Chairman of the Coalition for Unity & Democracy (CUD), Ato Hailu Shawel, declared today that his party will not enter the parliament. Ato Hailu made the announcement after explaining why his party was forced to reject the result of the May 15 elections that was announced by the National Election Board (NEB). Ato Hailu pointed out the reports by the European Union Election Observers Mission (EU-EOM) and the Carter Center that recently issued reports supporting CUD’s claim that the NEB was biased and unfair. The reports by EU-EOM and the Carter Center accuse the NEB of conducting an election that did not meet international standard.
Ato Hailu announced CUD’s decision not to enter parliament at an Ethiopian town hall meeting in Washington DC this afternoon. His announcement drew a standing ovation from the large crowd. Ato Hailu explained that CUD’s stand on this decision is unanimous among the council members.
Ato Hailu also announced that CUD will participate in the nationwide pro-democracy demonstration that was called by United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF). The UEDF leadership conference has set the date of the demonstration for October 2.
Regarding CUD’s the next steps, Ato Hailu explained that from now on the lead demand and slogan (motto) of CUD and all Ethiopians should be the immediate resignation of Meles Zenawi’s regime that has been completely rejected by the people of Ethiopia.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has been dealt another blow as the Carter Centre has resonated many of the findings of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) on the May National Elections in Ethiopia. But the conclusion of the hard-hitting report appeared a bit patronising.
In a final statement it released yesterday, the Carter Centre, which deployed the second largest observation team across Ethiopia, highlighted a catalogue of unfair malpractices and irregularities committed by the ruling party. “While pre-election and election day processes were generally commendable, the post-election period was disappointing,” the statement said.
Even if it said that the election demonstrated “significant advances to the democratization process”, it indicated that the post-election period was marred by highly charged political tensions, protests, violence, large number of complaints and delays in vote count and tabulation. It referred to the electoral dispute resolution process set up by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), as “prolonged and problematic.”
The statement exposed the inadequacies and inefficiencies of the Complaints Review Boards (CRBs) and the Complaints Investigation Panels (CIPs) that were set up after opposition parties were pressurized to sign a tripartite agreement with the ruling party and NEBE. Being composed of representatives of the disputing political parties, the election dispute resolution mechanism was widely seen as aborted at its inception.
In a stinging attack on the failed mechanism, which ended up restoring lost sits for the ruling party, Carter pointed out that both the ‘review boards’ and the ‘investigation panels’ have failed to redress irregularities and flaws. “ In retrospect, the CRB/CIP process did not provide an adequate means for a fair resolution of all electoral disputes.”
The statement clearly indicated that there were serious issues of concern such as, “Inconsistencies in the application of rules for the admission of evidence and witnesses, credible reports of intimidation of witnesses, apparent partisanship on the part of NEBE presiding officers, intentional delays on the part of opposition parties and withdrawals from the process by the opposition parties, resulting in decisions being taken in their absence.”
According to the final statement, to be followed by a detailed final report, though the May 15th polling and tabulation appear credible and reflected the competitive nature of the elections, “ a considerable number of the constituency results based on the problematic CRB and CIP processes lack credibility.” It noted that the decisions of CRBs and CIPs should not be taken as final due to the fact that they were set up as ad hoc mechanisms to review elections complaints. “The prescribed legal recourse to challenge these decisions is via an appeal to the High Court,” it said.
Unlike the EU-EOM preliminary report, the Carter Centre fell short of placing an emphasis on the lack of independence of the judiciary. One of the most contentious issues that have taken centre stage during the pre and post election debates is still the role of Ato Kemal Bedri, who enjoys duplications of authority as Chairman of the NEBE, President of Council for Constitutional Inquiry and President of the Federal Supreme Court. “Election is a highly disputable political exercise. If the most senior judge in Ethiopia is caught up and involved in such politically charged disputes, it calls for his resignation from his position as President of the Federal Supreme Court and the reconstitution of the court to restore its impartiality and public confidence in the courts,” said ex-prisoner of conscience, Yehualshet Mekonen.
“Judges are normally supposed to resolve disputes legally and impartially. When Meles Zenawi appointed Chief Justice Kemal Bedri as chairman of the election board, it automatically gave the impression that the PM hired the President of the Supreme Court as his defence lawyer.
“As it turned out time and time again, the opposition had little chance of success in winning a case as the Federal Supreme Court, the highest court of appeal in Ethiopia, will continue overturning the decisions of the lower courts,” he said.
The press statement also confirmed that there was credible violence and intimidation against the opposition. “In the instances where claims of violence or intimidation were credible, our observers noted a climate in which candidates felt constrained to campaign and voters to choose without fear of repercussions.” It also described as “disturbing” accusations by the ruling party that the opposition were bent on undermining the election.
With regard to the Somali Region elections held on 21st August, the Carter Centre also echoed the conclusions of EU-EOM. It said: “On election day, Carter Centre observers found that polling stations were chaotic, with the voting process extremely disorganized. Observers uniformly witnessed instances of underage voting, multiple voting, heightened security presence openly partisan polling officials, and open campaigning on voting day in and around polling stations. Opposition parties did not engage in the process in many areas.”
Despite the critical nature of the statement, which has highlighted the catalogue of serious irregularities and flaws in the national election, the conclusion of the Carter Centre appeared to have lacked depth and have also gone way beyond its mandate as an election observation mission. The Carter Centre declared that it was incumbent upon the opposition to file appeals to the High Court in an expeditious manner. “If parties decide not to file court appeals, the NEBE’s announced results should be accepted as final and legitimate.”
However, observers believe that Carter should not have issued an ultimatum to pressurize and corner the opposition to go to court in the absence of an independent judiciary. “The mandate of an election observer does not extend far beyond establishing whether the elections meet international standards or not. It is ultimately up to the electorate to accept or reject TPLF’s power by deception,” said Yehualshet Mekonen
“Carter practically contradicted all his credible findings by saying the election was unfair but the results should be accepted if you don’t appeal to TPLF’s kangaroo court for justice.”
In its executive summery, the report stated: “The Carter Center observation has been conducted according to international standards for non-partisan election observation and is in accordance with the Declaration of Principles for International Observers. Ultimately, it is the citizens and voters who determine the credibility of their elections.”
“I think the final sentence should have been the conclusion of the report. Carter or any other party should let the nation to determine whether continue being ruled by either robber barons like Meles and his opportunistic vultures or by a government elected and endorsed by the people. Our choices are clearer more than ever before,” said Yehualshet, who is currently living in the UK.
The Carter Centre, set up in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, deployed 50 international observers including his wife, Rosalynn, former Botswana President Sir Ketumile Joni Masire, and former Prime Minister of Tanzania Judge Joseph Warioba.
Ethiopian government officials have not indicated yet as to whether Prime Minister Meles is to take up the challenge of producing another record-breaking ‘letter to the editor’ to the Ethiopian Herald to refute the stark findings of the Carter Centre, despite its poor conclusion.
New York protest rally – Thursday, Sep 15
Purpose: To confront Meles Zenawi who will give a speech at the UN General Assembly’s World Summit on September 15
Place: The rally will be held at Dag Hammarskjold Plaza in front of the UN Headquarters.
Time: Starting at 10 AM
Organizer: Supporters of CUD/UEDF and the Ethiopian community in the New York area, email [email protected], tel: 718 658 1136
UPDATE 9/15/05 – 1:30 AM
Washington DC – We are ready, the marchers are ready, the busses are ready… in a few hours we’ll be on our way to New York. We’ll post a report and photos when we return from New York tonight.
UPDATE 9/13/05
Meles, Seyoum and gang have arrived in New York today… ENA
The NY rally organizers will hold a teleconference tonight at 9 PM to finalize preparations. Coordinators from Washington DC, Atlanta, Boston, Michigan, and Ohio will participate in the meeting. Tensae Radio lead lawyer will brief the participants about the latest development in the legal case.
UPDATE 9/12/05
Those of you who cannot go to New York but wish to make financial contribution to help us pay bus rental, please call: Washington DC 202 369 9543; Boston 617 293 1562; Atlanta 678 437 5597
UPDATE 9/12/05
Contact info for those who travel from outside New York
Washington DC:
Ethiopian Review 202 369 9543
Ene Lehagere 301 613 9157
Voice of Ethiopian Unity 301 905 2328
The meeting point is St. Mary’s Church in Washington DC (13th and Buchanan) at 5 AM, Thursday, September 15. PLEASE BE ON TIME. The bus departs Washington DC at 6 AM. Must reserve seats in advance. Call us now (202 369 9543 or 301 613 9157) and register.
Atlanta:
678 437 5597, 404 414 4113
Boston:
CUD-Boston: 617 293 1562 or 617 785 4795
Deadline for reserving seats is Tuesday at 11 PM. Please make your reservations as soon as you can.
Where are Ethiopians in Philadelphia?
Final teleconference for organizers of the New York rally will be held tomorrow (Tuesday) at 8 PM. At Sunday’s teleconference, organizers from Atlanta, Ohio, Washington DC, Boston, New York and North Carolina were present.
UPDATE 9/11/05
Ethiopians and friends of Ethiopia in Boston who wish to participate in the New York rally, please call: 617-293-1562 or 617-785-4795
Washington DC, please call: 202 369 9543, 301 905 2328, or 301 613 9157
UPDATE 9/10/05
The New York Rally Coordinating Committee held a teleconference tonight. Representatives from Washington DC, Boston, and Atlanta were present. The meeting discussed how to publicize the rally and provide transportation for those who wish to come from outside the New York area. The organizers in Boston and Atlanta will give out their contact info shortly for those who wish to reserve seats. Those in the Washington DC area can call 202 369 9543 to reserve seats. For for updates and more information, please continue to visit this site, and also listen to the VOE Radio in Washington DC tomorrow (Sunday) from 2:00-2:30 PM, and Negat Radio on Monday and Wednesday from 10 PM – 12 Midnight. Negat Radio can also be heard online at www.negatradio.com.
There will be another teleconference tomorrow (Sunday) night at 8 PM. The Coordinating Committee invites Ethiopians in Philadelphia, North and South Carolina, and other states in the east coast to participate and help organize the New York rally on Sep 15. To participate in the teleconference, please call 202 369 9543.
We have reserved vans for those who wish to travel to New York from Washington DC. If you wish to go to New York with us, please call 202 369 9543. We’ll ask a $25 contribution from each traveler for paying van rental and gas expenses.
Please continue to visit this page for further updates.
The Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party (EDUP-Medhin) central committee met all day and night yesterday to come to an agreement on whether to hold the party’s general assembly that is scheduled for Sep 17, ahead of the CUD merger on September 24.
EDUP-Medhin is one of the four parties that make up the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), which was created in February 2005.
After a long, heated debate, the EDUP central committee decided with a 16-13 vote to hold the general assembly.
The debate started when the leadership proposed that the scheduled EDUP general assembly be canceled since the party will no longer exist after September 24, when the CUD becomes a unitary party.
Previously, it was expected that the current EDUP top leaders will continue in the CUD-central committee, but lately, there is a growing frustration among the rank and file members who are saying that the EDUP top leaders are not representing the majority’s view in the CUD council.
There is also a widespread resentment toward the top leaders who agreed to the proposal that EDUP would send only 18 representatives to the 60-member CUD central council, while the much smaller parties, Kestedemena and EDL, who have a handful of members and were created just a few months ago, can send 12 representatives each. They are concerned that the new CUD leadership will be filled by new comers whose stands are not well known to the public, while those who have been at the forefront of the struggle for several years will be sidelined. Many are also puzzled by the rush towards merger, while the public’s focus is on getting back their stolen votes.
(Article written by Anders Sundnes Loevlie , translated by Anti Yara Award Committee).
Source Dagsavisen, Norway)
August 28, 2005
Mari Boine og Sissel Kyrkjeboe may decide to cancel their performances in the Oslo Concert Hall when Hydro (Yara) intends to award a prize to the prime minister of Ethiopia next week. That prime minister is associated with political violence, serious breaches of human rights, and corruption.
Today, Hydro is celebrating itself with a magnificent peoples’ festival in the Frogner Park in Oslo. Among the artists, who are to perform before ten thousands of those present we find Sissel Kyrkjeboe. According to plan, she is also expected to perform when Hydro’s daughter company Yara awards the prize named “African Green Revolution Yara Prize” in the Oslo Concert Hall next weekend, together with Mari Boine, among others.
But it may now happen that the two artists will decline to do so after all. The reason is that exile Ethiopians have requested that the two well known artists not to attend the award ceremony. Indeed, the award is to be given to the Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi, who is suspected of seriously violating human rights. He has also been accused of election frauds which were held May 2005, and during which around forty people were killed when the prime minister’s private army attacked demonstrators.
Mari Boine is considering cancelling her appearance, but she refuses to comment the case before the final decision has been taken, according to her manager Paal Gjersum.
Sissel Kyrkjeboe’s manager Arne Svare also hesitates to comment this issue.
-We have not yet made any final decision. There is no information yet that ought to make Sissel drop the concert. But we are aware of the criticism against Mr. Zenawi, and we are now working to obtain information from all of those involved, according to Arne Svare.
Making Fools of Them.
One of those, who are involved in this issue, is Mr. Petter Eide, the Director for Amnesty in Norway.
– Yara has made a giant blunder by giving this award to Mr. Zenawi. They have made themselves looking like fools, he says.
Eide was himself invited to the award ceremony, but he will not attend. He is also of the opinion that Sissel Kyrkjeboe and Mari Boine ought to do the same.
It is his opinion that they ought to inform Yara that they do not feel comfortable, and ideally they should not participate.
Mulu Alem Adam, the leader for the Ethiopian Association in Norway, is of the same opinion.
-This award ceremony is a shame. Both artists and politicians ought to distance themselves from this award. This is no time to sing before the Ethiopian prime minister. How is it possible for him to sit there listening to concerts, while the Ethiopian people are dying? Mr. Adam asks.
According to Yara, this award is given to Mr. Zenawi for him showing great leadership, and for having strengthened agriculture in Ethiopia. But experts are still raising questions regarding Mr. Zenawi’s agricultural policies. Many people do not wish to have their names known; for fear that they may be denied visas to Ethiopia in the future. They point out that there have never been so many people who lack food in Ethiopia as there are today.
– It is totally absurd to give this award to Mr. Zenawi. A number of well documented abuses and breaches of human rights have been demonstrated – ranging from imprisonment without lawful court decisions to torture, murder, and disappearances. In addition, there are serious questions regarding the purely qualified considerations for this award, according to Kjetil Tronvoll, associate professor at the Center for Human Rights in the University of Oslo.
http://www.dagsavisen.no/kultur/article1713130.ece?service=print Aug. 28, 2005.
The government, headed by Prime Minister Bondevik, says ”no thanks” to the invitation, now that the giant fertilizer Yara (previously Hydro) celebrates itself by awarding a prize to the dictator of Ethiopia. The artists Sissel Kyrkjeboe and Mari Boine are considering the same.
(Article by Gunnar Magnus, translated by – Anti Yara-Award Committee).
He is one of the most hated persons in Ethiopia.
This is stated about Meles Zenawi, prime minister of Ethiopia, by associate professor Kjetil Tronvoll at the Norwegian Center for Human Rights. As the boss of the government owned agricultural association, the same man is an important customer for the artificial fertilizer products from Yara (previously the firm of Hydro).
As a part of the anniversary celebration the intent of Yara is to award the newly established Yara-Prize of more than one million Norwegian Crowns (about U.S.Dollar 150,000.-) to Zenawi. This is to take place in a spectacular arrangement in the Oslo Concert Hall. The justification for this prize is that Zenawi has taken “decisive steps in the direction of increased food production and to reduce poverty in one of the poorest developing countries of the world”. It will also be emphasized that he has brought political changes to Ethiopia, and he is praised for his engagement and inspiring leadership.
There are between 10,000 and 30,000 political prisoners in the country, according to Kjetil Tronvoll. He reports that there is torture in the prisons, that there are political murders, and an inadequate system of justice. Around 4,000 members of the opposition parties were arrested and their leaders placed under house arrest after the elections.
Other African countries have human rights problems as well. But Tronvoll makes it clear: This is one of the worst in its class. Here there are documented abuses on a large scale.
Yara has invited the Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik and the political leadership in the Department of Foreign Affairs (UD), the Department of Agriculture, and the Department of Trade to the award ceremony. But neither the prime minister nor any of the other ministers intend to be present. This is confirmed by the Oslo newspaper Aftenposten in an inquiry by phone to the respective departments.
Leiv Lunde from the Department of Foreign Affairs will probably be the only political leader of a department who is going to be present. Lunde confirms that there have been several discussions in his department whether or not to attend.
Is this a signal that the official Norway is going to be represented by only one governmental secretary?
Jan Peterson is pre-occupied, and Hilde Frafjord Johnson is visiting Tanzania at present, according to Lunde. And the Aftenposten newspaper is informed by the prime minister’s office that it is not appropriate for any of the other ministers to accept now that Mr. Bondevik himself says “no”.
A Mixed Reception.
Arne Cartridge, the director of communication in Yara, confirms that the invitations that have been sent out have received a mixed reception.
He states: “I do not wish to go into detail regarding the invitations, but they are given to representatives of the official Norway, voluntary organizations, and a broad spectrum of Norwegian society. Some do not wish to be present, some are pre-occupied with elections, but a number have accepted. We believe that there will be around 800 persons present in the Oslo Concert Hall”.
Sissel Kyrkjeboe and Mari Boine are two of the best known artists, who according to plan are to entertain during the award ceremony in the Oslo Concert Hall next Saturday. According to their managers Arne Svare and Paal Gjersum the two artists intend to use the weekend to decide whether or not to attend, since they have been informed – among other from exiled Ethiopians – about Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s disputed position in Ethiopia.
Source: Aftenposten, updated August 27, 2005.
URL http:/www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/okonomi/article1103955.ece
