According to historians, in November 1886, while Menelik was away in a distant corner of the country, his wife, Taytu, decided to move the encampment from Entoto down onto the current site of Addis Ababa. Taytu left the Entoto mountain camp because of the unlikable cool temperature and was drawn to the site of Addis Ababa by the Fil Wiha hot springs. More important than the comfort of the Addis Ababa site was its potential for expansion. The Entoto site could only offer little room for development due to its rugged topography. Because of Menelik’s vision and Taytu’s farsightedness and the decision she made more 120 years ago, Addis Ababa is now developing and expanding offering the city a new look and personality.
I returned from Addis after a short visit in February 2008, which gave me the opportunity to observe a great contrast that extends from the booming of attractive modern buildings and upgrade of the road systems to the alarmingly deteriorating environmental conditions of the city. In what follows, I will try to recount from my perspective the highlights of both the ameliorating and deteriorating aspects of the city, and few comments about the city administration.
Development
One does not have to spend a long time in Addis Ababa to realize how much the city is changing in terms of roads and new buildings. In the blink of an eye almost, a new construction site emerges somewhere in the city. Private investors and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) are in rush-mood to grab every available piece of land for building modern buildings. The government is solely busy upgrading the major roads using loans secured from international banks and organizations. Speaking of loans, according to the World Bank, Ethiopia has earmarked nearly $1.0 billion of which $0.6 billion is loan from World Bank in the last 15 years for road maintenance and upgrading. The fundamental question is: Is the loan real national economic driven or is it the result of an economic-hit-man shackling the country in debt for generations to come? The answer to this question is not within the scope of this article.
Let’s look at the road upgrading activities in Addis Ababa. By the way, the road upgrading is not limited to the city. There are also major activities outside of Addis. In Addis Ababa, the most notable road upgrades are Tele Medhane Alem-ST. Ourael road, Adwa Ring Road Square-Adwa Bridge Road, Gotera Interchange Roads, and the expansion of the road connecting Arat Killo and Yeka Michael and the multi-Lane Ring Road. The Ring Road, which is approximately 75% complete, is intended to connect all five main gates (Debre Birhan, Debre Zeit, Sebetta, Ambo, and Sululta) in and out of Addis. Heavy trucks entering the city from the five main radial routes will be diverted to bypass Addis Ababa completely or to transfer to another radial route to suit the eventual destination and in doing so avoid the city’s center. The Gotera Interchange Road is expected to ease the overwhelming traffic congestion at the intersection.
With respect to buildings, investors are not wasting any time to fill every available unoccupied space in some sections of the city. Specially, neighborhoods locally known as Bole, Asmera Menged, Aware, Qera, Cherqos, Kazanchis, Lideta, Seratgena Sefer, Iri Bekentu, Qebena, Gola Sefer, etc. have simply run out of land. Even the relatively new neighborhoods such as Gurd Shola, Gerji, and Alem Tena are filling up swiftly. Most of the new high-rise buildings are clustered in the central, eastern, and southeastern sections of the city. The north and west sides of the city, locally known as the Gulele and Shiromeda areas, respectively, are relatively quiescent. For the obvious reason, the most intense areas are around Asmera Menged, Old Airport area, Bole road, and Kazanchis. One of the most extraordinary buildings in town is the Medhane Alem (Savior of the World) Cathedral, locally known as Tele Medhane Alem, situated near Bole International Airport. To mention some of the other most notable buildings: A five-star hotel which is under construction on Bole Road near Meskel Square, a shiny tall building near Ghion Hotel, which is owned by Sheik Al-Amoudi, is nearing completion. If you are familiar with the Kazanchis area, you might as well be familiar with those once popular nightspots known as Six-Doors and Three-Doors where many people used to hang out. However, these bars are now gone in order to create space for many architecturally astounding buildings, including a beautiful high-rise building with a curved glass roof owned by GTZ. Behind the GTZ building, another high rise, nearing completion, for the UNICEF headquarters. Somewhere in that neighborhood is the skeleton of an Irish-funded four-star hotel.
The government is also busy building condominiums (condo) and selling them to people to ease the prevailing housing problem. However, some people complain about the incompleteness of the condos at the time of purchase. Most , if not all condos, have only roofs and walls and are uninhabitable at the time they are sold to the people. They have no toilets, no kitchens, and floors are unfinished. In some cases, even doors and windows are not installed. The buyers have to install doors and windows and complete the interiors. This should not be a major problem, as the situation will allow the buyers to finish the interior according to their own preferences and needs. Some also complain about the inconveniences associated with traditional lifestyle, such as the coffee and sheep and chicken ceremony during holidays. This should not be a problem either, because the aim is to transform Addis Ababa into a modern city with time and the dwellers’ lifestyles should change accordingly.
However, there are some series concerns involving structural quality inspection and safety of septic tanks and sewerage system. It is unknown whether the buildings have gone through the proper quality control procedures to assure compliance with basic requirements of the country’s building code standards, including the ability to withstand high winds and earthquakes, etc. Septic tanks and shallowly buried sewerage pipes are causing series health concerns. Water supply is another problem with high-rise condos. The city water supply cannot reach higher than 3rd floors. By the way, all these problems are valid for all other buildings too.
The government’s effort to construct modern housings and making them available to the people at affordable price is commendable, but those responsible ought to do everything to ensure the condos are structurally and sanitationally safe.
Public Services
World class buildings booming, multi-lane roads flourishing, expenditures for keeping the city reasonably clean, and manage the overwhelmingly traffic congestion could not keep up with the enormous growth of the city. This disparity creates concerns ranging from some level of short-term uneasiness to long-term health vulnerability and life threatening conditions on the inhabitants.
Basic Infrastructures: The city lies at the base of a chain of mountains — the Entoto and Yeka Mountains. The intense rainfall during the rainy season produces a very high sediment-loaded runoff from these mountains. As a result of the incompatibility of the drainage system and increased urbanization, the city suffers from serious flooding when most of the sediment-loaded runoff settles in the low-lying parts of the city. Many of the curb openings are clogged with debris and sediment and some are even closed by new asphalt pavements. After the pooling water evaporates or slowly filters out through the clogged culverts, the dry sediment stays behind, covering the streets and polluting the environment with dirt. Sometimes, it is even hard to tell if a street is asphalt or dirt paved. The flooding and sedimentation problem is not only life threatening, it also shortens the structural life of the road, it also adversely affects health by harming the eyes and respiratory system. The most hazardous situation is when waste water enters the storm runoff or flood and then polluting the streams in the city causing severe downstream environmental degradation.
The city’s sewage disposal facility which serves only a very small neighborhood was installed some 50 or 60 years ago, and the developments achieved since then are insignificant. According to Atlas-Africa (2003), Addis Ababa is the largest capital city in the world that does not have a central sewerage system. Most of the inhabitants use on-site sanitation systems which includes septic tanks and various types of dry-pit latrines that are not well maintained. A general survey indicates a great many use dry-pit latrines, few use septic tanks, and considerable number of people do not have access to any sanitation facilities.
Solid waste disposal is another health hazard in the city. According to an estimate by Addis Ababa University, about 35-40 per cent of the solid waste generated is dumped on any available unoccupied ground and left uncollected for several weeks or even months. It is common to see mountains of garbage blocking sidewalks and streets. No wonder, Forbes magazine recently ranked Addis Ababa as the world’s sixth dirtiest city.
I do not want to sound ridiculous by trying to suggest what the city engineers should do to solve these problems. I am confident they (city engineers), with some consulting assistance, have the knowhow and the skill to design and implement systems that can alleviate the problems. The engineers know watershed management scheme is important to reduce sediment load and flooding. They know retrofitting of flood attenuation ponds and stormwater runoff drainage systems are essential to reduce sedimentation and water pooling on the roads. They know the city has to secure locations to be construction-free to aid flood abatement. They know sanitary sewer overflowing into storm sewer system can pollute sources of water for drinking, bathing, and gardening. They know the city needs more extensive network of sewerage system. They also know that it is an impossible task for the municipality to provide effective solid waste collection and disposal services for the entire city and the role of private sector should be taken into account. What the engineers probably do not know is how to tackle these problems without adequate resources. It takes a consciousness of the government to recognize the existing conditions as a series problem to invest and improve the situation.
Historical Sites and Buildings: Buildings and sites of historical significance are endangered. Over the past century, the city has accumulated different architectural identities varying from traces of Greek, Indian, and Armenian to the Italian occupation era. Naturally, this architecture reflects the background of the city as well as the country at large. Among the most significant historical heritages are: the unique timber buildings in Piassa area; a 5-story stucco building from the Italian occupation era(the Electricity House) in Piassa, Taitu Hotel (Ethiopia’s first hotel, which was built by Emperor Menelik), Arada Post Office, Hunengaw Mera shopping plaza in Mercato, Ras Biru W/Gabriel’s House near Mesqel Square, the former Ras’ house now used as Menelik Elementary School, and Jan Meda race ground. These antique buildings have great historical significance and need to be protected and maintained. Upgrading roads and building new modern buildings by destroying these buildings and historical sites is an irreversible mistake and the government ought to preserve them.
Existing Government Buildings: Existing government buildings are on the verge of collapse due to lack of maintenance. For instance, the magnificent landmark municipality building, apartment buildings, hotel buildings (Ethiopia Hotel, Wabishebele Hotel, and Lalibela Hotel near the stadium, etc.) are standing on their last legs. The question that comes to anyone’s mind is: What is the government doing with these buildings, especially those revenue-generating ones? It appears the government is only collecting the revenue until the buildings collapse.
City Administration
As depicted above, population is exploding, buildings and roads are booming, and international activities are growing in the city. The big question: Are the stakeholders, namely the Federal and City Governments capable of handling the growth? I do not know the answer to this question, but let me share my experience in one of the sub-city offices. Hierarchically, the mayor’s office is at the top of the city government. Under the mayor’s office are 10 Sub City Councils (a.k.a. Kifle Ketemas), and under the Sub City Councils are 103 Kebeles (the lowest level in the hierarchy). One of the tasks Kifle Ketemas are charged with is issuing permits for new construction or changes property owners wish to make on or to their properties. The idea is that the Kifle Ketemas or Kebeles, depending upon the type and nature of the change on or to the property, will ensure that the changes are consistent with the neighborhood, community, and the city’s master plan, in addition to protecting the interests of the property owners and all other affected parties.
Is there a defined guideline for the Kifle Ketemas and their employees to carry out their duties? Do employees have the required skill and integrity to do the job? Is there consistent permit or any application evaluation criteria? According to my casual observations in the Yeka Kifle Ketema, the answer is no, no, and no. Yeka Kifile Ketem is one of the top three most populous Kifile Ketemas with eleven Kebeles under its jurisdiction. Gulele Kifle Ketema is the most populous with 334,000 people. The office of Yeka Kifile Ketem is located on the side of Asmera Road near the Ministry of Water Resources. The workforce size of this office seems reasonable, but violation of office hours—either late arrival and/or early departure—is common and no one seems to be overseeing this.
The application and review processes in this office are in complete disarray. In the absence of any standard guidelines, each applicant is at the mercy of the employee handling the case. Each employee fabricates any criterion to deny or grant the requested permit depending upon the willingness of the applicant to fulfill the employ’s personal “need”. Appealing to a higher authority or superior is not an option because it will not do any good except further complicating the already complicated matter. Superiors, section heads, or even the top person in the office has neither the courage nor the skill to interfere and give direction to their subordinates to resolve the appeal. The other interesting situation is, if an employee is on leave of absence for an extended period, there is no one to fill the void, not even his or her immediate superior. In an event like this, applicants have no choice other than to wait until the employee returns to the office. According to my casual observations, deficiency of the required skill for the position, lack of work discipline, sloppiness, and dishonesty are common on some employees.
The city administration is expected to serve at a highly visible capacity to provide civilized and well-mannered public services. Posting functions and vision on a website is not enough. It is imperative that the City Administration live up to its standard in order to maintain Addis Ababa’s inherited continental capital standing. Remember, in addition to an estimated 4 million inhabitants, Addis Ababa is the house of the African Union, Economic Commission for Africa, and many other international organizations.
—————————–
The author can be reached at [email protected]
What Ethiopians want is not a handout from the U.S., but for the Bush Administration to stop supporting and financing the fascist tribal junta that is pillaging and plundering our country. Most of these books will not even reach the students.
(ENA) – As part of its ongoing commitment to support Ethiopia’s educational system, the American people donated today over one and half million English language textbooks to Ethiopia, the US Embassy in Addis anounced.
The donation is part of President George W. Bush’s Africa Education Initiative, which increases access to quality basic educational opportunities in Africa. The English language textbooks were developed specifically for Ethiopia and are for use in primary schools for grade 5 to 8.
Speaking at the handover ceremony held at Sefere Selam Primary School in Addis Ababa, Dr. Sarah Moten, President Bush’s Coordinator for the Africa Education Initiative said, “Education is the key to future economic growth and lasting democracy, and essential to improving the lives of Ethiopians.
“We are proud to be working in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Ethiopia’s schools to help this country’s children be better prepared for productive futures.”
Also attending the ceremony were Dr. Sintayehu Woldemichael, Minister, Ethiopian Ministry of Education, Dr. Thomas Corts, U.S. Coordinator of Basic Education, U.S. Ambassador Donald Yamamoto and Nancy Estes, USAID-Ethiopia Acting Deputy Mission Director.
Along with the Africa Education Initiative, U.S. support for quality education in Ethiopia includes scholarships that enable girls to complete secondary education, support for teacher training at the primary level, capacity building in planning and management and community empowerment for school governance.
With an emphasis on primary school completion, USAID has been supporting the Ministry of Education in eleven regions since 1995.
Overall, USAID has invested approximately 160 million USD in financial, technical and managerial resources to support its Basic Education Program, the embassy said
The Red Cross is wasting its time and money. Woyanne gunmen are not interested in the rule of law. They don’t even abide by their own constitution that they swore to uphold. They follow the law of the jungle.
—————————
Source: International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) – Switzerland
Addis Ababa (ICRC) – On 15 and 16 April, 100 legal advisers of the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) Woyanne gunmen and mercenaries took part in a workshop on international humanitarian law (IHL) organized by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Addis Ababa.
The participants came from several ENDF units in Addis Ababa, regional commands and training centres, and from all divisions around the country.
“Under IHL, legal advisers of the armed forces should be available to guide military commanders on the correct application of the provisions of the law,” said Jürg Eglin, deputy head of the ICRC’s delegation in Ethiopia.
“They should also advise them on how to ensure that the forces under their command receive appropriate instruction in these provisions.” IHL is a body of law comprising the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977, to which Ethiopia is a party, and various other international treaties.
It regulates the means and methods of warfare, with the aim of striking a balance between military necessity and the principles of humanity.
Under the provisions of IHL, persons who are not or are no longer taking part in a conflict must be spared and treated humanely.
The ICRC is responsible for promoting IHL throughout the world.
It endeavours to make the basic principles of the law known to all bearers of weapons.
In Ethiopia as elsewhere, the ICRC conducts exclusively impartial, independent and neutral humanitarian activities.
For further information, please contact:
Patrick Mégevand, ICRC Addis Ababa, tel. +251 116 478 300 or +251 911 480 921
Anna Schaaf, ICRC Geneva, tel. +41 22 730 2271 or +41 79 217 3217
Sad story, but a happy ending for the two kids. How could we Ethiopians as a society fail to provide for the most basic needs of our children? It’s shame on us all.
A brother and sister from Ethiopia found a home with Canadian parents desperate for their own family
SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA – Tears were nothing new for Tseganesh and her baby brother Misgana.
Born in Kambatta, Ethiopia – a region of nearly one million people that is remarkably difficult to find on a map – they were two of the nameless, faceless Africans born into unfathomable poverty; the dream of even a middle-class existence as achievable as flying like Superman.
Tseganesh remembers when she was not yet four years old, carrying Misgana on her back, walking an hour each way to get a precious little amount of fresh water.
Tapeworms and other illnesses were a too-familiar part of everyday life.
When Misgana was approaching age two, he was so tiny and malnourished he fit clothes made for an infant half his age.
The last memory Tseganesh has of her birth mother is seeing her covered in her own blood.
Tears were nothing new for Treena Constantinoff and Ryan Killoh.
For years, the Saskatoon married couple had dreamed of starting a family, of seeing their baby’s first step; hearing that first word; waving goodbye on the first day of Kindergarten. But, like one in six couples, they were unable to have children of their own.
They tried the old-fashioned way. They spent tens of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments and in vitro. They went through an adoption agency but had no luck in Brazil or Bulgaria. For more than five years, their hearts were broken time and again.
Then, on Sept. 28, 2006, their phone rang.
Killoh’s mind was racing as he immediately relayed the content of the call to Constantinoff at work, although he was having a hard time wrapping his head around what he had heard. Between his mouth moving a mile a minute and his heart pounding even faster, Constantinoff’s husband could barely be understood.
For a majority of the 75 million people living in Ethiopia, hope is a foreign word.
One of the oldest countries in the world – Ethiopian dynastic history is traced back to 1,000 BC – it’s also one of the most destitute. More than 80 per cent of the population lives on less than $2 US a day. Nearly two million people have either HIV or AIDS. The life expectancy is just 49.23 years, 194th out of 217 countries and barely ahead of Afghanistan, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.
Tseganesh remembers vividly the constant pain she felt from being hungry all the time. It was an agony that never went away yet she could never get used to it.
She remembers cooking a meager supper for the family at the age of three, using an open fire, the flame burning her right leg.
She tells the story of the day she and her older brother went for water and found themselves running for their lives from a lion or a tiger. “My heart was beating so fast,” says Tseganesh. (She has some memories of her older brother, but nobody knows what happened to him; Constantinoff and Killoh assume the worst.)
Then, as if the two hadn’t been dealt a miserable enough hand, the pair lost their mother. Tseganesh last saw her mom covered in blood due to a fall from a tree; that’s the explanation Tseganesh heard, anyway. Soon after, a woman – no one seems to know who she was – brought the pair to an orphanage Killoh says wasn’t much better than the streets.
“It’s a toilet,” he says.
The smell was unbearable. The food was barely edible. The two were so skinny, their eyes looked like they were caved in to their foreheads.
Misgana, 18 months old, wasn’t toilet-trained. There were no diapers and when he had an accident he was beaten.
In the first picture Constantinoff and Killoh saw of the kids, Misgana was wearing a pair of girls’ pink sweatpants; it was all they had for him.
There was never any reason for the two to think it would get better, either. Odds were, the pair would just be another statistic.
What they didn’t know was the filthy orphanage would serve as a life-preserver. Within 10 days of them being placed there, a phone call was made to a couple on the other side of the world.
More than 12,000 kilometres from Saskatoon, Constantinoff and Killoh found themselves at a Canadian foster home in Ethiopia, side-by-side with dozens of other soon-to-be parents just like them.
It had been six months since Killoh answered a fateful phone call from the Canadian Advocates for the Adoption of Children (CAFAC), letting him and Constantinoff know there was an 18-month-old boy and soon-to-be four-year-old sister available. When they first looked into Ethiopian adoptions, the two had been expecting a wait of up to a year-and-a-half; this call came after one month. Could they be ready so soon? Constantinoff had just opened her own hair salon so money was tight. Could they get all the clothes and furniture and toys kids need? It was going to be a whirlwind, they knew, but there was no hesitation: These were their kids.
A day after arriving in Ethiopia, Constantinoff and Killoh were looking at the door from which the first family’s children were brought through. Out of the corner of his eye, Killoh saw another door on the other side of the room open. He had a hard time catching his breath when he saw who was coming from that direction.
“That’s them,” he said, nudging Constantinoff.
The two children recognized Constantinoff and Killoh from the pictures sent a few months earlier. Tseganesh remembers being nervous but excited. The kids knew virtually no English – just a couple very important words.
“Daddy?” She hugged Killoh. “Mommy?” She hugged Constantinoff.
Killoh had never experienced anything like it. “It was the warmest hug I’ve ever had,” he said.
The new parents sobbed. They still get misty retelling the story. But these, finally, were tears of joy.
Constantinoff and Killoh were able to offer a better life to two kids but were also overwhelmed by how many more need help.
“I was thinking, preparing for, the worst when we went there and it was way worse than the worst,” said Constantinoff.
“I had no idea there was that kind of extreme poverty. I can’t describe the smells, the desperation.”
Everywhere they looked, entire families lived in alleys and on the streets. Wherever those people stood at any given time could double as a kitchen, a bedroom or a bathroom.
During the rainy season, the sky fills with smoke from raindrops landing on the street fires throughout the region.
Killoh befriended a homeless family behind their hotel, buying them water and food each day they were there. Constantinoff’s heart broke when she saw a young mother walking the streets with a newborn baby. They hear stories from Tseganesh and wouldn’t wish such things on anyone.
That’s why Constantinoff is taking part in the nationwide Walk for Water this week; she’s trying to raise $10,000 by April 22 to provide clean drinking water for people in Africa.
The numbers are staggering. Every 15 seconds, a child dies from water-related diseases, amounting to nearly 6,000 deaths each day. A big reason? The average distance that African women walk to find clean water is six kilometres. It is 12 per cent more likely a child will attend school if water is available within a 15-minute walk rather than a one-hour walk. A mere $25 – that’s one date night at the movies; a daily coffee at Starbucks for a week; a pair of shorts on the 50-per-cent off rack at your favourite clothing store – provides one person in Eastern Africa with clean water, sanitation and better health for life.
“I would really like to make a difference in these people’s lives,” says Constantinoff. “Even just to make a small difference.”
Tseganesh already knows what she wants to do when she grows up.
“I want to save Africa. I want to save the people there,” she said.
She already has the mindset to do it. At the dinner table one day, Misgana didn’t finish his chicken wings. When Killoh put them back in front of him, the three-year-old pushed them away again. Killoh explained that there are plenty of people, including friends and maybe even family of Misgana’s in Ethiopia, that would give anything for just one of those wings.
Tseganesh scolded her brother. “That used to be me hungry. I was one of them.”
The happy new family touched down in Canada on April 2, 2007. In the year since, a far-away place called Warman has become home for Tsegu and Misu, as everyone calls them now.
Misu proudly wore a Saskatchewan Roughriders’ Grey Cup T-shirt last fall. Tsegu can’t get enough of Hannah Montana.
Misu sings Johnny Cash word-for-word (Folsom Prison Blues is one of his favourites). Tsegu is pitch-perfect when she belts out Bob Marley’s Buffalo Soldier.
She loves pizza. “I like beans,” he says.
Misu had never had pants or shorts that fit him. He’s only recently gotten out of the habit of constantly holding onto the waistbands to keep them up.
Tsegu was so skinny at first – she weighed 23 pounds – Constantinoff thought something was wrong with her.
“When we were outside playing, her knees were buckling. I said to Ryan: ‘I think she’s going to need braces.’ She just had no muscle, no development.”
Now, Tsegu looks like a nine- or 10- year-old and talks like an 11- or 12-year-old.
They’ve been to the lake, gone bowling, taken swimming lessons, gone skating. They love grandma and grandpa, auntie and uncle, and, of course, mom and dad.
They celebrated Christmas and saw Santa Claus for the first time.
“He came in the backyard,” says Tsegu, eyes widening at the memory.
They each were thrown their first birthday parties: He turned three on March 15, she’ll turn seven on Sept. 10, although both dates are just educated guesses.
Dad’s the best tickler in the world, says Tsegu. Dad’s also taught them how to talk some smack. (“Do you know a good vet in town? ‘Cause my dogs are sick,” Misu says, flexing his biceps, AKA his dogs.)
It all feels so right, says Constantinoff. It was a long road for all four of them but things couldn’t be more perfect now.
“I don’t know what we did before we had them.”
——————–
The writer can be reached at [email protected]
Ethiopia’s electoral board and several opposition parties are trading accusations of illegal actions as the country prepares for the second phase of municipal council and parliamentary by-elections. VOA’s Peter Heinlein in Addis Ababa reports that as opposition groups battle election officials, Prime Minister dictator Meles Zenawi’s party is poised for a landslide.
Three members of Ethiopia’s National Election Board held an unusual news conference Wednesday amid increasing doubts about the credibility of the local elections being held nationwide.
National Election Board Chairman Merga Bekana Wednesday accused the leader one of the country’s largest regional parties of illegally ordering an election boycott, and suggested the party could lose its legal status. He said the boycott call by Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, or OFDM, chief Bulcha Demeksa, violated Ethiopia’s election code.
“It is unhealthy, it is illegal, because in the middle of the game it is unfair to boycott the process of elections generally,” Merga Bekana said. “The board will take to the attention of …the issue, and the board will assess thoroughly within the legal frame and eventually declare the decision.”
In ordering his party to boycott, Bulcha accused the election board and ruling party officials of vote rigging, harassment and intimidation in the first phase. He said conditions were such that his party, a significant force in Ethiopia’s most populous Oromiya region, had failed to win a single seat.
“Our hopes and aspirations for democracy have been dashed, and at this moment we appeal to our members, supporters and the people of Ethiopia in general to support us in our peaceful struggle against this emerging absolutism and disregard for the supremacy of the law,” said Bulcha Demeksa.
Bulcha accused election board officials of creating conditions to ensure victory for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s party, which is expected to win control of local councils across the country, and to increase its parliamentary majority. He also alleged that voter turnout figures had been grossly inflated.
Speaking to reporters Wednesday, election board chief Merga stood by his estimate of a 90 percent first round turnout, despite eyewitness reports of empty polling stations in Addis Ababa. He also rejected opposition charges of ballot box stuffing.
“As far as the board is concerned, it is just a fabrication,” said Merga. “There is no evidence for that. We have thoroughly discussed about the issue together with his excellency, Ato [[Mr.] Bulcha. We have attempted to solve the problems, and we have solved many of the problems. But when there is no evidence, it is very difficult for the board to solve what they are claiming, so we consider as fabrication.”
A third political party announced Wednesday it will join the election boycott. Kedafo Aidahis, leader of the pro-government Afar Liberation Front told VOA his regional party would withdraw to protest alleged vote rigging.
Even before the boycott calls, independent observers said the election rules had created favorable conditions for a sweep by Prime Minister Meles’s Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front. In a statement issued before the first round, the U.S. based Human Rights Watch said Ethiopian government repression of the opposition had largely prevented political competition.
OFDM chief Bulcha warned Wednesday that Ethiopia is heading towards one-party rule. But election board officials scoffed at the idea. They noted there are still nearly 30 opposition parties participating in next Sunday’s vote.
Political observers here noted that unlike 2005, there are no indications of election related unrest. Post-election demonstrations against alleged vote rigging in 2005 erupted into violence that left 200 people dead and led to the arrest of 30,000 people, including many opposition political leaders.
The Patriarch of Egypt’s Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, had visited Ethiopia over the weekend and told Ato Gebremedhin (formerly Aba Paulos) that he and other officials of the church are holding office to serve the people, to be responsible for their wellbeing, not to have authority over them.
The Pope, who is loved and respected by Ethiopian Christians, was received at the Bole Airport on Friday, April 11, by the fake pope, Aba Gebremedhin, who is a Woyanne cadre.
Ethiopia’s legitimate patriarch is currently in exile after being forced out of the country by the gun-totting former Aba Paulos.
On Sunday, Ato Gebremedhin took Pope Shenouda to Holy Trinity Cathedral Church in Addis Ababa. It was here that Egypt’s Pope chided Ato Gebremedhin by reminding him that he is a servant of the people, and that when people are abused, become hungry, and poor, “you religious leaders have the responsibility to act.”
Pope Shenouda also said church officials must always remember that they are holding office to serve the people, not for the sake of having authority over the people. The thousands of people who were at the church responded to the pope’s comment with laud cheers and gestures of appreciation. That might have been an uncomfortable moment for the Woyanne cadre and real estate developer posing as Ethiopia’s pope.
Pope Shenouda also said that Mengisu Hailemariam had disrupted the historical and close relationship between the Ethiopian and the Egyptian Orthodox churches, but, he added, “God bless him where he is.” The audience erupted in loud cheers and applause, it seems, just to let the current rulers know that they are worse than the Derg.
The pope spoke in English as Mulugeta Asrate-Kassa translated to Amharic. But most people understood what the Pope was saying and did not wait for the tongue-tied translator to react to his sermon.
The 84-year old Pope Shenouda is the spiritual leader of Egypt’s 9.5 million Orthodox Christians.
Tseganesh remembers when she was not yet four years old, carrying Misgana on her back, walking an hour each way to get a precious little amount of fresh water.
For years, the Saskatoon married couple had dreamed of starting a family, of seeing their baby’s first step; hearing that first word; waving goodbye on the first day of Kindergarten. But, like one in six couples, they were unable to have children of their own.
One of the oldest countries in the world – Ethiopian dynastic history is traced back to 1,000 BC – it’s also one of the most destitute. More than 80 per cent of the population lives on less than $2 US a day. Nearly two million people have either HIV or AIDS. The life expectancy is just 49.23 years, 194th out of 217 countries and barely ahead of Afghanistan, Rwanda and Sierra Leone.
The Patriarch of Egypt’s Orthodox Church, Pope Shenouda III, had visited Ethiopia over the weekend and told Ato Gebremedhin (formerly Aba Paulos) that he and other officials of the church are holding office to serve the people, to be responsible for their wellbeing, not to have authority over them.