At the moment, the exemplary work for the respect of the peoples vote in Ethiopia is being carried out by the European Union representatives, while US foreign policy is being driven by a single issue, “war on terrorism”, in the African context

By Kebede D Gashaw

Long before the May elections in Ethiopia, the European Union (EU) has been at the forefront in giving financial support as well as training and preparing candidates for the election. In some cases, the EU had allocated funds in the past to train and educate parliamentarians by granting them visits to Brussels and to member countries legislatures and educating them in the roles that parliamentarians play in democratic societies, the role of government and the governing process.

The EU also pledged to send the largest contingent of observers during the campaign and the election process. The observers more than any other group, (there were two other groups including the Carter Center and the observers from the African Union (AU), were able to diligently execute their duties in a very professional and efficient manner. After the election, they have been the only consistent group that had maintained a fair and balanced effort to address the issues of irregularities, fairness and called for dialog between the opposition and the ruling party. Now, after all the atrocities committed by the Meles Zenawi government over the last eight months, the EU has carried out its moral, political, and economic obligations by not funding the direct aid it has been providing to the Meles Zenawi government, and by this action, the EU has effectively declared that the ruling party is undemocratic, inconsistent, unfair and has committed atrocities on its own people. The EU has been proactive prior to the elections and had given glowing reports about the process prior to the elections and how the process was conducted and the open, un-encumbered political debates held between the parties during the campaign process. After the elections, the EU has been equally critical of the actions of the government and has been calling for a negotiated process to resolve all issues between the opposition and the ruling party.

On the other hand, the other major player in the world seen and in particular in the case of Ethiopia has been the United Kingdom. Prime minister Blair had given an unqualified support to the prime minister Meles Zenawi. Even in the face of criticism from the EU, Britain and Mr. Blair together with the United States continued to give aid, support and comfort to Mr. Zenawi . In an interview with a BBC reporter, he openly declared that his development partners were still with him, even after the massacre of thirty-six innocent students and civilians last June. The demonstrators went out to voice their displeasure of the election aftermath and the rigging of votes and election irregularities. In late November, the British government declared that it will no longer fund direct aid through the government of Ethiopia and was going to with hold over 30 million Euros

Early in November, Mr. Zenawi rounded up opposition leaders from one of the main political parties, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and thrown them in jail. He also rounded up members of the fledgling free press, journalists and reporters of independent newspapers, all in all, more than one hundred and twenty individuals ranging in age from 14 to 75 were jailed and are being accused of treason which is punishable by death.

Mr. Zenawi, once again in November as he did in June, unleashed his special forces against demonstrators that were demanding the release of opposition leaders and the journalists that have been rounded up and thrown in jail, and shot down over eighty people in Addis Abeba, the capital and in other cities around the country. All in all, Mr. Zenawi’s government rounded up and jailed over forty thousand students, civilians, opposition party members and supporters. The intimidation, arrests and killings continue to this day. The government owned radio and TV stations only broadcast government propaganda. What little press freedom that existed prior to the election is no longer in existence.

Ethiopians for the first time in the history of the country felt that what was being preached both in Washington and in Addis Abeba was true and they showed their thirst for democracy by lining up to vote on May 8th, the day of the election. Some were out forming a cue at four-o’clock in the morning standing and waiting in line to vote. Vote they did, an unprecedented turnout of over 90 percent of the eligible voters braved the elements of early morning and the piercing sun of the afternoon and rain in some locations. Vote they did, in spite of all the adversities. They voted out the ruling party in the capital, not even one seat was won by the ruling party. The purge continued in other major cities of the country as well. Once the results of the capital was known, the next day after election day, the prime minister went on the air and declared victory. He sated the obvious, that the capital city has been won by CUD but he declared that his party the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) had won the majority of the rest of the country. This, before his own hand picked National Election Board (NEB) had even had a chance to gather the election results from remote locations and above all, after all political parties had agreed to abide by the rule of not declaring them selves a winner until the NEB gathers all the results and declares and certifies a winner. Against the wishes of his own hand picked national election board. To add insult to injury, prime minister Meles Zenawi declared a state of emergency and banned all political gatherings or demonstrations for one month and put the police, the army and security apparatus under his direct command and control.

As an Ethiopian American, I have been appalled and dismayed by the actions and inactions of the Bush administration. The administration provides lip service to democracy and democratic movements in Africa and in particular in Ethiopia. It seems that foreign policy when it comes to Africa and especially the Horn of Africa is being carried out by the Department of Defense (DOD) rather than the State Department. It has become obvious that US foreign policy is being driven by a single issue, “war on terrorism”, in the African context. Democratic movements and the aspirations of the masses in Africa and in particular in Ethiopia are secondary. The killings of innocent Ethiopians, that were only exercising their constitutional rights to voice their objections to atrocities, vote ragging and irregularities of the election process, is meaningless, immaterial and inconsequential. As long as the election process appears to be fair by African standards. Then the results however the ruling party extracts them are acceptable. These assertions by both Washington and London are not acceptable to the Ethiopian people. They do not see themselves as second class citizens of the world. What is good for Ukraine and Georgia is also good for Ethiopia. Anything less than that is un-acceptable. That is why we see young people defying the killing machines of the ruling party and sacrificing themselves for the betterment of their people and their nation.

The situation in Ethiopia continues to be volatile. If the frustrations of the young and the concerns of the old are not addressed by the ruling party and/or the international community, there is great concern and of an imminent danger. The danger that the peaceful struggle that has been the hallmark of the major opposition parties, will be forced to resort to violence and that will in turn lead to the destabilization of the country. The EU is has been carrying the mantel of a negotiated settlement between the ruling party and the opposition CUD leaders that are still in prison. Here lies the absurdities, the US government fully understands the trumped-up charges that has been filled against these gallant democrats. The US government also is fully aware of the atrocities and the undemocratic actions that continue to be committed by the ruling party. It appears that the US government has sided with the ruling party and the handful individuals that are holding economic power in the country. Much to the dismay of and to the detriment of the promising democratic movement and the aspirations of the 77 million Ethiopians.

Unfortunately, the US is making an effort to expedite the trial of the opposition leaders, while at the same time it is calling for the release of what it calls individuals that have not committed any crime or offense. The US through its ambassador is pressuring opposition party members that have not taken their seats in the parliament to do so even before the release of their leaders that are languishing in the ruling party’s jails. At the moment, the exemplary work for the respect of the peoples vote is being carried out by the EU representatives and without any strings attached in the effort to get a negotiated settlement for the crisis. For that effort, the EU holds the moral high ground.
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Kebede Gashaw resides in California