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Hidden individual political interest and the May 2005 Election

By: Seifeselassie Sibhatu, PhD

June 29, 2005

Following the historic May 15, 2005 Ethiopian election, there are a series of demonstration that are being held and planned to be held by the Ethiopian oppositions in Diaspora. Some of the reasons given by the organizer(s) for holding/ to hold the demonstration are: election fraud and rigging, vote irregularities and tampering by incumbent government in Ethiopia. These are fair question and need to be addressed properly by the concerned bodies if the interest was to know the verdict of the Ethiopian people. In fact, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) took unprecedented steps that have never been seen before anywhere else. In addition to local observes, NEBE has invited foreign observes to participate in the whole process of complaints review and investigation. Therefore, both the government and the opposition have to wait patiently for the official results to be announced. In addition both government and the opposition should be ready to accept the verdict of the people. Otherwise, the country can not afford to drag itself for days and months like this.

However, the truth of the fact is these demonstrations that are being held and planned to be hold in Washington, London, Brussels, Sydney, Toronto and other major world cities by the Ethiopian opposition in Diaspora are not organized to know the truth about the election results. There are clear evidences to suggest that the demonstration were organized well before the date of the election by individuals who have their own ulterior motives contrary to the will of the Ethiopian people. These demonstrations are part of the strategy to get rid of a legitimate government by any means possible.

Before the election date these were reserved as Plan B in the whole election package of the opposition. The election strategy of the opposition comprised two paradoxical and ambivalent plans: Plan A. If CDU win the election they would accept it as fair and free in Plan B: if CDU lose the election they would reject the out come of the election. And in the third national election held on May 15, the Ethiopian people voted and chose whom they want. As the result of the vote of the Ethiopian people became apparent, CDU moved to Plan B: reject the whole election process and tarnish, discredit and undermine the credibility of the historic election of May, 2005. Their Plan B consist of well planned and orchestrated steps such writing petition, holding demonstration and calling country wide strike in Ethiopia.

The organizers of online petition to different foreign governments, demonstrations in the Western Cities and call nationwide strike in Ethiopia include rich people who live in the West and people who drenched their hand with the blood of Ethiopian youth in the ‘70s such as the like of Negede Gobeze. Now the Ethiopian Reporter on the June 26, 2005 online Amharic edition (http://www.ethiopianreporter.com/displayamharic.php?id=4087) reported that a certain American rich tycoon is behind the organization, leadership and logistic support of online petition and demonstrations. The individual called Solomon Bekele is a successful business man in the states and owns a taxi and insurance company. His economic achievements are seen as the Classic example of inspirational immigration success. Others see his achievements as an acknowledgement of the importance of cultivating the right relationships at City Hall (read http://www.addistribune.com/Archives/2002/01/18-01-02/Atlanta.htm)

According the Ethiopian Reporter, three years ago Mr. Solomon had organized unsuccessful meeting in Nairobi, Kenya between Ato Hailu Shawel, Dr. Merera Gudina and Dr. Beyene Petros and urged them to form one alliance under the umbrella of the All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP) and promised he would support them financially.

After he failed in Nairobi to convince Dr. Merera Gudina and Dr. Beyene Petros to forge one alliance with Ato Hailu Shawel, he tried again in Washington a year later. In Washington, he urged the Oromo National Congress (ONC), Ethiopian Social Democratic Federal Party (ESDFP), Southern Ethiopia People’s Democratic Coalition (SEPDC), All Amhara People’s Organization (AAPO), Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party (EDUP) to abandon their idea of establishing the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) and instead join AEUP. It is not clear to me why he wanted Dr. Merera Gudina and Dr. Beyene Petros to be under Ato Hailu Shawel. But one thing we can understand from this evidence is that Mr. Solomon will no hesitate to use his wealth to influence the political course of the Ethiopian people.

Even if Mr. Solomon’s idea was rejected by all opposition parties who established UEDF, he is determined to do everything possible to overthrow the current legitimate Ethiopian government by using his wealth, his influence on the Ethiopian immigrants in the USA (probably with a promise of offering taxi driving jobs) and political connection he developed through out the years in the Atlanta City Hall. In addition to investing his wealth in organizing demonstration in US cities, he also promised to do the same in major European cities. Here was how he was quoted by the June 10 edition of the Washington Spark “In addition to our effort here in the US, we are committed to express our problem so that we can see the formation of legal government which is loyal to the rule of law. We are planning to coordinate similar demonstration in London, Rome, Stockholm, Paris, and other major cities in Europe.”

He was also quoted by the Washington post (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2005/06/14/AR2005061401711.html) as saying “continue to demonstrate and write letters to U.S. government officials as long as it takes …We live here, we are U.S. citizens, but we have our families there…Our roots are there." What does Mr. Solomon mean when he says as long as it takes? The Ethiopian Reporter clarifies it as follows “As long as EPRDF does not step down from power, our voice of opposition does not stop.” But my questions to him are how can his wish government to Ethiopia be more legitimate than the incumbent government in Ethiopia unless it is elected? How can a legal government be established in Ethiopia other than giving the people the chance to vote whom they want by holding a democratic election? It is true there are vote irregularities and rigging in the election held on May 15, 2005, and NEBE also acknowledge that and started to review and investigate. But that does not give a liberty for an individual to change the course of the election to wherever direction he wanted.

What we have learned from many countries with a long tradition of democracy are in democratic elections there were, are and will always be vote irregularities and rigging in democratic election. One of the outstanding examples in this regard is the case of Florida in the 2000 US election. In the US election 2000, we learned even how one of the most democratic countries in the world could found itself dragged in election fraud and complaints. But does that mean the US had to abandon its democratic path and follow the path of mob government? The answer is no. The other important lesson that we have learned form US 2000 election is that, if a political party has a compliant about vote irregularities the right thing to do is to take it to the appropriate legal body and accept the decision of the court.

As human beings we are not building a Kingdom of God without any fault, but Ethiopia is struggling to build a democratic human government with problems and limitation. These problem and limitation will continue to haunt us for generation to come, we might minimize our problems through time but we can not avoid them. And the time is now to make a positive contribution to the democratization of Ethiopia.

In conclusion from what I observed and read, it is becomes clear to me today more than ever the demonstration were/are not about election fraud and rigging, vote irregularities and tampering by incumbent government in Ethiopia. These reasons are given as a pretext to remove a legitimate government in Ethiopia. And such kinds of move are not democratic, do not represent the interest of the Ethiopian people and are solely base on hate politics. What we can understand from the move of the like of the American tycoon Mr. Solomon, he and his supporters are determined to topple the Ethiopian government before, during and after the May 2005 Ethiopian election. These are individual interest and they do not have place in today’s Ethiopia. Some individuals only because they have the wealth and the means to do what they want, can not impose their personal will on the people of Ethiopia. But if Mr. Solomon is really interested in the development of Ethiopia, he could have invest his money helping street children in Addis, building schools, clinics and other infrastructure that can help the poor children of Ethiopia.

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