Sep 29, 2005 – Addis Ababa

EPRDF at present has either stopped believing in or does not wish to think about peace or to talk about peace or good governance, or the right of citizens to freely deliberate and decide on their shared problems. Otherwise there would not have been so much disruption, fear and turmoil in the lives of citizens in all corners of our country. Moral and ethical judgment in our lives seems to be suspended indefinitely. We have provided you–the press, the public and all other interested parties–with ample evidence of the recent harassment and illegal imprisonment of our party officials and supporters and the closure of our party offices allover the country. (see the attached document)

Unfortunately, EPRDF officials, including the Prime Minster, are telling us that more of this is awaiting the country and the leadership of our parties, with merciless use of the might and force of our own government. The pretexts for this call to mutual destruction, we hear, are two unwarranted accusations. The first is that we are unconstitutional. The fact is we are both duly constituted, legal political parties that contested for government power. With regard to the May 2005 election, we protested that the election was not free and fair and the international, government invited, election observation teams’ reports have in due course vindicated us. The second thing the ruling party says about us is that we are intent on overthrowing the government by force. We have never ever said or written in any form to indicate such an intention. On the contrary, we have untiringly repeated. That hat we would use only legal and peaceful means to promote our political ends.

What is it that UEDF and CUD want? It is very simple and straightforward. We want a peaceful, fair and just solution to the May 2005 election irregularities and to the political impasse it has created. We have also responsibly indicated that we are ready to talk to the ruling party officials without any precondition. Furthermore, we have responsibly put forward A PROPOSAL TO SOLVE THE CURRENT POLITICAL IMPASSE IN ETHIOPIA, a framework, which we believe can serve as an agenda for our roundtable discussion. The crucial points included in our proposal. can be summarized as follows.

. That all military and paramilitary forces be moved away from the day to day life situation of ordinary citizens,

. That all anti-constitutional laws that were passed in the post-May 2005 election period be changed,

. That the judiciary and the police be independent of the other branches of government in their execution of their obligations,

. That media be governed by a truly independent board and be open to the various views and beliefs of Ethiopians,

. That the National Electoral Board is governed by a newly elected, independent and free body.

The suggested interim political arrangement, in the form of National Unity Government, is again simply a way to concretely ensure the institutional backing for the implementation of the above-enumerated wishes of our parties. Incidentally, please note that all of the above points are in one from or another enshrined in the Constitution of the country. Again, if we revert to calling the people to show us their support for our proposal through peaceful demonstration, like the one we have called for Sunday, October 2, 2005, it is because EPRDF is adamant and not responsive. Instead, we hear from some of the leadership of the ruling party, that the above peaceful proposal is characterized as being subversive and anti constitutional. We have been denied, for various kinds of lame administrative excuses, our constitutional rights for voicing our concerns in public.

The ruling party continues to be belligerent in its dictatorial ways and suppressing all alternative ways by the use of force and “administrative legal” means. We honestly believe that EPRDF also should ask itself what it really wants and what it legally can get that is legitimate and acceptable by the people. Most of all the members of the ruling party should be able to talk to their counterparts in the opposition and negotiate in good faith. This is a necessary condition not only for overcoming the present predicament but also fro ruling with any extent of success if they were to stay in power until the next election period. Rule by brute force is passé, not just for us but also for every country that wants to live in peace with itself, with its neighbors and with the rest of the world. We call upon the government to act as a government, to demonstrate the sense of responsibility and to provide the kind of leadership that is required by the Present circumstances.

CUDP and UEDF
September 29,2005
Addis Ababa