The Secretary General of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit), Ato Muluneh Eyoel, said today that the party’s supreme council (የላዕላይ ም/ቤት) will hold an emergency meeting Sunday, Dec. 23, 2007. Ato Muluneh sent out a written notice to all members of the council, including those who are currently abroad, to attend the meeting. It is not clear if those abroad can join the meeting via teleconference. Ethiopian Review Radio Network will try to invite one of the executive committee members Sunday afternoon (after the meeting) to give a press briefing about the meeting. Read more from zikkir News Service.

Ethiopian Review will hold a discussion with Ato Zewdalem Kebede on cooperation of Ethiopian opposition groups with the Government of Eritrea Saturday, Dec. 22, at 1:00 – 2:00 PM EST. Ato Zewdalem has visited Eritrea and met with high level government officials earlier this year. He will talk about the positive attitude Eritreans have toward the Ethiopian opposition groups and their willingness to assist pro-unity Ethiopian forces.

The discussion can be listened live at Ethiopian Review Radio Network (click here).

Date/Time: Saturday, Dec. 22, 2007, at 1:00 PM EST

The Martin Luther King Jr. Birthday celebration organizing committee in Atlanta disinvited the estranged chairman of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) from giving a speech.

The committee decided to take this action after learning about Ato Hailu’s dictatorial action last week against members of the Kinijit executive committee.

The committee instead invited Prof. Alemayehu Gebremariam to address the gathering in Atlanta to celebrate the civil right leader’s birthday on January 15, 2008.

Martin Luther King’s birthday is a federal holiday in the United States.

Ato Assefa Dires, who introduced himself as Hailu Shawel’s “chief of staff,” appealed the committee’s decision to the King family and friends, including prominent civil rights leader Rev. Joseph Lowery. He argued that Hailu Shawel is still the chairman of Kinijit. As evidence he presented Kinijit spokesperson Dr Hailu Araya’s interview with the VOA earlier this week. Chief of Staff Assefa was simply told that Ato Hailu’s action is contrary to the teachings and principles of the civil rights community.

When Kinijit delegation led by Bertukan Mideksa went to Atlanta in October, they had visited the King Center and met with Rev. Joseph Lowery and other members of the civil rights community in Atlanta.