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Hailu Shawel gets a no confidence vote by Ethiopians in DC

Posted on , Updated on by Elias Kifle

Ethiopians in Washington DC said NO to dictatorship

Ethiopians in the Washington DC Metropolitan Area told Hailu Shawel on Sunday in no uncertain term that they do not support dictatorship.

The people expressed their opposition to dictatorship by not showing up at a public meeting organized by the Shaleqa-EPRP alliance (KIC) for Ato Hailu Shawel.

According to Ethiopian Review sources who were inside the meeting hall, only 300-400 people showed up. Of those who showed up, many of them were relatives and close family friends of Ato Hailu Shawel and his circle of crooked friends who have come from out of town. Ato Mogus Brook and friends have come all the way from Los Angeles for the meeting. Some of Shaleqa Yoseph’s friends from Dallas have also been observed. The rest were EPRP members in the Washington DC area and Mirchaw Sinishaw’s church members (yes, he has his own church named ‘Urael’ and a young priest).

The planned protest rally had been called off by the organizers after they observed that there were very few people who were coming to the meeting. Ato Hailu Shawel himself arrived two hours late. But there were 27 Washington DC police officers with riot gear on a stand by.

The audience was told that questions can be submitted only in writing. But later on, toward the end of the meeting, the moderator, Dr Taye, allowed six questions by those whom he hand picked. There was no effort by the organizers to even fake that it was a democratic meeting.

The funniest part of the event is the fund raising. Dr Taye announced that $120,000 have been pledged. This figure includes fake pledges ($1,000s, $5,000s and more) from paltalk rooms. An EPRP web site (ethiolion) pledged $1,000. Members of the KIC donated about $20,000 (recycling the money they stole from Kinijit). Wzr. Nigest G/Hiwot, whom Dr Taye brought from Ethiopia for the meeting, was promised two cars — one from New York and another from some where in Europe. Wzr. Nigest is scheduled to visit and hold similar meetings in about ten other cities. The way things are going, she can open her own car dealership and stay in the U.S.

Dr Taye was buying all these fake pledges from around the world, including some non-existent European country, and proudly announcing them at the public meeting. Where did Taye get his ph.d.? He should ask for refund.

There was also a financial report. Of the $1.2 million that the Shaleqa group diverted, only $12,000 remain, according to the report.

Ato Hailu made his speech 4 hours after the meeting started. It is hard to understand what message he was trying to convey. He was unfocused and incoherent. The medicines he is taking may be affecting him.

Sunday’s meeting was aggressively promoted by the EPRP web sites and radio programs. Every known EPRP member was present at the meeting. Without the participation of EPRP members, there would have been less than 100 old people. Even with EPRP’s participation, the average age of the audience is no less than 65 years old. Renaissance Hotel looked more like a nursing home on Sunday afternoon.

KIC (the new Derg) did not allow taking pictures, but Ethiopian Review was able to sneak out these photos below.

Shaleqa-EPRP meeting
Shaleqa-EPRP public meeting in Washington DC, Oct. 14, 2007, 5:30 PM [photo: x]
Shaleqa-EPRP meeting
Shaleqa-EPRP public meeting in Washington DC, Oct. 14, 2007, 5:30 PM [photo: x]

63 thoughts on “Hailu Shawel gets a no confidence vote by Ethiopians in DC”

  6. They underestimated the intelligence of the Diaspora and they hatched up lies to organize the Diaspora. It is amazing that they can not even muster a large group even after their bodies and their crooked friends came from Dallas and LA and other places.

    The dictator is loosing his cloth and his empire is falling apart becuase of his stupid and inept leadership and his crooked advisors.

    Ethiopia and the crooked at the end are the loosers. However, it is better to suffer a temporary setback instead of helping such archaic and reactionary group to grab power.

    ER has done a marvelous in exposing this reactionary force and their intellectual mentors, their disgraced ally, EPRP.

    Dawit Hailu

  8. Amazing, I listened the so called questions after the so called speech. the main question was why the engineer was not accorded a warm reception in DC. Ethiopia has a lot of problems to discuss and Hailu’s reception is not one those main issues of ethiopia or ethiopians to warrant discussion.

    What a shame!!!

  12. I am watching the meeting from home right now. It is a shame that they even wanted to call this meeting. They have nothing important to tell the public. I will be surprised if this group makes it to next year.

  13. Elias,

    Good Job for snatching these pics,

    I was Listening the meeting in the diaspora room and Specially the fund raising event was funny,, They said, of the total >120,000 Dollar, about 60,000 Dollar is said have been collected from the diaspora room , and I just write -5,000 dollar (negative) but they said 5000 dollar from me (*_/)

    Funny

  14. It is simply very sad for the Democratic movement – Ato Hailu Shawel disgraced himself.

    I just listened the two parts of VOA interview with W/t Birtukan and Dr Dr Hailu Araya. I am so proud of both of them in the quality and well thought out answers provided by both of them. No wonder Ato Hailu Shawel’s ability of leadership will be diminished in the presence of Judge Birtukan, Dr Hailu Araya, Dr Berhanu Nega, Engineer Gezachew, Ato Biruk, Dr Yacob and many more giants. Last but not least HR appears to be ego maniac not different from his old master – Col. Mengistu H/Mariam.

    Dear Elias – Shalequa Yosef, Aleka Tekle and “Tensae Radio” and others are especially targeting you and ER in their character assasination and smear campaign. This so called “Tensae Radio” used to be Solomon Tekalign’s mouthpiece and now merged with the HR loosers.

    I am not surprised though as the hallmark of TENSAE RADIO is a broadcast of “illiterate” and backward content that has no place in today’s and tomorrow’s DEMOCRATIC ETHIOPIA!

    ELIAS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!

  15. It is simply very sad for the Democratic movement – Ato Hailu Shawel disgraced himself.

    I just listened to the two parts of VOA interview with W/t Birtukan and Dr Hailu Araya. I am so proud of both of them in the quality and well thought out answers provided to Ato Addisu’s questions. No wonder Ato Hailu Shawel’s ability of leadership is and will be diminished in the presence of Judge Birtukan, Dr Hailu Araya, Dr Berhanu Nega, Engineer Gezachew, Ato Biruk, Dr Yacob and many more giants. Last but not least HS appears to be an ego maniac not different from his old master – Col. Mengistu H/Mariam.

    Dear Elias – Shalequa Yosef, Aleka Tekle and “Tensae Radio” and others are especially targeting you and ER in their character assasination and smear campaign. This so called “Tensae Radio” used to be Solomon Tekalign’s mouthpiece and now merged with the HS and company.

    I am not surprised since its inception the hallmark of TENSAE RADIO is a broadcast of “illiterate” and “backward” content that has no place in today’s and tomorrow’s DEMOCRATIC ETHIOPIA!

    ELIAS KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!!!!

  16. i was reading the comments that everyone was giving. i am so happy to see everyone together.
    it is a sham to see hialu shawel acting this way. ethiopian people gave thier life to be where he is now, but he was unable to realized that. i lost the respect that i have for him after the meeting and radio interview that he had. he is not a leader and never has been. we get to eliminate one of the problem in KINIJIT, which is hailu shawel!!!! we will move forward and protect for democracy and no ditatorship. ethiopian will united and stand for freedom and democracy. we may not see in our lifetime, believe it there will be freedom and democracy in ethiopia, as long as we get ride of people like hailu shawel and his friends.

  19. At Bednu is worest than the Shaleqa mafia. He got his place. Don’t you think that it is good such uncapable guys are leaving KINIJIT for good? Personally, I am happy. For our future struggle, such people are obstacles as the shalqa mafia is extending its tentacles to divide the leaders.

  20. They say there is no medicen to Inferiority Complex, that is what the Hailu Shawl group and EPRP group are suffering from. That is why they brought their TOP GUNS from Ethiopia instead of working with the proper deligates. Bedru Adem is a man who is skilled with rumor mongering. I am glad Eng Shawl did not make it to Menelik’s palace 2 yrs ago, he would have been the worst doma ras ever in power…

  21. I read may be a couple of people to say something positive about Mr Shawel. When do we learn from our mistake? Why can’t our political consciousness grow? This guy was in jail for what? to be called a thug? Shame on us! Let us give him a chance if he can work out and push forward our country to freedom and liberty together with the rest of Kinigit EXECUTIVES.

  22. ሃይሉ የሚሉት ሰው እንደዚህ የሚአስለፈልፈው
    ጎበዝ እርጅና ነው ስለዚህ አርፎ ቤቱ ቢቀመጥ
    ይሻላል አላማው እኔ ከሞትኩ ሰርዶ አይብቀል
    ነው ነገሩ::

  23. todays meeting in washington dc organized by shaleka and taye it is ovious most of them eprp members.those useless leaders of eprp they give order to ther members try to sabotage,any ways that is eprp manifesyo always to do sabotage.remember eng ketaw ,colonel goshu,arbenoch genbar.ayyyyyyyyy eprp ,ayyyyyyy eprp

  24. hailu was signed his death warrant when he first open his mouth agianst kinijit heroes. Now he and his criminal gangs are feasting on his “teskar”. Good ER for keeping us really uptodate. Thanks

  25. I think we have heard enough of this guy (Hailu Shawel). I wish he was dead in that prison. What surprised me today was his disrespectiful attitude and probably the most stubborn person I witnessed in my life. I noticed also the guy has alzheimer’s disease.

  26. Tamru,it was not only in Merkato that people lost their life,remember university students who were craving for good life but buried in the campus.
    Have a look at poor parents who were waiting for getting something from their offspring!!!
    Consider prisoners now,Gashe Hailu has mess up so many things!
    He will pay the price one day!!

  27. guys there is a verse in the bible which says ” let us leave the dead where they belong-grave” let every one focus on the life to come.the analogy here is that Ato hailu and his outdated attiude towards democracy and leadership is a dead issue and let us forget him and focus on the follow up on the HR 2003 and how to electrify the strugle inside Ethiopia. Guys let us not diverted from the main issue by samll and trivals of Hailu,Taye and the idiot sahleka.Let us not waste our precious time. The EPRDF Camp is very happy by what we are focusing and by the disgraceful action of Hailu and his company.

    Freedom for Ethiopia and death for the dead ones

  28. This group should know the majority people’s stand. Actually kinijit’s reputation was thoroughly expressed by the people due to the efforts of many of the council members during the argument with EPRDF, in non of which Ato Hailu took part. He never made an interesting or impressive speech as a leader to the public. The others were the stars to initiate the public. This is being reflected by the response he is giving to the media currently. Why is he grouping with the derg residues and feudalistic thinking elderlies? Same is to Taye. These two guys are known to Ethiopians only by fame, otherwise they never made an impressive scholar standard public speech and never faced challenging questions.

    LETS CONTINUE WITH OUR STAND. WE SHOULD NEVER SURRENDER TO THESE DICTATOR ELEMENTS. THE BREAL HAILU SHAWEL IS BEING EXPOSED. WHY DO FEW ORTHODOX PRIESTS ACCOMPANY THEM? ARE THEY TRYING TO RETURN THE MAJESTY REGIME? SHAME ON ATO BEDRU : YOU PREFERRED ‘EMPEROR’ HAILU IN NEED OF POSITION THAN THE MORE TRANSPARENT AND DEMOCRAT LEADERS. YOU NEVER REPRESENT THE NEED OF US.

  29. No wonder they collected 120 000, i was in diaspora paltalk room and donated 5000 and i heard them saying some body donated 5000 from paltalk room. they dont even know who i was. later i was kicked out from the room for donating 1.2 million dollar under shaleka’s name. that was so funny i had a very entertaining sunday.

  30. Hailu Kampf

    An incoherent dictator attempting to win a coherent dictator Zenawi.

    Good job Elias
    Dictators do not have a place in the Diaspora let alone in Ethiopia.

    EDU, Derg (Mirchaw Sinshaw and Hailu Shawel) and Some Thugs (parking lot scientists) can not run an EDIR or CUD.

  31. Dear Ato Bedru

    I have great admiration for you. You have been in this struggle before all of them. I have no words to express my respect for the Kinijit leaders, especially for Judge Birtukan, the young female, mother and politician. My respect for you is no less than Birtukan. I don’t dare, due to my respect to you, to say you are right or wrong that you are with Ato Hailu.( I just noticed from the writing above that you are)
    I cannot understand what has happeened to this respected intellectuals. Have we deterirated so much! I still believe in you. But I want to say something. The whole thing, the division in Kinjit, is very disgusting. I live in a remote place and what I see and hear is what is on the media. I want to reserve my feeling to this or that group. But I want to say something; Dear Ato Bedru, please come out of this disgusting case. Don’t be any part of this mess. Once again, I cannot question your judgement. I have the feeling that you may try to solve the whole problem by not taking sides. Whoever created this division, be this or that group has betrayed the poor mothers whose children died for democracy behind Kinijit. This is unforgettable.This does not make them less criminal than the killers, especially if they are doing this for personal case.
    I wish to see you working to solve this problem. It is my wish not to see you with this or that group. Once again, with all the respect I have for you,I hope you will cosider my sincere and humble advice.

    We will see one Kinjit!

  33. Elias, thank you for the excellent work exposing these good for nothing wanabe politicians. It is good that Eng Hailu has not left much time to live and inflict harm on our country.

    We have to work hard protecting our Kinijit from Eng Hailu, haile yinsawena, and his mafia group.

  34. Thank you very much elias. You have done a great job exposing dictators. Let us now leave dictators to themselves because they killed themselves. My question is, HR 2003 might fail to become a law because of the division within the cud or the advertisement of this division. who should take responsiblity for advertisng this division?

  35. The banning of the media reveals more than anything about the nature of the group, neonderthal like Mengistu and Meles when it comes to press freedom.

    They are unforgiving in their attack of people and in their conspiracy theory. Now EPRP is in it, it is going too far in the conspiracy theory, but its worse the package they have is faulty and laughable.

    Even the most sophisticated EPRP machine can not cover up for the incompetence of Hailu Shawl.

    EPRP is finding fault in every Ethiopian who is not aligned with them. Wait and see what they will call the majority of the Ethiopians, Woyane, and worse Woyane spy. This is the bad part they will go to any extent to accuse and to distort the facts, knowing well that the differences are minor. But they are by their bruteness are widenning the conflict. Of course, Hailu Shawl, the most incompetent and their dictatorial leader started it.

    Dawit Hailu

  36. Woyane send for Eng. hailu shawel individuals who can be considered to be fuel for his futile struggle against CUD.Bedru and Nigist the latter who is poor and confessed to woyane news paper begging for money from CUD while she was in prison travel to washington after paying ETB 20,000.00

    I am sure woyane is the one who cover their cost from ethiopian tax payer to work against ethiopian people.

    I think at this time Eng hailu shawel is so confused and nothing knows what is doing.

    May be also he is in dilemma either to work for ethiopians or for woyane.

    the struggle ethiopians await is so tough and strong needs strong leader. Sometimes there are people who can’t express their fear at public and streight forward. Engineer may be expressing his fear to lead the struggle waiting for him

    Donkey said ene kemotku serdo aybkele.

    now it is better for hailu organise Edir making bedru his deputy and nigist secreatry in partneership with woyane killer.

  37. I was at the meeting last Sunday and when I went back home, I shaved my head and eyebrow so no one will recognize me on the streets of Washington D.C. just in case Ethiopian Television Network got my picture in the podium. I’m sure they did since we were only few and I was the only one with no grey hair.
    Long live EPRP for bringing Ato Hailu Shawel, an Ethiopian Hero to our side.

  38. dear hailu// i wish you have stayed in bed rather than this shamefull and disgracefall from the hearts and minds of the ethiopian people .yesterday could have been the MUSHO for you and your cliks .you disgraced us ,you made it happen for woyanne to triumph over the dead bodies of the ethiopian people .where do you want to go from here.this was a knockout defeat to you and your gangs of your goodself .your wife,shaleka taye ,solomon,moges and the your kality wonder woman and the admassies .what more assurance do you want but pack up and leave the the rest of the struggle to the true delegates who are coming in victorious .are you following up what they are achieving in various states dispite your stooges protest.hailu,you have allowed dr asrat to die in prison ,go to church and cry for mercy as the end is near.do not messing kinijit any more .return the money that solomon said he has put it in th cd account 4 months ago .how come all is gone with in such a short time .may be an investment or retirement program .

  40. Dear Friends,
    October 14 was a very sad day in Ethiopian politics; it was really a shameful day to Eng. Hailu and his talented advisers and friends. The only group that has been rejoicing and clapping and whistling on Oct. 14th are EPRP and Woyanne. Even if you ask those people who attended the meeting and those who were clapping and shouting what they have got from the meeting, I am sure you will get no reply even they don’t know the answer. As a whole it was just a waste of five hours of every ones life. Tera alubalta and hamet becha.

    On the other hand we, the true supporters of Kinijit, are happy to know what kind of people were in the party who wants to take the fate of 80Million Ethiopian people. Eng. Hailu is a man of NO HOPE, he has lost his credibility, has lost and sold his trust to his friends and relatives ignoring the Ethiopian people that loved him a lot. He has been talking on the media several times and that has shown the clear face of Eng. Hailu, how weak he is not only his legs but also his mind and spirit.

    Enough is Enough, Kinijit has no time for rumours and tit for tats. It is time to move on. The Eng. Bedru Adem, W/o Negest (she got two cars, what a joke) and the likes to get rid off and the spirit of Kinijit will continue brightened up forever.

    Eng. Hailu has shown the Ethiopian people and the Diaspora that he hasn’t got the ability to work for people but only to his friends and relatives. The truth has come out and it is time for the Ethiopian people to put Mr Shawel under his feet and walk on him as they have done to Lidetu Ayalew.

    Thumbs up to our true leaders Ms. Bertukan Midekessa, Dr. Berahnu Nega, Eng. Gizachew, Dr Hailu Araya, Ato Berook Kebede and all the other delegations in Europe and Africa. You are all speaking with the spirit of Kinijit, you are all working hard to fight woyanne and you have shown us that spirit and we wish you all the success.

    God bless Ethiopia

  41. With all respect i have to Engineer Hailu, I was very disappointed on the speech he made last night. By all means it was not a class act. A person with his statue should not bring himself to this level. It was apalling to hear that he was working with Eprp not with our heroes. A call to change the name Kinget? I missed something here.. to what? EPRP? Please be advised to exit gracefully now Mr. Hailu. As Elias put it was badly orchastrated by Eprp and Dr. Taye.

  42. I was in the meeting. I was so disappointed by the behavior of most of the people. Those who came from Ethiopia like W/o Negist talked gossipy /yebuna werae/ Ato Hailu’s speech was not clear and coherent.I just did not understand why people was cluping their hand. I was so sad they all forget the big picture which is Ethiopia. I am kind of discouraged and thinking how people go forward while obstacles are on the way. I do not know how long it takes to build democratic Ethiopia. Any way lets focus on big big issue for Ethiopia and forget the trash meetng.

  43. Guys yesterday’s meeting organized by the “KIC” should be taken as a referendum on Hailu Shawel and co. We listened the speech. These people had nothing talk about except alubalta. They insulted the 5 delegates and gave props to Hailu. They did not say anything about Kinijit’s future plan or Ethiopia’s future. All they did was insult. Bedru Adem, you are a disgrace to your family and Ethiopia. Take my advice and just kill yourself. You are just taking up too much space in this world. Hailu Shawel, I wish you to Rest In Peace your political life was buried yesterday. You are no more relevant to the struggle. You are done. Actually Hailu Shawel should be kicked out of Kinijit ASAP, there is no way I or millions of Ethiopians would support any political group that has Hailu in its leadership. Hailu let alone Kinijit, he is not fit to lead edir.

    The struggle should be to bring democracy and rule of law in Ethiopia not to replace one dictator with another.

  44. Who is BEDRU ADEM?

    Bedru Adem, the former MP who, in court of law, claimed to have relinquished his Kinijit membership long before the November 2005 protest which led to the killing and imprisonment of thousands of pro-democracy activists, flew to Washington yesterday to participate in tomorrow’s meeting where Kinijit chaiman Eng. Hailu Shawel will have his first public appearance. Bedru who since his release from prison in July has been attacking the integrity and good name of many Kinijit leaders including Brehanu Nega and Birtukan Mideksa on EPRDF leaning newspapers here in Addis Ababa is expected to continue doing more of the same in tomorrow’s meeting

    Source: Ethio Zagol.

    So what do we expect from the likes of Bedru Adem and sick thick headed Engineer? I wish Eng. Hailu death (even if my father was in his position I will wish him death), because this people killed our country, our spirit and our struggle. Death to you to the killers of democracy and Unity

  45. Hi Elias, thx for the hard work you are doing!! I think Eng. Hailu is going on a wronge direction. However the fact that we come down to an obvious insulting the Chairman is wrong from my point of view. I think you can work hard to bring peace between the leaders forgeting the Shaleka and his friends. All we need at the moment is unity… hope you will see my point.

  47. I also pledged 3000 dollars calling myself a doctor in diaspora room and gave them a fake phone number. My wife and I laughed hard through the whole process. It was fun.

    On a serious note, though, Hailu Shawel has not mentioned the suffering of Ethiopians under woyane rule in his speech for a second. Is this the man who was supposed to lead a neck to neck struggle required to unseat woyane dictatorship? Give me a break. This man is in a significantly diminished capacity right now. I doubt he has a full grasp of what is happening in our political struggle for freedom and democracy. Dr Taye also sounds very trivial and detached from reality. Ethiopia deserves better leaders.

  48. can someone tell me what exactly happened between the two sides of kinijit politicians? what are the basis of their differences? i see lots of anger about the dictatorship behavior of ato hailu, but i don’t understand what exactly he has done to the party and its members. also, why did they fail to resove their differences via dialague. i also that both sides are responsible for damages made to the party.

  50. Guys please focus on the issue rather than the person. I haven’t read anything substantail from the comments made againest Mr. Shaul rather than insulting people.

    For me this doesn’t show democacy.

    Bring issues raised by Mr. Shaul and argue .

    You can kill someone easly but not his ideas

    etal from ADDIS ABABA

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