The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (Kinijit) chairman, Ato Hailu Shawel, will arrive in Washington DC today, Saturday, 4 PM, at the Reagan Airport from Minneapolis. He came to the U.S. on Tuesday and had been staying with his relatives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Hundreds of Kinijit supporters are expected to welcome Ato Hailu at the airport, but the reception is not expected to be filled with the kind of enthusiasm and joy that was seen last Sunday when the Kinijit delegation arrived. Many of those who will greet him at the airport today are angry by his recent behavior. Not only he continues to closely associate himself with individuals who have squandered and diverted hundreds of thousands of the party’s funds, he has also been going against Kinijit’s democratic principles, which he was elected and swore to uphold. His disregard for the decisions of the Kinijit executive committee is an unacceptable behavior in any major political party.
Ato Hailu’s most recent misconduct is his refusal to implement the decision by the Kinijit central council and executive committee to embark on a worldwide tour to mobilize critically needed support for the party.
At first, Ato Hailu agreed and made an official announcement that Kinijit high level delegation, including himself, would travel to the U.S. and other countries. But after the decision was made and he signed on it, he changed his mind and started giving different excuses as to why the tour should be postponed. Later it was revealed that he changed his mind after his close friend Shaleqa Yoseph Yazew and group asked him not to come. The Shaleqa group — which is accused by Kinijit North America auditor and inquiry commission of financial improprieties — is concerned that the delegation would conduct an investigation into the allegations and take appropriate measures. So the shaleqa group started to pressure Ato Hailu not to come to the U.S. To the shock and surprise of many, Ato Hailu has succumbed to the pressure.
After giving all kinds of excuses to delay the delegation’s visit to the U.S., Ato Hailu yet again changed his mind and decided to come after his colleagues arrived in Washington last Sunday. The enthusiastic reception for the delegation by Ethiopians in the Washington DC area may have played a role in his change of plan. Nevertheless, Ato Hailu’s decision to come was received as a good news by many of Kinijit officials and supporters in the U.S.
But the good news is a short-lived one, since it has now been revealed that Ato Hailu changed his mind and decided to travel to the U.S. only after asking the shaleqa group to give him a recommendation on what to do. After a heated debate, the shaleqa group decided to recommend to Ato Hailu that it is a good idea for him to come without any further delay. Among the shaleqa group, the shaleqa himself and Ato Moges Brook, the two individuals who are thought to have direct involvements in the reported corruption, have bitterly argued against Ato Hailu’s visit, according to sources close to the group. But a group within the shaleqa group led by Ato Solomon Bekele has prevailed and sent a recommendation to Ato Hailu.
It is wrong for Ato Hailu to arrive at decisions or make up his mind in this manner, i.e., through the advice and recommendations of a group that has no official leadership or advisory role inside Kinijit, while ignoring the decisions and directives of the executive committee he chairs.
The decision by the Kinijit executive committee to go on a worldwide tour is not the only thing that Ato Hailu has disregarded. He has so far refused to implement the executive commission’s decision signed by himself to terminate the Kinijit International Council (KIC) that is led by the well-known anti-Kinijit Dr Taye Woldesemayat. The KIC is actually run by Shaleqa Yoseph from behind the scene. It is the shaleqa who pays all the KIC’s expenses, including Dr Taye’s airfare, hotel and travel expenses as he travels from city to city to speak with a mostly EPRP audience of 10-20 individuals. When the Kinijit delegation arrived in Washington DC last Sunday, Dr Taye was in Dallas, Texas, holding a public meeting with less then 20 individuals. The once respected Dr Taye has practically turned himself into the Girma Wolde-Giorgis of Shaleqa Yoseph — a puppet.
Ethiopian Review has a great deal of respect for Ato Hailu. At one time we even recommended to the Kinijit executive committee to give him an emergency power so that he can make decisions on urgent matters by himself in times of crisis. Such a power can only be authorized and rescinded by the executive committee or the central council that appointed him chairman. What Ato Hailu is doing now can only be characterized as a reckless disregard for Kinijit’s rules and procedure, and its democratic principles that attracted most Ethiopians to the party.
The executive committee so far has been highly respectful toward Ato Hailu and did not utter any public criticism. At the same time, they are firm in making sure that the committee’s decisions are fully implemented. Otherwise, the party could not have been taken seriously. It would look like a personal fiefdome of Ato Hailu. Kinijit is a people’s party that is governed by democratic principles and a set of rules and procedures. That is why it is able to earn the support of Ethiopians from all walks of life.
It would be great if Ato Hailu comes to his senses and starts to work with the Kinijit executive committee. He has to make a choice between the crooked friends who have encircled him, and the executive committee whose members had languished for almost two years in jail with him. At the same time, the Kinijit executive committee needs to continue to show patience while staying firm about implementing the decision it is making to move the party forward.
Because of his age and worsening health condition, Ato Hailu may retire in a matter of few months. It would be a tragedy if he leaves Kinijit in disgrace after contributing so much for the struggle to bring freedom and democracy to Ethiopia. Great leaders often have sad endings. After leading the U.K. to victory against Nazi Germany, Winston Churchill was defeated at the post-war election, and later on he was forced out of his party’s leadership. Our own Atse Haile-Selassie’s fate was even worse — he was murdered by his own officers and buried unceremoniously. These leaders could have made a graceful exit at the right moment. But they chose to be forced out. There are examples of great endings, too, such as Nelsen Mandela of South Africa. History now remembers these leaders’ positive achievements more than the mistakes they made at the sunset of their career. No matter how Ato Hailu decides to end his political career, when the dust settles he will be remembered in the history books as a national hero who worked tirelessly to bring a better future for Ethiopia.