Amidst prayers, and religious ceremony, Mo Anbessa, Ethiopians for Constitutional Monarchy, held its first public meeting in Addis Ababa on November 18 at the former Haile Selassie I Theater (renamed National Theater by the Derg). The playing of the old “Ethiopia Hoy” national anthem for the first time in 17 years brought tears to the crowd.
After an opening address by the meeting chairman, Dr. Getachew Mekasha, detailing the aims and objectives of Mo Anbessa, prominent residents of Addis Ababa, church leaders, students, farmers and workers took turns in taking the floor to speak.
At meeting which lasted for four hours, the speakers focused attention on the burning issue of national unity in the face of the threat of disintegration.
The speakers stressed the role of the monarchy as a precious historic legacy worth preserving, and its value as a symbol of unity in its new proposed form. Atse Amha Selassie’s announcement about his intention to return to Ethiopia soon, carried by the VOA, heightened expectation.
The theater which has seating and standing room capacity of only 2000 had to turn away a crowd twice that number because of lack of space. In order to satisfy public demand, Mo Anbessa is now planning an open air meeting possibly at Meskal Square in the near future.
The meeting have passed several resolutions in the form of recommendations to the transitional government for implementation. The resolutions called on the transitional government to facilitate Atse Amha Selassie’s early return; and enumerating the benefits that occur from the Emperor’s return, the resolution pointed out among other things, that it will add greatly to the confidence building process to attract foreign investment and tourism, apart from greatly encouraging
the home-coming of the many thousands of Ethiopians now living abroad, and the return of real peace and stability to the country in general.
The meeting also called on the transitional government to name a commission immediately to enquire into the circumstances of innocent victims of the Derg, and catalog all its crimes against humanity, and violations of civil and human rights for future reference and the benefit of posterity.
A suitable monument was recommended to be erected in memory of all the victims. In particular, the meeting called on the administration to remove the remains of Emperor Haile Selassie, whose where abouts was reported to have been located, to a more suitable site, and rebury it with due honor in the presence of all the members of the royal family, and world leaders.
The event received full coverage in national media.