Members and leaders of the Coalition for Unity & Democracy (CUD) in Ethiopia are being harassed, tortured and killed by the Meles regime while struggling to liberate our country from tyranny and poverty. Ethiopians around the world are assisting the opposition parties’ struggle at home. Unfortunately, the people who have been assigned the task of coordinating support from Ethiopians in the Diaspora are undermining the struggle by failing to carry out their responsibilities. Instead of organizing fund raising events, lobbying and educating U.S. government officials about the dire political situation in Ethiopia, informing the public about CUD’s activities at home, recruiting new members, etc., members of the CUD committee in Washington DC spend most of their time arguing with each other, picking fights with other groups, trying to prove who’s more loyal to CUD, and debating on trivial matters. They turned the CUD DC committee into a debating society.
Many Ethiopians in the Washington DC area who wish to support CUD’s struggle for peace and democracy at home are frustrated with CUD DC’s lack of leadership. To make matters worse, the CUD DC committee goes out of its way to undermine the efforts of independent groups that have been created by concerned Ethiopians to fill the vacuum. One of these groups is Ene Le Hagere, whose members have succeeded in raising tens of thousands of dollars for CUD. Instead of appreciating the efforts of these people and encouraging to do more, the CUD DC committee is actively undermining their activities. One egregious example is that Ene Le Hagre had called a public meeting recently and invited CUD and UEDF officials to talk about their activities and plans. After the group announced the date of the public meeting, CUD DC called its own public meeting one week in advance without any preparation. The meeting turned out to be a debacle since it was organized hastily just to throw off Ene Le Hagere.
It’s unbelievably idiotic for the CUD DC committee to turn away concerned Ethiopians such as Ene Le Hagere and others who have come together to support CUD’s struggle inside the country. Successful political parties around the world actively seek the help of independent groups. CUD DC is doing it the other way–it actively pushes away those that wish to help, like an exclusive country club.
CUD members and leaders, both at home and in the Washington DC area, need to start asking questions. What is going on with the CUD DC committee? Because of the troubles the CUD DC is creating, tens of thousands of dollars that have been collected are tied up and kept in the bank. This money is desperately needed in Ethiopia.
CUD leadership in Addis Ababa needs to take action. ER recommends that CUD’s chairman send a well experienced organizer to Washington DC whose task will be to dissolve the CUD DC committee, fire its leaders who are currently sleeping at the wheel, develop a strong organizational structure, and allow members to democratically elect new leaders.
A person well suited to carry out such a task is Ato Andargachew Tsige, who played a major role in devising CUD’s organizational structure and campaign strategy.
If the CUD leadership in Addis Ababa fails to do this soon, the enormous potential of the Ethiopian community in the Washington DC area to support the struggle at home will stay unrealized.
ADDIS ABABA, 15 August 2005 (IRIN) – A senior US legislator met rival Ethiopian political leaders for closed-door talks on Monday against a continuing stalemate over results of the disputed 15 May national election, officials said.
Republican congressman Chris Smith held talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi just days after his party won a majority in parliament in polls marred by allegations of massive electoral fraud.
Smith also met with key opposition leaders, who have warned that further violence could erupt in the impoverished nation if the political impasse is not resolved.
The country’s two main opposition groups – the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) – have also said they may contest the election results in court.
Violence flared up a month after the polls, with Ethiopian security forces accused of shooting some 40 demonstrators protesting alleged election fraud.
Smith also held closed-door talks with Kemal Bedri, chairman of the National Electoral Board.
Meles’ ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front won 296 seats in the 547-member parliament, while its allied parties won 22 seats.
The electoral board said CUD won 109 seats while the UEDF won 52 seats. Opposition parties held just 12 seats in the last parliament.
A release by the US State Department had said Smith would discuss “voter rights violations” during his visit.
Ethiopia’s donor community has also called for calm following the release of the final results. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by 21 envoys, the donors called on political parties to help avoid further bloodshed.
“We note reports of irregularities in the process, but we await the publication of the findings of the international observer missions, which will provide a basis for working with all parties to strengthen the democratic system further,” they said.
Ethiopia is due to repeat elections for 31 seats and hold one by-election on Sunday. It is also preparing to hold elections for 23 constituencies in the remote eastern region of Somali, where heavy rains and security concerns delayed the poll.
The elections were seen as a key test of Meles’ commitment to greater democratic reform in the country he has ruled for 14 years. The US and the European Union have urged the government to respect human rights, and have called for an independent inquiry into the killings.
Smith was later due to travel to Sudan, where he would tour camps for displaced people in war-ravaged Darfur.
They say their supporters have been harassed and thousands of voter cards stolen. Election officials have denied the accusations.
The vote is being held later than the rest of Ethiopia, which voted in May, due to security fears and problems reaching the Somali region’s nomads.
The ruling party has already retained its majority in parliament.
“After observing the situation… we have all decided to boycott the election in the region in order to save our people from a disastrous fate,” said a joint statement by the Western Somalia Democratic party, the Coalition of Somali Democratic Forces and Dall-Wabi People’s Democratic Movement.
Joseph Nur, vice chair of the Western Somali Democratic Party, said: “At least 10,000 voter cards have been stolen and many are on sale in local markets.”
The Somali-based parties also accuse officials from the National Election Board of colluding with the government.
Voters in the 23 Somali constituencies are due to go to the polls on 21 August, along with voters in 32 other constituencies where irregularities were found.
At least five people were killed in grenade attacks in the Somali region last month, which have been linked to electoral tensions.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) already has 296 MPs – enough for a working majority in the 547-seat parliament.
However, the national opposition has also complained of electoral fraud and has threatened to go to court.
Despite their anger at the way in which the elections were held, the opposition parties will be greatly strengthened in the new parliament.
They now hold 174 seats – compared with just 14 in the last parliament.
BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4156872.stm
CUD candidate Ato Desta Kasse told Ethiopian Review today that he will not compete with EPRDF candidate Bereket Simon in the reelection that was called by the Election Board.
Even though Ato Desta won the election, the EPRDF Propaganda Minister Bereket Simon demanded reelection saying his opponent cheated. Without talking to Ato Desta or any of the Bugna woreda residents, the Election Board agreed with Ato Bereket and called a reelection for August 21. The Election Board chairman Ato Kemal Bedri fired all election officials in the Bugna woreda and brought new officials from other regions who are EPRDF cadres.
Currently, under Ato Bereket’s order, EPRDF cadres, supported by Federal police, are rounding up young people through out the Lalibela area and detaining them to preempt any protest ahead of the re-election. People who are suspected of supporting CUD are also being fired from their jobs.
Ato Bereket and his heavily armed cadres are terrorizing the people of Wollo at this very moment. They are crying out for help.
Ato Desta said that under these circumstances, participating in the reelection will be useless.
CUD candidate Desta Kasse is boycotting the re-election in Lalibela
August 15, 2005
Ethiopian Review
CUD candidate Ato Desta Kasse told Ethiopian Review today that he will not compete with EPRDF candidate Bereket Simon in the reelection that was called by the Election Board.
Even though Ato Desta won the election, the EPRDF Propaganda Minister Bereket Simon demanded reelection saying his opponent cheated. Without talking to Ato Desta or any of the Bugna woreda residents, the Election Board agreed with Ato Bereket and called a reelection for August 21. The Election Board chairman Ato Kemal Bedri fired all election officials in the Bugna woreda and brought new officials from other regions who are EPRDF cadres.
Currently, under Ato Bereket’s order, EPRDF cadres, supported by Federal police, are rounding up young people through out the Lalibela area and detaining them to preempt any protest ahead of the re-election. People who are suspected of supporting CUD are also being fired from their jobs.
Ato Bereket and his heavily armed cadres are terrorizing the people of Wollo at this very moment. They are crying out for help.
Ato Desta said that under these circumstances, participating in the reelection will be useless.
Ethiopian Review will conduct a teleconference with Ato Desta tonight (Aug. 15) at 11 PM EST to let Ethiopians around the world hear about the plight of the people in Wollo.
To attend the teleconference, please call 217 322 6922, PIN 1000#. Call 15 minutes early. If you have questions for Ato Desta, please email them to: [email protected]
The Federal High Court on Wednesday sentenced to death Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie, who served as Minister of National and Public Security, and General Leggesse Belayneh, who was head of Central Investigation Department during the former military regime.
The Court has also sentenced other eight convicts in the files of Colonel Debela Dinsa and accomplices from 10 years to life in prison.
Accordingly, the third criminal bench of the court sentenced to life in prison Colonel Teklemichael Armidae who was head of Anti-Rebellion and Police special Investigation Department.
The court has also sentenced to 22 years of rigorous prison terms Colonel Shimelis Alemu, who was Head of the so-called Revolution Guard in Addis Ababa General Council, and Seyoum Woldemichael, who was head of Investigation Team under the Derg regime.
The Court sentenced Dr. Alemu Abebe, who was Chairman and Mayor of the Addis Ababa General Council to 20 years rigorous imprisonment, while it sentenced Colonel Admasu Gessesse, who was Deputy Head of the Central Investigation Department to 18 years in prison.
The Addis Ababa General Council Revolutionary Campaign Coordinating Committee Chairman and Administrator of the former Shoa Province, Colonel Debele Dinsa, and Representative of Uniformed Personnel at the former Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Major Rondasa Birratu have each been sentenced to 13 years rigorous prison terms.
Another convict named Abera Yemane-ab, the head of Urban Dwellers Associations Organizing Department, is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
While passing the sentence, the court said Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie and General Legesse Belayneh have played prominent roles in the inhuman persecution of political dissidents by setting up and coordinating institutions of torture under the so-called Revolutionary Central Investigation and Police Special Investigation Departments.
In one of such institutions which used to be called Bermuda, prisoners were exposed to extremely inhuman tortures, according to the court.
Victims of such excessive tortures were used to be wrapped by plastic sheet to protect the torturers from getting splashed with blood or pus of the victims in successive round of tortures.
Apart from the routine whiplashes and beatings, victims also used to be electrocuted, it was indicated.
After the tortures, victims were used to be covered by a chemically-treated cloth that will lead them suffer extreme eye irritation, to the extent that they could not see for sometime.
Human witnesses have testified to the court that victims that suffered the stated kind of torture were taken out of the prison cells and never returned as they were persecuted to death.
