October 6, 2005
Ethiopian Review

The 60-member CUD central council will revisit the question of entering or not entering parliament tomorrow. After repeatedly telling the public that the issue of entering parliament is not important, Dr Berhanu Nega and his allies have put the matter before the central council on Wednesday, but the majority decided that it wants to know the result of the negotiation with the ruling EPRDF first. Another council meeting is scheduled for tomorrow, Friday, to discuss and decided on the matter again. Reportedly, the vote on Wednesday was too close, so the CUD Chairman, Ato Hailu Shawel, has canceled his trip to Germany and is flying home to be present at the meeting.

The proponents of entering parliament are using tactics ranging from persuasion to intimidation. One of their arguments is that if CUD votes not to enter parliament, Meles will ban the party and put in jail the MP-elects. Those who oppose entering parliament argue that no matter what, they should respect the desire of the people because without popular support CUD cease to exist as a popular movement. Over 95 percent of the people of Ethiopia told both CUD and UEDF in no uncertain term not to enter parliament before making sure that the votes they cast on May 15 are properly counted.

In this raging debate, the lining up forces looks like this: On the side of those who are pushing for entering parliament are the Meles regime, American and European ambassadors, the factions in CUD that is led by Dr Berhanu Nega, and in UEDF by Dr Beyene Petros. On the side of the people of Ethiopia who have expressed a clear desire on this matter include CUD Chairman Hailu Shawel and about half of the CUD central council, the Chairman of the Coalition of Ethiopian Civic Associations, Dr Taye Woldesemayat, and all the civic associations in the coalition, a large majority of Ethiopians in the Diaspora, and most of the Ethiopian independent press journalists in Ethiopia.

Within the next few days, this matter will be settled one way or the other, but according to many observers it seems that the proponents of entering parliament have the upper hand currently, unless the opposition regroup and fight back vigorously in the next few hours and days. If the proponents of entering parliament win, it would be a betrayal of the people of Ethiopia whose desire of living in freedom and democracy will have been thwarted by the Meles regime with the collaboration of some opposition leaders in whom the people put their trust.

One may ask, what’s the alternative to entering parliament? Please read the following statement by the Network of Ethiopian Scholars as a reference:

No Option Left: Civil Disobedience is Right