By Tedla Asfaw
Ato Seye Abraha, former defense minister of Ethiopia under the regime of Tigrean People Liberation Front (Woyanne), has been active since he has been released from jail few years ago. He came out in public on VOA Amharic after he was released and told Ethiopians that he was jailed for personal vendetta and was not involved in any corruption he was accused for which he spent more than six years in jail. I had congratulated him then for being out of jail and be with his loved ones. What I am going to comment here is based on his recent speeches and writings as “free” man that makes me believe that he is the next man to replace Meles Zenawi to save TPLF.
On his recent speeches and writings it seems that he is ready to join the so called “election” in 2010. On his recent appearance on Andenet/UDJ party meeting as guest he was received with wide applause and seems that he has political future. However, he has not so far formed or join any party except giving speeches. He recently wrote more than thirty pages in Amharic on the political situation of our country and his recommendations.
No doubt, Ato Seye Abraha is directly speaking to members of TPLF/EPRDF who are and will continue to dominate any “election” in the future. Yesterday, on VOA Amharic he said emphatically that TPLF/EPRDF made a mistake on jailing Birtukan Medeksa and opening up the “wound”, defeat of TPLF, of election 2005. He demanded for her immediate release to avoid popular anger and revolt to continue the path to “peaceful” struggle. Stay tuned he will be the VOA Amharic guest today.
I am sure many of his former buddies who are now controlling the parliament are also seriously thinking to save TPLF, to keep their wealth and power. Why jailing the popular leader and spoil the coming fake election of 2010 which surely Ato Seye Abraha, Gebru Asrat ready to join according to the recent speeches Seye gave.
Ato Seye might join the parliament running as individual to work with his buddies in parliament who are known for voting anti-people legislation to keep TPLF in power for years to come. TPLF will have one of its “leader” in the parliament in the name of opposition to charter its future after Meles’ retirement due to foreign countries pressure and save TPLF as reformed party with a new leader, Seye Abraha.
Nothing is impossible on politics driven by ethnic loyalty. Ato seye’s only problem has been Meles Zenawi and the rest as he told us on his speeches and writings is a foundation for our country’s future. For Ato Seye Abraha the Constitution of TPLF is a must and one thing he doesn’t want to admit is that the TPLF constitution was a document imposed on our people not a product of any democratic deliberation.
We have to start from scratch Ato Seye if we are serious to save our country. However, if the intention is to save our own ethnic domination by staging another fake election, we might succeed in cheating few people and collaborate with known opportunist political parties. But the majority of the people will not be part of such enterprise and repeat May 2005 again. Our people demand is total freedom that was snatched by killing squads of TPLF four years ago. The Freedom Train that was derailed in 2005 is fixing its tracks and ready to rumble to make a promising future for our people and no force can derail it this time.