The following is a statement by the UEDF, a coalition of several parties, including EPRP. The ideas and proposals contained in the statement are shared by all pro-democracy groups, but presenting proposals, and living up to them is different. None of the ideas presented in the statement can be put to work as long as EPRP led by the wild-eyed Marxist Iyassu Alemayehu is in charge of UEDF. Click here to read.
26 thoughts on “UEDF calls for national dialogue”
አንድ እርምጃ ወደፊት ነው። ይህ አቋም ሁል ጊዜ ሊያዝ የሚገባ ይመስኛል። “ሰላሜን እሰጣችኋለሁ። እኔ የምሰጣችሁ ሰላም ዓለም እንደሚሰጣችሁ አይደለም”።ዮሐንስ14፣27 ሁሉን ያካተተ(እግዚአብሔርንም) ሰላም ከላይ ያምጣልን።አሜን
If EPRP was involved in drafting this statment, as nice as it sounds I will say forget it. They have tried so hard to kill Kinijit and when they fail they come up with an intellegent proposal. I pray that ond day Ethiopia will have poloticians who mean and do what they say.
Elias:
What is this? How many time EPRP destroyes our struggle? I’m going to be very disappoined if the so called EPRP pulls Kinijit from it’s objective. There are only two days left and thy need to go to Ethiopia and fight. Every time there is a progress, they (EPRP) will find a way to crush it. AFD is a good example. Please tell Bertukan to go home and continue to fight for our oeople. This organization (EPRP) even if it exisit, it is irrelevant.
I didn’t know that UEDF included EPRP. Now their image went down for me. If UEDF wants to be taken seriously as a major political party, it should get rid off EPRP from its coalition. How would anyone seriously vote for a party that includes EPRP? Get real!!!!
ኢሕአፓ የብሩህ ትውልድ ቅዳጅ እራፊ
በመግደል አለያም በሞት
በከይሲ ሱባኤ እርግማን – መነባነብ ፅልመት
አይኑ ካልቀላ በደም ባህር ጥለት
የሙሾ ሲቃ ከላየ ካልተደለቀ ደረት
መልሶ መላልሶ በሽብር ማጠንት
እንግዳውን ፣ ከራሚውን አውዶ – ያዳምን ዘር በደም ክርፋት
ጥላ እንጂ የማይታይ – ኢሕአፓ የሲኦል ብቅል ብስናት።
አንደበቱ ትንታግ ያረም እንኩቶ ጠባሽ
ትንሽ ትልቁን ቀጣፊ – አፉፍቱ ቀውጢ ቀዳሽ
ቆለኛን ከደገኛ ሳይነጥል – ህብስተ-ዕርግማን ደጋሽ
ይበጀኝ እንጂ አልበጅህ ብሎ
ልንገርህ እንጂ አልሰማህ ብሎ በቅዠት ራዕይ ገስጋሽ ፤
ገደልኩ እልልታ ፣ ሞትኩ እምቢልታ
የኢሕአፓ ሙሾ ኡኡታ።
ኢሕአፓ የፖለቲካ አጓት ገፍቶ
የትግል ስልት አሬራ ተግቶ ፣
ቀልቡን በሴራ ፀበል አሰክሮ
ስንቁን በወሬ ስልቻ ቋጥሮ ፣
ትናንት በኢዴሃቅ ጭምብል – ዛሬ በህብረት በርኖስ ድውር
መፈናጠጥ ቢከጅል እርካቡ አድጦት ከዋለበት ቢያመሽ
ካመሸበት አድሮ – ኡኡታ ሙሾ ቢደረድር
ሰሚ ቢያጣ ፣ ቢነግስበት የገደል ማሚቶ ዝክር
ተረት ተረት እንዲህ ነበር ፣ እንዲያ ነበር
በድረ-ገፅ ደብተራ ዋሲምባ ምስክር።
‘ያሻኝን ብጭር ብቀባጥር – ኩት አትበሉኝ
ሽምጥ ብፈነጭ – እያደርኩ ባንስ ብመነምን
ስር ሴራ ታሪኬን – ጓዳዬን አትመርምሩብኝ
የዝምብ መጫወቻ መሆኔን አትንገሩብኝ
ዝም ብላችሁ እንጂ ዝም በል አትበሉኝ
የሹም ዶሮ ኢሕአፓ ነኝ’።
Dear ER,
This statement by UEDF to me is meaningless. What does a national dialogue mean to the UEDF? The formation of AFD was based on the need for national dialogue, yet UEDF rejected it for wishy-washy excuses. So, what do they really want?
I also detect an EPRP signature all over the statement. The clear-cut position the statement takes regarding Hailu Shawel vs Kinijit. I wonder if this statement is not going to make a friction within the UEDF as it seems to be imposed by the feudal wing of EPRP.
My advice to UEDF: be brave, get control of your party; get rid of the feudals!!!!
AleQa Bru
Elias,
I admire your considered optimism. However, if you examine what UEDF is saying on page 2 and 3, you will know they are not ready to work with anyone. They consider their “strategies” to usher democractic change in Ethiopia to be superior to methods adopted by other pro-democracy forces. So much so, they are already labelling those forces as ‘azenagi’.
By the way, who is paying the price for the “bitter struggle” they are proposing? Have they consulted the Ethiopian voter what sort of engagement it prefers? Is there anything at all UEDF learned from the 2005 election?Why do they think TPLF reacted so violently after the elections? Why was it so helpless in ‘dealing’ with this new form of struggle adopted by the Ethiopian populace?
In my view, UEDF needs to do a serious soul searching before it preaches working with others. If the constituent parties of UEDF came to any pro-democracy table with the same empty rethoric and ‘hollier-than-thou’ attitude, they will continue to be destructive and create another 30 years worth of set-back.
what is the Objective of this UEDF’s Press Release? Is it an honest call while kinijit is under intense internal problem? I think UEDF, which i personally considered as a non-existing party, wants to play the game as if it exists and it wants to take advantage of kinijit’s internal problem. It is a simple cry. We have seen UEDF running away when invited to join AFD. What is the difference between AFD and this all parties dialoog that wants UEDF Organize?
Uselss.
Dear Elias Kifle;
I have been following your web for a while now. Your journalist credential is as suspect as your morality. You have been misleading everyone who ventures to visit your web. I am amazed how you have become so shameless that you are openly attacking the people of Ethiopia. You must understand that people can honestly view things differently. Most Ethiopians are interested to see their country politically stable and prospores where everyone is treated equqally. Unfortunately, some selfserving people like you have been poising the political climate by calling names, speareding false propaganda into the Ethiopian communiy. Do you really know what to be a journalist? Please be reminded every Ethiopian is aware of who you are. It is better that you stop being a hired gun for the Enemies of Ethiopia.
May God bless Ethiopia and the Ethiopian people.
Kebede
To little to late.
What a turmoil!
Part of the piece is to appease Iyasu and followers while the other is meant to his opponents within defunct organization. It is contradictory at best; attack and appeal. Nobody should pay attention to the likes of Iyasu’s cliques at least at this critical point. Iyasu sees only destruction. He knows that the tide is against him but he will still attempt to play his usual dirty games against the Ethiopian people. Tell him take a hike. If UEDF wants to play a positive role in Ethiopian politics, it needs to come clean and dump the grand wizard of today’s EPRP.
That bloody EPRP has missed it’s target against kinijit to dismantle kinijit diaspora, that is why ‘UEDF’ under the leadership of EPRP is trying to re-install EPRP’S mission under the cover of “national dialogue.” The problem aaround kinijit is being fanned by hama tuma [iyasu alematehu]” babile tola.” IF UEDF wants towork with kinijit, they should eliminate that blood sucker EPRP from thier coalition.
Dear Elias,
Name calling doesn’t help much to solve decades long mistrust and lie among opposition groups; besides, He is not the only warlord in the present political crisis. When you lead a party for over thirty years; from something to nothing, from millions to hundreds, singing the same song again and again all these years, something is wrong, this is not religion. It is not a surprise, rather natural to be negative and distractive. It is overdue EPRP needs a change of leadership. That will change the opposition landscape to the better. A call for a national dialogue in theory is not a bad idea. but, this one seems to me a plan to sabotage or slowdown the popular support kinijit enjoyed the last few weeks. Those groups (behind the seen politicians)who do not want or have no carriage to face the people openly felt left out. They are trying to take it behind the door and strangle it again.
እኮ!ወዴት ጠጋጠጋ!
ከመሸባቸው እኮ ቆየ ይተውና! ሁሉ ነገር ሰመሮ ነገ ከመሪዎቻችን ጋር ልንወያይ የበለጠ ልንጠናከር ስንዘጋጅ የምን ማምታታት ነው? የምን መግለጫ ነው? ማንን ለማወናበድ? እነኢህአፓ ይችኛዋ ታክቲክ ያተብላች ነች ሌላ ሞክሩ ግን ባትለፉ ከገባችሁ “ለማያቅሽ ታጠኝ” ብሏል ያገሬ ሰው!!
Good job Elias forget Kebed’s comment. He is the one who suports the enemy of Ethiopian people.
Is there a party UEDF? Their website suspended because of unable to pay thier bill. Who is the chairman, Vice, Secratary, etc.., How many Parties are together. who is each party leader? They have to come out and explain thier program for the supporters again. Let see their pictures in all website. No more behind door politics for Ethiopia. Come out and explain every thing you think good for ethiopian politics. we don’t need last minute Press release. Atleast KIC is beter, we know them what kind of arogant people they are.
God will help us who is stand for ethiopian people and who is not.
It is so amazing how the so called EPRP IS DOING TO THE STRUGGLE OF ETHIOPIANS to get read of this buchilas. Look back to the history of EPRP they are a few diehard indivisuals who destroy ethiopians and their struggle. Now they try to infiltrate the CUD AND TRY TO DESTROY IT because they are very much awaer that CUD HAS THE SUPPORT OF MANY ETHIOPIANS. EPRP should be told that they are history. Noon can support them. They destroy many coalition attemptes in the past and they are trying on CDU again, but they will not succed.They are dead.We all ned to fight EPRP AS much as We fight TPLF(EPRDF).
UEDF is a cover name for EPRP and both are lifeless entities. They are good for nothing. They consist of a handful parasites who have never held a single job in their entire lives. They are like cancer that always tries to live by growing into someone’s body. But once it gets into you, it kills you. Stay away from EPRP!
They tried to divide Kinijit by misusing the ailing Ato Hailu through their acomplices Shaleka and Taye. But it quickly became evident to them that their campaign against the Kingit delegates was not working. Even Hailu had to sadly note that Taye and Shaleks with the wole EPRP entourage present in DC couldn’t raise more than 24K. And now these aging parasites of EPRP come to tell us, ups let’s all be together. As if they did not mercilessly slander Berhanu! As if they did not call Birtukan all kinds of ugly names! These people are a mirror image of Woyanes: ruthless, deceptive, and shameless.
I can only say the following to them “YAZAGN KEBE ANGUWACH”
If EPRP controls UEDF then this statement is issued with EPRP blessing. If you liked the ides’s in the statement then you liked what EPRP blessed. So time to test who will stand for this ideas. Who won’t follow this line wil be ejected from the process.
If negotiation between EPRDF and AFD, excluding EPRP, is equated to killing the democratic movement (as determined by the writer), it tells as how important AFD is and that EPRP’s contribution to the ongoing democratic movement is zero or negative.
They do not know what they are saying. If they are the only true Ethiopians, and their way is the only feasible and right way, as they think, why do they bother about being included or excluded in negotiation between groups they think are against the interest of the Ethiopian people?
If the call is for genuine solidarity, and AFD has any significance in their eyes, they could approach and discuss differences and concerns. I don’t understand why EPRP prefers to die with its old disastrous ideology and strategy. The noise it is making only shows us its organizational weakness. It is only a mechanism to gain importance that they do not deserve.
UEDF should instead call for all Democratic opposition in Ethiopia to rise up against tyranny and dictatorship under Meles and his Tigrean Thugs!
Ethiopians from all corner must stand up and say Enough is Enough. The Woyane adventure in Somali and the soon to come adventure into Eritrea creates an opportune time for all Non-Tigres in the Ethiopian Armed Forces to turn the barrel of the gun towards Meles and and his cohorts. Ethiopia’s real enemy today is Woyane not Eritreans.
UEDF should stop sabotaging the alliance of Democratic Forces of Ethiopia. EPRP and UEDF must apologize to Ethiopians for repeatedly undermining Democratic alliance and creating obstacles on behalf of the Enemy!
Bring the murderous woyane tyrant Meles to Justice!
EPRP never learns from others. It repeats the same demagogy throughout four decades. EPRP is a coucou bird that lays its egg in other bird’s nest to be hatched and once hatched the chick destroys the the eggs or chicks of the other bird. At the end, the coucou chick, will force the others out of the nest. The mother bird, without knowing, continues to raise the coucou bird, which was not its own. That is EPRP!!!! –COUCOU bird
If EPRP & UEDF wants to be in world of of Ethiopian politics they have to do the following.
A. Their organizations have to be transparent instead of underground like a mafia.
B. Their policies have to be open for public debate instead of sneaky “we are the only solution for Ethiopia no one can criticize us”
C. They have to denounce their “war mongering” attitudes as a way of solving political issues.
D. They also have to do town hall meeting and grass root politics to win the heart and mind of the Ethiopian people.
E. Finally they have to get rid of all the business they own to support their party.
Anyways,their approach to politics is as old and as backward as woyane’s. That is why they have been failing in Ethiopian politcs for over 30 years.
I have read comments from both sides of the fence regarding this call for national dialogue. I highly commend all those and including Mr. Kifle who looked into the kernel of the matter and at least ruminate over the idea. I think this is the attitude in hard and scarce currency nowadays regarding various political groupings here among the Diaspora and back home. It is undeniably a bitter reality that bounds the hands of progressive minds in all of Africa. Accommodation is considered a cowardly act at a wholesale. Grudges have long determined our prevailing political agenda(s). I have seen quite a lot of individuals with PhD’s on this and Ethiopiamedia website writing rather sophisticated articles mainly political. It makes me very proud that a lot of us were not sitting on our laurels and have made our living here worthwhile by going to school to reach such pinnacle. I am not informed about the subject matter for their PhD’s but I did not care. It made me feel that we have enough intellectual horsepower to move the country forward in a very positive way. I think we need to be frank to ourselves and to each other that things have not worked for the better for misfortune people in Ethiopia. Splitting it into potential fiefdoms will not work. It will do more harm. In such undeveloped (I did not say underdeveloped but undeveloped and when I say that believe me I have my mind) economy and scarce usable modern resources, the possibility of a breakdown of the tradition that held so many different people(s) is natural and unavoidable. It is like going back to the scenarios in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Please refer to chapters in the history books of Ethiopia. It usually starts out with name calling, unwilling to accommodate, denying platforms for dialogues, expecting hatred from one another(he does not like me and therefore I don’t like him either)and annihilation is taken as the only and ultimate solution. Therefore, I would beg every one of you to cool it and find a workable plan to take these 70 million or so poor souls out of misery. It can be done. It will take a heart-wrenching sacrifice and time. Look what Malaysia, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea and most recently China have done in less than 3 or 4 decades. That is not a long time. Most of us have been here just that long or longer. I remember reading chapters in my geography class back home about these countries. Taiwan was mostly an agricultural country. Malaysia even worse. Thailand was not worth mentioning as an exporter of manufactured products. You can find out yourself if you can locate certain periodicals such as World Almanacs form the 1960’s. Well…Someone may say (as usual) that we have been victims of unfriendly foreign factors. External forces never created those internal factors (disunity) for the national tragedy of 1936 rather those unfriendly external forces to advantage of the prevailing situation inside the country and used them to further their plan. That is why I utterly refuse such excuses. It is a cope-out. There I call upon all those brilliant minds in Chicago, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Los Angeles. New York, Berlin, Paris, London. Washington DC, Addis Ababa, those who may be in the bushes to stop the name calling diatribe and begin talking to each other for the betterment of the common man back home. This and other website should make their resources available for such good cause. I hope my call will not go away unheeded and will be taken as something worthy of considering. God Bless!!!!!
Dear Dawit@ #22
I think Dawit’s idea at number 22 go well with EPRP’s strategy, which I strongly oppose for the following two reasons:
1. It is not appropriate for EPRP or any other group to think of mobilizing the Ethiopian people towards a predetermined destiny or goal, like rising arms against any other group or country. Rather the right democratic approach to any issue would be to create a democratic system that allows the Ethiopian people to determine their destiny or set their goal. Then, all political parties and other organized groups should be prepared to implement that decision.
2. No Ethiopian has the right to label other Ethiopian as anti-Ethiopian, let alone to take punitive action against fellow citizen. This is only the way of bigots. In case of any crime it should wait for investigation and determination by an independent legal system to be instituted in a democratic way.
The kind of dialog EPRP is calling for is an alliance of oppositions towards a goal that is predetermined. EPRP labels different group of Ethiopians as enemies of Ethiopia and is determined to eliminate them and wants to form an alliance to implement a strategy leading towards that goal.
In the contrary, I think, AFD is an alliance of Ethiopians, with different and possibly opposing opinions, working towards a democratic system where the Ethiopian people will freely exercise their democratic rights to weigh the different available views and make their choices.
AFD is an alliance based on respect for the rights of all citizens. Therefore, it is not easily acceptable for bigots who do not feel shame for thinking to have the exclusive authority of determining the fate of 80 million Ethiopians, composed of different groups, speaking more than 80 languages and have different cultures and social systems.