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UDJ joins the camp of traitors

Ethiopian Review Editorial

The chairperson of Union for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), Wzr. Birtukan Mideksa, held a press conference on Sunday, Oct. 12. In the press conference, Birtukan explained her party’s current and future programs. She talked about participating in the 2010 elections and a budget proposal of 7.3 million birr that will be used to carry out party activities. Birtukan said the money for the proposed budget will be raised from membership fees and other means.

Asked to explain the difference between UDJ and Dr Beyene Petros’ fake opposition party, United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Birtukan said the difference is that Dr. Beyene’s party is organized along ethnic lines.

To the question that UDJ never speaks about the fate of millions of Ethiopians who are facing starvation, Birtukan said that starvation to Ethiopia is not new and that it has become one of those things that Ethiopia is identified with. However, she said, that her party will do a study and present solutions.

Regarding the implementation of the Kinjit 8-Point proposal for participating in future elections, Birtukan answered that as a party that chose to wage peaceful methods of struggle, participating in elections is one of UDJ’s main activities.

Sunday’s press conference has affirmed that UDJ will take part in the 2010 fake elections that will be used only to fool the international community into legitimizing Woyanne as an elected Ethiopian government. Woyanne will then turn around and beg for hundreds of millions of dollars from the international community on behalf of Ethiopia. The donated money will be used by Woyanne to continue pillaging and plundering Ethiopia.

With help from the likes of UDJ the Woyanne tribal junta will get more foreign aid to buy more weapons and continue to commit atrocities against our brothers and sisters in Gambela, Gojam, Gonder, Ogaden, Oromia, Shewa, Sidama, Somalia and other parts of Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. Woyanne will increase the salary of its mercenary army to keep the killers loyal and brutal. A large portion of the money will be siphoned off by the corrupt Woyanne officials.

Thousands have lost their lives, so many have made enormous sacrifices for the principles Kinjit had advocated. By dropping Kinijit’s 8-point Proposal, thus joining the ranks of Dr Beyene Petros and Lidetu Ayalew, UDJ has betrayed the people of Ethiopia.

Kinjit’s 8-Point Proposal states the following:

1. The Restructuring of the Election Board into an Independent body.

2. Freedom of and access to All Media

3. Independent legal system (free from Woyanne party control)

4. An Independent Commission to investigate the killings of innocent Ethiopians following the May 2005 elections

5. Non-involvement of armed forces in political affairs

6. Reinstatement of parliamentary procedures and governance of Addis Ababa in accordance with the verdict of the people

7. Release of all political prisoners

8. Independent commission or body to adjudicate the above.

It is not possible to form a new political party and take part in an election without the implementation of these preconditions. Most of these preconditions are not only true for Ethiopia, but also for countries that are continuously working to build their democracy. They are the foundations for fair and free elections, as well as representative governments.

UDJ’s activities are also nothing but fraudulent. After dropping the 8-Points, UDJ has called itself the former Kinjit and taken funds that were raised for Kinjit in the U.S. and EU. Ethiopians in the Diaspora had made contributions believing that the Kinijit leaders will continue to struggle for the principles they advocated, not to create a new party that surrenders the people’s vote to the Woyanne dictatorship.

Senior UDJ leader Prof. Mesfin WoldeMariam had traveled to the U.S. last July and asked Ethiopians to follow the teachings and practices of the Tibetan Dalai Lama, instead of the teachings of our own Atse Tewodros, Atse Menelik, Dejazmach Balcha and other Ethiopian leaders who kept our country united and respected for thousands of years. It seems like the professor doesn’t know that his hero, the Dalai Lama, currently lives in exile. Does the professor know that there is no such country called Tibet today and if we follow the Dalai Lama teachings, we may lose our country, too?

To add insults to injury, UDJ leaders such as Wz. Birtukan and Prof. Mesfin, have called freedom fighters that are sacrificing their lives for freedom and democracy “primitive” and “neftenoch” — the same word Woyanne uses to demonize the Amhara ethnic group.

As Woyanne currently starves millions of Ethiopians, the UDJ leadership remains mute. When international human right groups raise alarms about the war crimes in Ogaden and Somalia, the UDJ leadership is mute. When U.S. senators work on a bill to stop aid to Woyanne, the UDJ leadership is mute. When Meles admitted to giving Ethiopian territory to Sudan, the UDJ leadership is mute. When the brave EPPF army chased away the occupying Sudanese army, the UDJ leadership called the method used by the brave fighters “backward.”

Enough Is Enough! Ethiopia has seen so many of her own children betray her. Today’s generation of Ethiopians must take the responsibility to confront and expose UDJ and all the other fake ‘opposition’ groups that are helping the Woyanne vampire regime prolong its destructive rule over our country.

LISTEN THE PRESS CONFERENCE HERE

PART 1 [podcast]http://www.kinijitla.org/Audio/Birtukan_Oct_12_08_Part_1.mp3[/podcast]
PART 2 [podcast]http://www.kinijitla.org/Audio/Birtukan_Oct_12_08_Part_2.mp3[/podcast]

57 thoughts on “UDJ joins the camp of traitors

  1. Elias you have hit the nail on the head – the Burtukan group are nothing but a party in disguise working in harmony with tplf – the group does not care about the famine, the injusice and the distruction of the country – they are the hired group of the opposition – they are financed from day one by the known foreign groups

  2. Dear Elias

    I usually follow your editorials. I just came to realize that you are an ardent nationalist with very extreme views against the ruling elites. I really appreciate the fact that you are a nationalist. But, I don’t buy none of your hate-driven and irrational ideas. I think your overall idea boils down to hating Weyane, not the enjoyment and advancement of human rights, rule of law and democracy in Ethiopia. It seems that you have personal grudge against some people in the ruling clique. If you are a rational and true professional you have to clear your mind from hate and unbridled emotion. War and hate can’t solve anything. I think war and hate are the source of all evils in Ethiopia. If at all you believe in armed struggle, you should go to the jungle and prove your leadership skills. Believe me, if you raise arms, I will be second to none to join you. However, crying for war and unreasonably supporting Shabia and other enemies of Ethiopia for cheap strategic reasons makes your cause a result of sheer hate and frustration. Also, crying for war and playing with the valuable life of others while confining yourself within your comfort zone in USA, is ethically egoistic view. I don’t expect you to to be altruistic, but please try to respect the views of other who do not buy your extreme ideas. What UDJ is suggesting may not squarely fit in to your agenda, but it is a basis for lasting peace in Ethiopia.

    Viva Ethiopia
    Long Live Mama Eth
    Death to Fanatics and Extremists

  3. dagnaw,
    which foreign groups are you talking about:”..they are the hired group of the opposition – they are financed from day one by the known foreign groups” ?

    Have at least the courage to tell what you think,that is not too much to ask, others sacrifice even their lives.
    Drop this cowardice behaviour, the more people talk openly the lesser the threat to individuals.
    Now you have left the readers with no other option than guess, i guess you are talking about the western powers in particular USA,England and Germany. So they financed this
    funny party called UDJ from day one, of course aiming to weaken or destroy the strongest and most popular opposition party Kinijit of the great Hailu Shawel.

    And the claim by birtukan that taking part in any election in the future will bring change is nonsense, she also knows that, she can not be that stupid,every kid knows that.
    Unless the 8 points are not accepted by the weyanes taking part in elections or working with weyanes is nonsense.

    So as already said she is planning to use her party as a means of income generation, that is the only reason she now wants to work with meles and co., she and her friends want to lead a comfortable life, get all the privilages members of that fake weyane parliament are getting.

    SHAME ON HER !
    SHAME ON UDJ !
    AND LETS MAKE SURE THEY DO NOT GET WHAT THEY WANT !

  4. Yesterday was election day in Canada, and as I cast my vote I painfully remebered those who perished during the last election at the hands of the tplf murderers just for asking their votes be honoured. Then again their sacrifices won’t be in vain; the struggle is on in all shape and form and it won’t be long before justice and the rule of law prevails on the mother land.

  5. Exactlly today but three years before, November 1, 2005

    The Ethiopian police massacre refers to the violence during June and November 2005 which led to the deaths of 193 protesters, mostly in the capital Addis Ababa, following the May 2005 elections in Ethiopia.

    Protests of the results, led by the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), began on November 1, 2005, and have prompted more than 40,000 arrests. Live gunfire from Woyane government forces has been directed at protesters and bystanders. All the top opposition leaders were arrested, as was the major-elect of Addis Ababa.

    Now all the leaders are released, however some of those leaders forget what happened on that horiable day. And they are still doing the same mistake, if they participate in the next fack woyane election 2010.

    W/rt Birtukan and Eng. Hailu, please think two wise before you participate in the coming fack election. Woyane is still Woyane!!

    I don’t expect free election when woyane is in possition. So anyone who want freedom and democracy for ethiopia should join Ginbot7 movement right now!!

    Luzern,Switzerland

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