By Jason McLure, February 10, 2010- ADDIS ABABA (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s ruling party said the country’s largest opposition grouping, the Forum for Democratic Dialogue (Medrek), would try to foment violence after elections scheduled for May in an effort to spur foreign governments to intervene.
“They are ready to create violence after the elections,” Hailemariam Desalegn, the parliamentary whip for the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front [a cover for Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (Woyanne)], said in a phone interview this week. “Their ultimate objection is not free and fair elections but to get power-sharing like in Zimbabwe and Kenya. I think this is very dangerous and they should be properly told this.”
He said opposition allegations that elections scheduled for May 23 would not be free and fair were designed to fuel popular discontent that would lead to street clashes as happened following the country’s disputed 2005 poll.
The warning came as the opposition Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), the largest political party in the Forum, accused the U.S., Britain and other Western aid donors of silence over the jailing of UDJ leader Birtukan Mideksa and other human rights abuses.
The U.S. and U.K. “are following the old way of doing business,” said Andualem Aragie, UDJ’s secretary general. “They are partners in development with the Ethiopian government but I don’t think they are partners in freedom and democracy.”
Following disputed presidential elections in Zimbabwe in 2008 and Kenya in 2007, international mediators brokered agreements that allowed opposition parties to share power with Presidents Robert Mugabe and Mwai Kibaki.
The opposition has sought to raise pressure on the U.S., U.K., and other donors who supply more than $2 billion in aid annually to Ethiopia, saying their silence is tantamount to political support for Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
The U.K. government has a “frank and full dialogue with the government of Ethiopia on human rights and democracy including Birtukan,” said Gavin Cook, a spokesman for the British embassy in Addis Ababa. “Our development assistance, regardless to who is in power, has helped benefit millions of Ethiopians.”
Michael Gonzales, a spokesman for the U.S. embassy in Addis Ababa, declined comment.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:23 am
Yihene new meshesh!
February 4th, 2010 at 11:54 am
Hailemariam Desalegn reminds me of his predecessor, Ermias Legesse who defected to the west as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
These spokesmen know for fact they are lying and you can tell they are ashamed of their jobs. For TPLF to exist, lying and propaganda are very very essential. And thus here, we are confronted with a mountain of lie.
To see this we do not even have to go Ethiopia, all we need is a computer with internet connection. Go to any website where TPLF has anything to say; ask yourself “what is the ultimate argument TPLF brings to the table on any issue?” The answer has always been, and will always be “bring it on? where is your Ak 47?”. It is essentially an invitation to violence with an understanding that they can win any such confrontation. Therefore it is close to mystifying when we read Hailemariam Desalegn acting like he is worried there will be violence — when infact he knows for sure the violence has ever happened in Ethiopia for the past 18 years was solely initiated by TPLF. We all remember in 2005, TPLF killed a mother of 7 not in the streets but IN HER OWN HOME!!! They also killed another mother infront of her daughter IN HER OWN HOME! not in the streets! The perpetrators of these heinous crimes are free and that is intentionally so because the TPLF junta wants to terrorize the population.
How embarassed must Hailemariam feel when he goes to bed and realize he is nothing more and nothing less than a PAID LIAR…a professional LIAR. I am sure he is waiting for an exit.
February 4th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
In the end the truth shall set every one party free, if they stand for the national goals for Unity, Territorial Integrity, Sovereignity of Ethiopia and Ethiopians as the basic truth for which they should be engaged in a peacefull struggle, either by way of negotiations on the eight point presonditions for fair and free elections or engaging in a peacefull protest to put in place what ever demand they have.
Instead what here from Medrek composed of loyalist opposition parties with ethnic agenda holding on to human right, ethnic right and democracy, but not freedom of the individuals (economic and political), and democracy, which is a result of fair and free election; they have been engaged in either petioning the the USA to put pressure on TPLF/eprdf regime for political space as if political space is a quantive event, and complaints about coersion and intimidation, as if that incidence is limited to their parties only, and now about five years later they complain against the USA and UK, as if this happened after their diagreement to participate in the Code of conduct Conference as voiced through foreign correspondents. Were n’t these parties, which were poised for elections without preconditions, before the Code of Conduct Conference, which offcorse are participating in the 2010 election, inspite of the announcement by a foreign correspondent that they boycott the election. The way I look at it is that Medrek, which has similar ethnic agenda to that of TPLF/eprdf regime, which according to previous or current secenario does not change the basic platform, that of forming a bicameral parliament of Tigrai Harena/FDD/EFDR on one side and TPLF/eprdf on the other with the previous assumption that KAEUP, the party with large constituency engaging these parties on national agenda as its platform. The current skirmishes between TPLF/eprdf is superficial, does not amount to a struggle for national agenda and/or Ethiopian Nationalism.
February 4th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Did FORUM in any way suggest to incite violence if the elections turn out to be not in the group liking? The EPDRF procrastinators say so. Why is it neccessary to make this preemptive strike while a few months are ahead of us before having the election? Because if the election turns out to be competitive or if EPDRF loses this propaganda could be used for justification to kill or mass arrest. EPDRF is in no way considers losing election is one outcome in a democracy and should be accepted. They never believed in a democracy; they just used the name democracy as a means to allure Western aid. Almost a month ago Meles said just verbatim what the parliamenntary whip repeated it now. By repeating the same message, they try to show to the Western world, they would be abide by the rule of law. But not the oppositions. But anybody who has a few brain cells functioning knows the oppositions political interest would be served if peace prevails. It is not in their political interest to act otherwise. They do not have an army, a security force and militia which they command. EPDRF does. Do not forget guys in Ethiopia the EPDRF politicians live a better life than the 98 percent Ethiopians even economically. Being losing political power is not only their concerns. Saving their employment as well is. So these guys could do anything not to lose their “jobs,” and FORUM is a likely target because they feel the group stands to interrupt that dream of being in power as long as they breath.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:32 pm
Addendum: To the second from the last sentence, “with the assumption that KAEUP will not participate in the election, based on the 8-points plus under negatiations for fair and free elections, I presume”.
February 4th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
The ruling party messengers like Hailemariam Dessalegn are not politicians in the real sense of the term. They are people who become implementing machines of the top/tplf ruling circle. These self- humiliated cadres are giving unreserved services to their bosses for the sake of their daily bread/livelihood.That is what they are! They know that they cannot survive if the principle of merit, not dirty politics is applied. That is why they are prompting all kinds of dirty propaganda against any other democratic apposition force. These people do not hesitate to do any dirty job,including killing their own people and get” blessed” by their masters. The prevalence of true democracy is against their corrupt and abusive practices. That is why it is not surprising to see them using any evil means as long as it serves their bloody interest.
Any way, we know for sure that small minds with evil ideas will be defeated by big minds with remarkably great ideas. It is advisable to those naive but deadly political cadres to make up their minds and make sincere apology and become parts of the effort for the realization of genuine democratic system.
February 6th, 2010 at 8:17 pm
In 2005 Ethiopians crushed the destructive regime to defeat because Guns and Bullets don’t vote people do.Members of the crimefamily dislike Ethiopians;when they lost the election,they got mad and went out on the streets and gunned down Ethiopians and killed many people.Guns and Bullets don’t vote people do.Another collective victory 2010.
Ethiopians are preparing for the upcoming,2010 election.Once again,victory will preveal itself and millions of Ethiopians shall stand on the podium to celeberate victory over the enemy.Whereas,the enemy is in destructive activities dispatching robbers into communities,villages,towns and cities to ambush and robe voters.Guns and Bullets don’t vote people do.Victory is a celleberation.Ethiopians shall defeat the enemy!
February 7th, 2010 at 9:53 am
If the last paragraph is true, The UK Government has done frank and full dialogue with the current regime in Ethiopia on human right and Democracy including Birtukan Mideqssa. We should be saying thanks UK government and continue to be standing with the innocent Ethiopian, Who are suffering in the Dictatoral, Fascist weyane custodies.
Every individual Ethiopian Nations except weyane member & supporters needs JUSTICE, FREEDOM & DEMOCRACY.
Thank you UK.
February 10th, 2010 at 2:51 pm
violence doesnt help
February 10th, 2010 at 4:37 pm
http://ecadforum.com/blog1/News/897
The sanction is on ethiopia.
US,UN wants weyane TPLF to stay in power
so weyane/tplf can slave us ethiopian
so, that weyane can rape & loot ethiopia
Dejach, you ar tigrain. we ethiopian are not fool. fool as onice shame on us.
fool us twice shame on you.
we, ethiopian love eritrean
death to weyane TPLF
Long live ethiopia & eritrea
all ethiopian join with you eritrean brothers