Press Release from
Ethiopian Democratic Action League
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The Terrorist Regime of Meles Zenawi Must Resign!
All-inclusive interim government now!
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October 22, 2001, Washington DC: Ethiopian Democratic Action League (Tegbar) is re-launching its worldwide campaign demanding the immediate resignation of Mels Zenawi’s dictatorial regime, to be replaced by an all-inclusive interim government. As part of this worldwide campaign, the Washington DC branch of Tegbar League will resume its weekly demonstrations starting Monday, November 26, from 12 Noon – 1 AM, in front of the Ethiopian Embassy.
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The campaign is based on the April 1, 2001, resolution passed by a worldwide conference of Ethiopians around the world, and reaffirmed at Tegbar’s September 1 General Assembly.
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The April 1st Resolution:
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A CALL FOR THE IMMEDIATE RESIGNATION OF PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI AND THE SETUP OF AN ALL-INCLUSIVE INTERIM GOVERNMENT
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Recalling Meles Zenawi’s disastrous rule during the past 10 years, which brought economic, health, environmental and other calamities in our country and enormous suffering to our people, and in light of the ongoing crisis inside the Meles regime which has fully exposed the ruling Tigray People’s Liberation Front’s corruption and anti-Ethiopia policies, we, representatives of civic associations and political parties, scholars, professionals, journalists, human rights activists and other concerned Ethiopians around the world, who held a conference on April 1, 2001, call for the immediate resignation of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s regime and the setting up of an all-inclusive transitional government, to be followed by a fair and free election.
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Ethiopia Under Dictatorship of Meles Zenawi:
Since taking power in May 1991, Meles Zenawi’s regime in Ethiopia has brought unspeakable agony and suffering upon millions of Ethiopians.
Through his anti-Ethiopia ethnic apartheid policy, Meles Zenawi has become the chief destruction officer of Ethiopia.
Meles Zenawi’s regime is one of the worst violators of human rights that systematically murdered Ethiopian civil rights activists like Prof. Asrat Woldeyes, Assefa Maru, and Kebede Desta, and locked up thousands of innocent Ethiopians, including journalists, political and labor leaders like Dr. Taye Woldesemayat, Tsegaye G. Medhin, Fit. Mekonnen Dori, Abera Yemaneab and others in disease-infested jails.
Meles Zenawi is a ruthless dictator who summarily fired 42 professors from Addis Abeba University for criticizing some of his policies and gunned down university students for protesting its policy towards Eritrea.
Currently there are over 15,000 prisoners of conscience languishing in jails under terrible inhumane conditions.
The Meles regime’s innumerable human rights violations are well documented by Ethiopian and international human rights organizations, including the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, Amnesty International, Committee to Protect Journalists, and Human Rights Watch.
Most Ethiopians find themselves in abject poverty while Meles Zenawi and the ruling elite are amassing enormous wealth.
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As a result of Meles Zenawi’s neglect of the country’s health care system, Ethiopia is now victim to one of the highest incidence of AIDS in the world. Despite the demands and appeals of the Ethiopian people for national reconciliation, Meles Zenawi’s regime is becoming intolerably despotic, brutal, and murderous.
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For these and other innumerable sufferings the regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s rule has brought upon our country, we demand his immediate resignation, and the setting up of an all- inclusive transitional government of national unity composed of all opposition parties, as well as representatives of trade unions, civic and community groups, and elder statesmen to be followed by a fair and free national election.
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We urge Ethiopian public servants, including members of the army, to look out for the interest of our beloved country by helping facilitate the resignation of Meles Zenawi’s regime and peaceful transfer of power to an all-inclusive transitional government of national unity. History and the people of Ethiopia will judge your actions today.
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We ask the people of Tigray, in whose name Meles Zenawi’s ruling party, TPLF, is plundering and pillaging Ethiopia, to carry on your struggle to bring down the dictatorial regime.
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We call upon the political parties and civic associations, including student groups, trade unions, professional associations, and others in Ethiopia to lead the society in bringing about the end of Meles Zenawi’s regime and the setting up of an all-inclusive transitional government.
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We call on all Ethiopians around the world to support forces of democracy and national unity in bringing about the end of the Meles era.
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We appeal to the international community to stop supporting and financing the corrupt, and the brutal dictatorship of Meles Zenawi.
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Adopted at a worldwide teleconference of concerned Ethiopians.
April 1, 2001