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EDITOR’S NOTE
The correct definition of ‘chigaram’ is not ‘beggar’. ‘Chigaram’ means ‘ravenous’ in English, i.e, some one who is extremely greedy, and always begs without any self-pride, or steals and robs when possible, even if he is a multimillionaire. A good example of “chigaram” is Woyanne.
A halo around the sun startled people in Ethiopia during Sunday’s local elections, with many seeing it as a miracle or a sign from God.
The ring of light caused by sunlight refracted by ice crystals hung in the sky for almost an hour before it finally faded and disappeared.
Some Ethiopians say it last appeared in 1991 before a military regime fell.
But the BBC’s Elizabeth Blunt in Addis Ababa says there is little chance it could augur change this time.
She says the overwhelming majority of candidates are from the government party.
Churchgoers who had flocked to see the visiting Patriarch of Alexandria, Pope Shenouda, acclaimed the phenomenon as a miracle, or at least a sign of a blessing from God.
Pope Shenouda himself believed it was a signal from above.
“We accept any sign from God to encourage us in our way,” he said, “and confirm that we are going right in our way.”
Abuna Paulos Ato Gebremedhin, the Patriarch of Ethiopia Woyanne cadre, added his voice to those who believe in signs from God.
“If God reveals himself from the sky,” he told a press conference, “we believers do not get surprised. We only rejoice and double our efforts to thank God. Thank you, God, for revealing a sign.”
Dictatorship
But others looked for more secular implications.
Older people in Addis Ababa remember seeing the ring around the sun once before – in the last days of the Derg, the despised military dictatorship, just before its leader Mengistu Haile Mariam fled to Zimbabwe.
But there is little prospect of the government falling in these elections.
The opposition winners of the controversial elections in 2005 in urban areas never took their seats and did not stand again.
The most successful of the other opposition parties pulled out, complaining of intimidation and our correspondent says the results are almost certain to consolidate the ruling party’s hold on power.
Results have not been published yet but an election official said turnout had been massive.
PRESS RELEASE: Ethiopians for Obama
We have set up a new website where Ethiopian-Americans can go to a central location to find out about events that we are planning, efforts that you can take part in, and also learn a bit about your fellow Ethiopian-American compatriots.
ethiopiansforbarackobama.com has four main areas:
* The main story: The main story is the event that is planned that you can take part in. If you are wondering what event is planned, whether its a volunteer effort, a fundraising drive, or a phone banking effort, you can go to ethiopiansforbarackobama.com and find out about any event that is in the works. The main story can also be a story that is relevant to the Ethiopian-American community from a political or a socio-economic perspective
* Fund-raising goal: People have mentioned in the past that the link to our group fundraising goal did not work. That issue has been resolved. As of now, we have raised $105.00 as a group. Our goal is to raise $10,000 on line between now and the end of May. Whether you want to contribute $10.00 a month or $50.00 once, you can do so by going to the donation link at ethiopiansforbarackobama.com
* Person of the Week: Each week, a person of the week will be highlighted to show that person’s efforts to elect Senator Obama our next president as well as a bio about him/her. This week’s person of the week is Samuel Getachew. Find out his story at ethiopiansforbarackobama.com Additionally, if you would like to tell your story and why you are inspired by Barack Obama, please submit a brief bio and why you support Senator Obama–along with a picture–to [email protected]
* Hot of the Press: You will find relevant campaign information about the political process at the right side of the website. This section is updated on an hourly basis, so you will be able to find out about breaking news, news about Barack Obama, HIllary Clinton, or John McCain
* Comments: You can leave your comments at the bottom of each main story. You also have an option of forwarding the news stories to others.
As Ethiopian-Americans, it is incumbent upon us to get involved in our democratic process. Debating political issues is not enough; without voting, we will remain an inaudible noise in the land of many voices. We sacrificed to become United States citizens, we have to do our part by voting and taking part in the beautiful democracy of our country.
Dr Berhanu Nega will discuss the current situation in Ethiopia with Ethiopians in Toronto on April 19, 2008.
Place: 40 Donald Ave., Toronto
Time: 2:00 PM
More info: 416 422 2962
The Associated Press
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: A human rights group said Friday that attacks on opposition candidates in Ethiopia had doomed hopes for fair elections this month and it was now “too late to salvage” the vote.
Human Rights Watch said it found that candidates and prospective voters had been threatened, attacked and arrested in the lead-up to the elections. Ethiopia will hold local, regional and some federal elections on April 13 and 20. The main opposition party said this week it will boycott the polls.
“It is too late to salvage these elections, which will simply be a rubber stamp on the (the ruling party’s) near-monopoly on power at the local level,” said Georgette Gagnon, Africa director at Human Rights Watch. “Still, officials must at least allow the voters to decide how and whether to cast their ballots without intimidation.”
Findings from a two-week field study by the group in western Ethiopia support allegations made by the main opposition party, which says that 14,000 of its candidates have been forced to drop out of the race in western and southern Ethiopia because of intimidation, arrest and attempted murder.
Another opposition group says around 3,000 of its candidates have also had to drop out in similar circumstances.
The main opposition party announced Thursday it would boycott the elections. Opposition leader Bulcha Demeksa told The Associated Press that democracy has gotten worse since a 1991 coup brought Prime Minister Meles Zenawi to power.
“Democracy in Ethiopia is stillborn. It is not active now,” he said.
Officials from the National Election Board of Ethiopia denied allegations of irregularities, saying reports of threats and intimidation could not be proven.
“We have a vision as a board, and this vision is to see a valid democratic order in our country,” said deputy board chairman Addisu Gebreigzabhier.
Ethiopians will go to the polls over the next two Sundays, choosing among 4.5 million candidates for about 4 million seats at the local, regional and federal level. Nearly every open seat has a candidate from the ruling party, election officials said.
Election officials say there are 26 million registered voters, about a third of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 80 million.
Ethiopia has struggled with free elections and human rights issues in the past. In 2005, police shot 193 protesters in the aftermath of a hotly contested general election that was condemned for its irregularities by international observers. Zenawi, who was re-elected for his third five-year term, said he believed police were too forceful in controlling protesters but maintains the results were valid.