UDJ leaders take a retreat in Sodore

The top leadership of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ), including the chairperson, Wzt. Birtukan Mideksa, went to the resort town of Sodore (130km southeast of Addis Ababa) on Monday to relax and also try bring harmony among the different factions of the leadership that are currently at loggerheads.

The Sodore retreat had often turned into series of heated debates particularly between those who believe that Kinijit made the right decision NOT to enter the rubber-stump parliament, and those who violated the party’s decision and resent that they are being looked down on by the others as untrustworthy.

Meanwhile, the top leaders of UDJ are currently being courted by the American Ambassador Donald Yamamoto and other Western ambassadors to take part in the 2010 elections without any preconditions.

As we reported last week, Ambassador Yamamoto invited Wzt. Birtukan and four other top leaders of UDJ to a lunch on July 8 to discuss elections.

According to Ethiopian Review sources, Yamamoto told the UDJ leaders that he will stay as ambassador until after the 2010 elections and has tried to assure them that the road will be paved for them to freely participate in the elections.

The ambassador admitted that there is a one-party system in Ethiopia, and the U.S. Government wants to movement toward a multi-party system, according to ER sources.

The American ambassador also told the UDJ officials that the U.S. policy towards Ethiopia is being transformed, in that terrorism is no longer a dominant factor in the decision making process. He advised Wzt. Birtukan and friends that the U.S. will start focusing on good governance and human rights, and that UDJ needs to take advantage of this transformation of U.S. policy.

The UDJ officials also met with French diplomats and held similar talks.

In all of this, the party seems to have forgotten about the people as if they have no say. Currently, UDJ is completely detached from the people of Ethiopia.