too. As Prof. Mesfin said recently whoever is going off the way of Kinijit is messing with the Ethiopian people.

    So we all respect Ato Hailu and uphold the sacrifice he paid for the Ethiopian people. I am sorry it happened this way but if things were gone smoothly, he would have been the first democratically elected prime minister in Ethiopia. Governmental portfolio comes and goes what matters the most is to be loved and remembered in the hearts of the people for centuries to come.

  7. I’m sure Ato Hailu knows that nothing is more important than saving the motherland now. Anyone who gets in his way of following a democratic decision should be left behind. No amount of intimacy should force him to betray democratic principles.

  8. Ato Hailu is a person to be honored for the formation of CUD as a force of change. Now, he is the right person of the past standing at a wrong and disgraceful place at this time in point.

    I hope he will conduct soul searching as promptly as possible and come to his sense. I am confident of his exper knowledge will help in this regard, unless evil persons like Taye and the Shaleka deceive him.

  9. Members of KIC has now become biting dogs. They have now started accusing the three members adhoc committee. They could not tell us their side of the story and they only criticize others. Acutally, they told their side of the story for Eng. Hailu and the others are waiting for the leaders to find by their own time. Ato Hailu does not know any thing from the Andargachew side. The only thing he is expected to do is to open his mind and listen to both sides together with the other leaders.

    Elias’s critics is good if it gets the attention of Ato Hailu.

  10. Hailu Shawel & Kinijit:
    Hailu: The generation he came from, the government systems he was brought, the type of management style he was subjected have made Hailu Shawel what he is today. A Great corporate manager may be can not be a democracy champion. Expecting Hailu to be what he hasn’t been trained or experienced before is naivity. All his past experiences have shaped his political vision. His understanding of democracy are outdated and should be rejected.

  12. Hi Elias
    I respect your constructive critisim of the kinjit leader. I think you are right on the money. What makes this party strong and viable will be the ability to express honest disagreement when the leaders are going on the wrong direction or associate themselves with the wrong group. As a party member and as an advocate of the people we all have a responsiblity to show the rest of the members what the leaders are doing when they are making mistake. Like the old saying, the fish starts to stinks from the head. There is always some time left for reconciliation! It is obvious that what the freedom loving people needs this representative to do the right thing in order to fullfill those people who gave their life in order to show a fair democracy for our beloved country.

    Keep up a good work

  14. Obviously Ato Hailu, with his health problem, may not be able to handle all the responsibilities neccessary from a leader. We hope he makes a good decision in appointing someone to succeed him. If that is how they do it.

  15. Thank you Ato Elias, you cleared the confusion among us. We respect Ato Hailu for his sacrifice. He is courageous and good manager but we should respect and adhere with Kinijit principle and democratic rule. We all are a jury on this crisis, we should judge this crisis based on the principle and the rule of Kinijit. Each of us has a lot to contribute for our country democratic process. Please make your judgment based on Kinijit rule of law and democratic principle.

  16. Dear Eng. Hailu, welcome to America, we respect you, we’re loving you. But what I’m hearing about you being associated with these day light hyenas who embezzled people’s money is really troubling. I heard your recent online interview; you seem ready to pardon even the rubber because they hide their evil personality for sometimes. Here the rule of law only should prevail and dictate. Nobody is above the law inside Kinijit.
    That was, this in mind that I assembled the following message to express my vision about Kinijit on the occasion of your release after 2 years in jail.

    CELEBRATING THE RELEASE OF OUR HERO’S

    The Kinjit to whom many gave up their lives
    And so many suffered

    So what is KINIJIT?
    Many move to ask
    Much rush to answer, just a political party!?
    But, the people thunder, rumble and roar
    The people hail, shout out KINIJIT is us
    The sound from the South meet the one from the East
    The North/West meeting of minds resounds as thunderstorm
    Terrifying the bad sprit to act like a mad dog
    But, I tell you what, KINIJIT is wisdom
    A far, far reaching similar to our Universe
    Its Goal is enveloped well inside of its name
    KINIJIT “YETEKENAJE” is the Good sprit
    Right off born, right off grown
    Civilized, educated, purposeful and democratic
    KINIJIT cry out for kinijit…kinijit
    The over due call for kinijit from beloved Ethiopia
    Initiated by Mesfin and sister B. Mideqsa
    Birhanu, Hailu and Yacob and Wakjira
    Created the rise, the mass population
    For an irreversible phenomena leading to redemption
    This may be delayed can’t never be stopped
    The KINIJIT train halted for maintenance
    Soon will resume its journey
    With its passengers to dream land.

  17. elias you made sense by calling spade a spade when you touched on the pivotal issue of collective leadership vs individual leadr.now eng. hailu is less important than the collective leadership.he has to either stay in the phase out shelaka gruop or realighn himself to the phase in group. amen

  18. I didnot believe my senses until read I read the article today that Engineer Hailu has been surrounded by the Shaleka group. I was almost having my tears dripping down on my chicks as if history was turned upside down. I hope and expect he will make up his mind again again and he should not distroy his own history.
    I call upon once again his close friends and relatives and his party excutives alike to give him a wake up advice. I feel lost and destructed when I think of losing such the real son of Ethiopa. Dear KINIJIT senior excutives, I urge you to give him his due respect and always a last chance. I wish he follows the foot steps of Prof. Asrat W/yes. Very soon please prove it to him that the Shaleka’s are trying to find a scape goat for what they did, if what is in the news is correct. I know nobody is guilty unles proven guilty.
    Now and then he is the person in time of crisis.

    Let GOD show him the right path.

    Menilik from Silver Spring, MD.

  19. 1. I would like to personally thank the daring and gallant son of Ethiopia, Hailu Showel, and his collegues for thier tremendous sacrifices that they have made for the great cause of democracy, human rights, and development of Ethiopia.
    2. Ato Hailu must and can stick to the principles and practices of KINIJIT Executive Committee at the natiolal level where the majority of KINIKIT supporters look up to. If not he must be ready to face consequences. Apparently there seems to be no othere option for him than to doing just this. In fact it would be a great disservice if he is tending to facor one group against another. He should exercise only the powers vested in him by the Addis Ababa Committee. IF he does otherwise, it would be dictatorship-to be blunt.
    3. I Thank the KINIJIT North America Committee led by Dr. Moges WOldemariam for their wisdom and understanding when the time came to surrender their mandate to Hailu Shawel upon thier release.

  22. Welcome to America Eng. Hailu!
    We respect you for what you did in the struggle against the ethnicist TPLF.
    But what troubles me is your recent total disregard of Kinijit’s executive committee agreements or resolutions signed by yourself.
    KIC is an organization that was dissolved by you.Look who organized today’s reception at national airport in DC?
    What happened to the ADHOC comittee you formed to handle
    your visit in USA?By a single action of yours you have given life to a group that was supposed to die a natural death while killing a committee that was supposed to flourish.
    I as a big supporter of CUD,YOUR action is not in the tradition of a democratic CUD should be.

  23. Why some Ethiopians like dispute? If you want to see progress in your nation first grow and get matured. Do not discriminate people based on their view and political stand; try to learn the best things by looking for some common grounds. Redeem the time and set your priorities. Do not try to explain this world only from your point of view. The world is too big to put it in our box. Try to think outside of the box; if possible get rid off it. Voice together and learn how to work together. How come in a week time you glorify some one and again you shout saying, “crucify him”. Please grow up! Express your dissent in wisdom and loving way. Do not rush to judge.
    If I sound silly, please have mercy on me!
    Peace up!!!

  24. I have heard many of his interview. Hailu Shawel does not posses a leadership skill that is needed in today’s world. It’s as simple as that, and no one denies this fact. He should be replaced soon by a more articulative and charmful leader. Having said that, who said CUD is a solution for the Ethiopia problem. If OLF were allowed to participate in 2005 election, would any one doubt the election result would have been different. Let’s look forward for the next election that all parties, regardless of their platform, participate and we would see where political power shift.

    Getachew, CA

  25. Elias way to go my dear.Like Lafiw said “If the evil acts of his friends are not forcing him to resign, at least his deteriorating health should. This should give enough reason to leave gracefully and stylishly” I agree with him.God bless Ethiopia.

  26. አቶ ኤልያስ በጣም እናመሰግናለን:: በጣም ሚዛናዊና ምክንያታዊ የሆነ ትንተና ነው::

    አቶ ሀይሉ ሻውል ሰሞኑን እያደረጉት ያለው ሁሉ ምንም ቅንጅት ቅንጅት አይሸትም:: ቆም ብለው እንዲያስቡና ተገቢውን ውሳኔ እንዲወሰኑ እግዚአብሔር ይርዳቸው::
    ሌሎቹ የቅንጅት መሪዎች እስካሁን እያሳዩ ያሉት ትዕግስት በጣም የሚያኮራ ነው:: ወደፊትም አላስፈላጊ ንትርክ ውስጥ ሳይገቡ ጊዚያቸውን ለመጡለት ዓላማ ብቻ እንደሚያውሉ እርግጠኛ ነኝ::
    ቅንጅት የህዝብ ሃይል ነው::

    አለቃ ብሩ

  27. Give a chance to Ato Hailu to come out of his friend’s house and to explain his actions. May be this would be a great opptrunity to resolve the division that polarise the community in the US. Tarnishing his name after fighting woyane over two years is not faire and will not serve the interest of kinijit. I don’t agree with his actions, but I don’t rush to judge him. Let’s learn how to tolerate each other and respect each other’s views. Quick judgement such as this reminds me how the Diaspora media criticised Dr Berhau Nega after the election. Once he was labled as betraying Kinijit and many more but turn out to be false. I BELIEVE HE DESERVES A BIG APOLOGY. Now we rush to label Hailu. Be patient and work to accomodate him to hear his view. I understand the spirit of Kinijit is, as Dr Berhanu stated in his book, accept all members with their different views. So Hailu may exercise his view even those we don’t like. Finally where is the democratic value and principle we advocate to the people of Ethiopia? Why we opposed woyanne’s brutal action of imprisoning opposition party members?

    Amtataw from Caroline Springs, Australia

  28. Well thought and analyzed. EPRP, a loser and a champion of smear campaign is trumpeting the horn to promot dr. taye weldesemayat (Ethiopia’s de facto Napoleon or Luis Bonapart)as KIC leader. It is simply easier to look at debteraw.com (EPRP’s) website and analize the extent of political jacking ups. dr taye woldesemayat is an opportunist guy who made a blander of political miscalculation to drive shaleqa’s group down the hill. shaleq’s ill-advised groups are doing every thing they could to cover up the mischivious corruption and embezzling deeds of shaleqa and moges brook. shaleqa’s group is engaged in an effort of smear campaign to undermine other Kinijit leaders such as Birtukan Mideksa and Dr Birhanu Nega and to destroy Kinijit if possible. These guys brought shame and disgrace not only to Hailu Shawel, but also to Kinijit itself. EPRP’s haijacking of Shaleqa’s group is nothing, but a disgruntled mice that is lost somewhere in this planet desperately looking for cover-up and face saving.

    Kinijit shall triumph! Wolves in sheep’s clothing in the ranks and files of KInijit will be eradicated. Victory to the Ethiopian people!

  29. It is an objective and logical analysis . Although there is time to hear from Ato Hailu, it is up to us (the majority) to urge him to follow the right track. We need to see the democratic and transparent approach of solving the problem.

  30. 1) This issue with the KIL/KIC disputes and inner power struggle and more importantly corruption and such MUST be RESOLVED as soon as possible NOW by Hailu Shawel. How he handles this will obviously affect the manner in which he is judged by CUD members and the Ethiopian nation at large!

    2) I admire you Mr. Elias! for raising this issue in a timely and most important manner…this is the best opportune time to raise this issue, not later or before! Kudos and respect to Mr. Kifle for that! Sir, you are obviously someone who gives a @#!^ about your country!

    The first true democratic gov’t in Ethiopia must have every foundation in which it operated as a truly democratic one…from the chapters of Kinijit to the International Leadership and so on, otherwise, they’ll be like Woyane…saying that “for an African democracy, they are making great democratic progress!”…Everyone or Ethios know by now Woyane is a lie machine…let’s make sure that there is no chance to start on that path with Kinijit and one way we can do this is by making sure the corrupt in the party don’t spread like a cancer eating the party and eventually the country!! These thugs need to be dealt with and now and severely!

    My new found hero!!! is….Elias Kifle!!!

    …after all, Independent Media/Journalism is what Elias is all about and for that, i salute you Elias!!

  31. Shame on Ato Hailu. It was for Kinjit that many young people lost their life. I was one of the victims. I cried like hell when I saw no chairman in the delegation. Please for the sake of GOD! BE UNITED!

  32. I am amazed by your mature and constructive analysis of the Hailu Shawel situation. It is great to see you refrain from the vitriolic yet factual analysis that has unfortunately come to represent your posts. I find myself agreeing with you about the need to respectfully bring Hailu Shawel back to his senses and keep our party intact. Great Post.

  33. It is a great analysis made by Elias, I can understand the situation of our hero Eng. Hailu, and the decision between a long time friends & relatives verses the people of Democracy. The difficulty is how do we eliminate long time friendship? Because of (Yelugnta). As Elias & other Ethiopian said it needs time, so let’s give him a time. Even the outcome is negative from what we expected still he is our difficult time leader we respect his decision but we have to tell him we are from the principle side of KINIJIT. As Tamang said “We love, respect our leaders but we do not worship them.”
    Thank you Elias

  34. Jobiraw from Addis

    Let’s hope that every thing will end up to the good of KINIJIT and Ethiopia.

    The Kinijit leadership has to work as closely as possible to aviod crack and mistrust. But the new comers should play only positive role in kinijit affairs, e.g. Dr Taye.

    May God Bless Ehiopia and Kinijit.
    Amen !!!

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