FREEDOM,PEACE AND EQUALITY FOR ALL ETHIOPIANS: 05/30/13

Thursday, May 30, 2013

የግንቦት 7 ንቅናቄ 4ኛ ጉባኤ ህዝቡ ወደ ትግሉ እንዲቀላቀል ጥሪ አቀረበ

የግንቦት 7 የፍትህ፣ የነጻነት፣ የዲሞክራሲ ንቅናቄ 4ኛ ጉባኤ ከግንቦት 11 – 19/2005 አ/ም በበርካታ ወቅታዊ፣ ስትራቴጂካዊ ጉዳዮች ላይ በመወያየት እና የድርጅቱን አዲስ ም/ቤት በመምረጥ ወያኔን በማስወገድ ረገድ ሊከተል የሚገባውን ጠቋሚ አቅጣጫዎችንና ውሳኔዎችን ከተሳታፊው በመውሰድ ወሳኝ የሆነ ውይይት አድርጓል።

ንቅናቄው ከተለያዩ አለማት በአባላት የተወከሉ ጉባኤተኞች እና በተለያዩ የስራ ክፍል የሚገኙትን የድርጅቱን አባላት ያሳተፈ፤ ከዚህ በፊት ከተደረጉትም ጉባኤዎች እጅግ የላቀ አባላት የተገኙበት ነበር።
ጉባኤው የነበረውን የም/ቤት ሪፖርት፣ የስራ አስፈጻሚ እንዲሁም የኦዲትና ማናጅመንት ኮሚሽን፣ የግልግልና ዳኝነት ኮሚቴን እና የፋይናንስ ሪፖርቶችን በማዳመጥ ጥልቅ የሆነ ወይይቶች አደርጓል።
የግንቦት 7 ንቅናቄ ጠቅላላ ጉባኤ ተሳታፊዎች፤ ደርጅቱ የጀመረውን ወያኔን የማስወገድ ትግል በየትኛውም አቅጣጫ አስፈላጊ ሆኖ የታመነበትን ማናቸውም መንገድ ሁሉ በመጠቀም ለአንዴና ለመጨረሻ ጊዜ የዘረኝነትን ስርአት ድባቅ መምታት፤ አልፎም ዘላቂ የሆነ ዴሞክራሲያዊ ስርዓት መገንባት አስቸኳይና ማንም አገር ወዳድ ኢትዮጵያዊ ግዴታው አድርጎ መውሰድ ያለበት አጣዳፊ ስራ መሆኑን በድጋሚ አረጋግጧል።
ሀገራችን ኢትዮጵያ የሰላም አየርና የዲሞክራሲ ጮራ ሁሌም የሚፈነጥቅባት፣ ህዝብ ካለፍርሃትና ሰቀቀን ወጥቶ የሚገባባት፣ ህዝብ በነጻነት የፈለገውን ፓርቲ የሚመርጥበት፣ የሚያወርድበት፣ ስልጣን የህዝብ መሆኑን የሚረጋገጥበት፣ የመንግስት አካላት ለህዝብ ተጠያቂ የሚሆኑበት፣ ነጻ ሚዲያ ለመልካም አስተዳደር ግንባታ የሚያገለግልበት፣ ፍትህ ለሁሉም በእኩል የሚሰጥበት፣ ዜጎች በየትኛውም የሀገሪቱ ክልሎች የመኖር፣ ሀብት የማፍራት፣ ቤተሰብ የመመስረት፤ ከቦታ ወደ ቦታ ያለምንም ገደብ የሚንቀሳቀሱበት መብት እንዲኖራቸው፣ እና የሃይማኖት ነጻነት ይኖረን ዘንድ የድርጅቱ ጉባኤተኞች ሙሉ መሰዋእት ለመክፈል ዝግጁዎች ነን ሲሉ በድጋሚ ቃል በመግባት መራራ የሆነውን ትግል እጅ ለእጅ ተያይዞ ተራራውን ለመውጣት እና ለማቋረጥ ያላቸውን ቁርጠኝነት አሳይተዋል።
ከ4ኛ ጉባኤ ጋር በተያያዘ ጉባኤተኛው የግንቦት 7ን 5ኛ አመት ምስረታ ታሪካዊ ቀን አስቦ ውሏል። በዚህ በግንቦት 7, 1997 ቀን የኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ ከዳር እስከ ዳር ተሳትፎ ፍትህ፣ ነጻነትና ዲሞክራሲ በሀገሪቱ ይሰፍን ዘንድ ለዘመናት ተጭኖት የነበረውን ጫና ተቋቁሞ የወያኔን ስርአት በድምጹ የጣለበት ልዩ ቀን ነበር። ግንቦት 7, ሁሌም በታሪክ የሚዘከር ልዩ እለት ነው።
ይህን ተከትሎ ኢትዮጵያዊ ትውልድ በግንቦት 7 ያሳየውን ልበሙሉነት፣ ጀግንነት፣ መሰዋእትነት፣ አንድነትና ወንድማማችነት ለዘለአለም ሲታወስ ይኖራል። ይህንኑ በ97 የተጀመረው የትግል ፍሬ፤ ውጤት ያፈራ ዘንድ አስፈላጊ ያላቸውን ትግሎችን እያደረገ እንደሆነ ግንቦት 7 የፍትህ፣ የነጻነት፣ የዲሞክራሲ ንቅናቄ 5ኛ አመቱን ከአባላቱ ጋር ሆኖ ሲዘክር ተወያይቷል። ይህም ታሪካዊ የህዝብ ድል ቀን፤ በጠመንጃ ሃይል የነጠቀውን ወያኔን ለማስወገድ እና የህዝብን ድምጽ ለማስመለስ ድርጅታችን ማናቸውንም መንገድ በመጠቀም የሚያደርገውን የትግል ጅማሮ ግብ ለመምታት አሁን ከአለንበት በተሻለ በመጠናከር መሆኑንም ስምምነት ተደርሷል። ድርጅታችን ካለፈው ጉባኤ ጀምሮ ድርጅቱ ያደረገውን እንቅስቃሴ በስፋት ገምግሞ፤ በስራ ሂደት የታዩ ድክመቶችን አፍረጥርጦ ተወያይቶ፤ የታዩትን ጠንካራ ጎኖች ይበልጥ የሚጎለብቱበትን ሁኔታ ተመልክቶ፤ በድርጅቱ የእስትራቴጂ አካሄድ ላይ የተወሰኑ ማሻሻያዎችን አድርጎ፤ እነኝህን የእስትራቴጂ አቅጣጫዎች በተቀላጠፈ መንገድ ተግባራዊ ለማድረግ የሚያስፈልጉ ወሳኝ የመዋቅር ለውጦችን አጽድቆና ይህን አዲስ መዋቅር የሚያስፈጽሙ ያመራር አባላትን መርጦ፤ በከፍተኛ የጓዳዊ መንፈስና ልዩ በሆነ የትግል ወኔ ጉባኤውን በድል አጠናቋል::
በመሆኑም ግንቦት 7፣ በግንቦት 7 የገባውን ቃል ኪዳን ዛሬም ህያው መሆኑን ሲያረጋግጥና ትግሉ ከመቼውም በበለጠ ጽናትና ቁርጠኛነት እንደሚገፋበት ቃል ሲገባ፣ የሀገራችን ህዝብ ማንኛውም ኢትዮጵያዊ; አዛውንት፣ ወጣት፣ ጾታ፣ ሃይማኖት፣ ዘር ቀለም ሳይለያችሁ በግንቦት 7/ 1997 የተሰረቀውን፣ የተነጠቅነውን የህዝብ መንበረ-ድምጽ ስልጣን ወደ ትክክለኛ ባለቤቱ እንዲመለስ የምናደረግውን የትግል ጉዞ ትቀላቀሉ ዘንድ ጥሪያችን ይድረሳችሁ!
የሀገራችን ወጣቶች ሆይ፡ ለነጻነት ለዲሞክራሲና ለፍትህ ቱርፋቶች መሰዋእት ሆናችሁ መሰዋእትነታችሁ በጥቁር ህዝብ የኢትዮጵያ ታሪክ ገድል ውስጥ ለዘላለም ተከትቦ ይቀመጥ ዘንድ ኢትዮጵያዊ የሞራል ግዴታ አለባችሁ፡፡ ግንቦት 7 ትግሉን ጀምሯል። ኑ ተቀላቀሉ!
ድል ለኢትዮጵያ ህዝብ!!

Egypt could block Suez Canal to Ethiopian ships over dam

Opposition figure Hamdeen Sabbahi says Egypt could block Suez Canal to Ethiopian ships if tripartite report shows dam will damage water supply

Egypt could stop Ethiopian ships passing through the Suez Canal if a tripartite report shows the Renaissance Dam will damage the flow of water along the Nile River, Egyptian Popular Current leader Hamdeen Sabbahi said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Egyptians must support the government in its dispute with Ethiopia over the dam, Sabbahi added in comments reported by Al-Ahram Arabic news website.
On Tuesday, Ethiopia began diverting the course of the Blue Nile, one of the Nile River’s two major tributaries, as part of its project to build a dam for electricity production, a move that raised concerns in Egypt and Sudan that the flow of water could be disrupted.
A final report on the impact of the planned dam by a joint committee of Egyptian, Sudanese and Ethiopian representatives is expected within days.
“We will not accept any pressure when it comes to our water supply,” Sabbahi said. “Solutions must be presented to avoid conflict.”
If Ethiopia continues with projects that harm Egypt, the nation will unite to deter an attack on its interests, he added.
Sabbahi said that while he fully supports Ethiopia’s right to increase its energy production, Egypt would not accept any reductions in its annual water supply.
If matters escalate, he said, a drop of water would exceed a drop of blood in value. The best way to avoid conflict is to open new initiatives for strategic cooperation in the Nile Basin, he added.
During the 21st African Union summit, President Morsi said Ethiopia’s Prime Minister Hailemariam had vowed to consider Egypt’s interests regarding the dam.
Egypt’s ambassador in Addis Ababa, Mohamed Idris, said Ethiopia’s intention to divert the Blue Nile had been known since November 2012.
According to the state-run National Planning Institute, Egypt will require an additional 21 billion cubic metres of water per year by 2050 – on top of its current annual quota of 55 billion metres – to meet the needs of a projected population of some 150 million.
Source: Ahram Online

Tecola Hagos's prescription of banishment to jailed patriotic Ethiopians is strongly contested

by Dr Messay Dejene
Tecola Hagos's piece that has appeared on Ethiomedia prompts this scribe to say a few words in the demands of his conscience.Tecola attempted to paint a rosy picure of Ethiopia under Haile Mariam, a man who like his masters, the Woyanes, has no constituency. The premier, to many discerning Ethiopians is a figurehead of what many consider as an occupied Ethiopia. The nominal premier who has so much blood on his hands has no power to even choose his personal guards let alone reversing the collossal ravages that his masters have wrought on the nation.
Presumably, Tecola Hagos is a legal scholar. There is seemingly a disconnect between his ruling of 'banishment' and the supposed weight of his credentials. It is this discrepancy that prompted this scribe to pen down his dissent.It is a sheer irony of scholarship to witness the audacity of the learned lawyer to tacitly recommend to the delinquent Ethiopian regime to issue a more lenient penalty to innocent Ethiopians who are languishing in the prison of an illigitmate and terrorist goverment. This scribe would like to interogates the legal scholar how he could dare propose banishment to the unjustly incarcerated patriotic Ethiopians instead of advocating for their unconditional freedom.
I have never known of banishment as an alternative to justice. These are innocent and patriotic Ethiopians who are suffering at the hands of traitors. Tecola should know that.In attempt to give it legitimacy in 21 century, the learned lawyer cited ancient Greece and medieval Ethiopia to have used the practice of banishment. I am utterly bemused.Judging from his gibberish, Tecola does seem to be mulling over returning home. There is nothing wrong with that. One does not need excuses to return home. Many compatriots would agree with him that a life of an exile is not an enviable one.Even when one is successful by vulgar economic and social standards, the urge to return home is immense as this scribe has been dabbling with that thought for over three and have decades. I challenge Tecola for failing to expressly acknowledge that the Woyane regime is an occupation force that is determined to undo the very notion of Ethiopia as a nation.Woyane fought againast the Ethiopian state to create an independent Tigrean republic. That in itself is treason pure and simple. Since Woyane usurped power by default, it has systematically dismantled the country. From ceding Eritrea and donating swathes of land to Sudan to annexing a big chunk of Begemdir and Wollo to Tigrai, to balkanising the people along spurious etnic lines, it has done everyting. To alienate Tigreans from their fellow Ethiopians every government and private enterprise is run or overseen by Woyanes. And they are given a free hand to plunder the country.To millions of discerning Ethiopians Woyane is an unreformable entity. Woyanes and their venal Woyane-appointed tribal riffrafs of whom most have barely seen the four walls of high schools, are the supposed representatives of the bantustanised Ethiopian regions.On a personal note, let me warn Tecola and others who may wish to return home against possible disappointments. Woyane is a spent force. It is crumbling by its own weight. Any association with them would eventually invite hostile response.The vast majority of people in the cities, the generations that are under 45 are generally vulgar, inconsiderate, abrupt, dishonest & unreliable. The nation is polarised along ethnic lines.Beware also of the following realities. Unfortunately people with Tigre names or with Woyane affiliations are socially shunned. That is a sad reality in Woyane's Ethiopia.But being brave, I trust the learned lawyer will weather the storm if he indeed returns.

Canada expels Eritrean diplomat

Canada has ordered an Eritrean envoy to leave the country following claims he demanded contributions from expatriates to fund Eritrea's military.Semere Ghebremariam Micael, head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, has been under investigation for the practice.
It is in breach of both UN sanctions against Eritrea and Canadian law, the Canadian government said. Mr Micael has been given until on 5 June to leave. Warned previously
"Canada has taken steps to expel (declare persona non grata) Mr Semere Ghebremariam O Micael, consul and head of the Eritrean Consulate General in Toronto, effective immediately," Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird said in a statement on Wednesday."Today's actions speak for themselves," he added.The dispute centres on the African nation's efforts to impose a 2% "diaspora tax" and "national defence" fee on Eritreans living abroad.The UN Security Council toughened sanctions against Eritrea in December 2011 over its alleged support for Islamist militant groups such as Somalia's al-Shabab. The sanctions include a block on remittance tax imposed on nationals overseas. Mr Michael has previously been warned against collecting funds from Eritrean expatriates living in Canada. The consul said it would comply with the Canadian government's ruling in September.But recent reports said Mr Michael had again started demanding the payments."You have to go to the consulate and they arrange how you have to pay the money," one Eritrean in Toronto, who asked not to be named, told Canadian broadcaster CBC."They want 2%… they don't give you a reason. You have to pay the money," he said."My family [in Eritrea] would get in trouble if I don't pay."Mr Michael has denied breaking the law, saying he was merely providing "information" to those who want to donate, according to Canada's National Post.

Sudan, Egypt meet over Ethiopia Nile Dam impact

By William Davison, Bloomberg
Ethiopia’s government said it will try to accommodate nations concerned that their water supplies may be affected by the damming of the Blue Nile River, as Sudanese and Egyptian officials met to discuss the issue.Ethiopia, source of one of the two tributaries of the Nile River, will start filling the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile at the “end of next year,” Deputy Prime Minister Debretsion Gebremichael said in an interview yesterday. The 80 billion-birr ($4.3 billion) hydropower project may begin generating 600 megawatts of electricity next year and is set for completion in 2017, he said.
The schedule for filling the 74 billion cubic meter reservoir is expected to be a “major concern” for the downstream nations of Egypt and Sudan, said Debretsion. Once completed, the power plant will be Africa’s largest with the capacity to generate 6,000 megawatts. Egypt, which relies on the Nile for almost all of its water, has historically opposed upstream projects on the world’s longest river. “We are not selfish, we are not only looking at our national interest,” said Debretsion, who is also chairman of the state-owned Ethiopian Electric Power Corp. “This is an international river and we will try our best to accommodate their benefits and their interests.”
Seeking Assurance Sudanese Water Resources and Electricity Minister Osama Abdalla Mohamed al-Hassan arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, today to discuss the issue with Egyptian officials, the state-run Middle East News Agency reported. Egypt’s government and public are concerned that the dam may decrease the flow of the Nile, Mohamed Edrees, Egypt’s ambassador to Ethiopia, said in a phone interview today from Addis Ababa. “Our concern is for it not to affect our water security, to harm the water coming to Egypt,” he said. “How to do it effectively on the ground and how to implement it, this is something to be left to the technicians to discuss and agree on.” The dam, which will be twice the size of Singapore, will be full in “five to six years,” Ethiopian Water and Energy Minister Alemayehu Tegenu said at a ceremony to celebrate the diversion of the river yesterday in Guba, 454 kilometers (282 kilometers) northwest of Addis Ababa. “We won’t fill the reservoir at one go,” he said. ‘Broad Understanding’ Sudan’s government has had consultations with Ethiopia and Egypt and there is a “broad understanding on the issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Abu-Bakr al-Siddiq said in a phone interview today from Khartoum, the capital. “We don’t have any problem with what the Ethiopians have done,” he said. Edrees said the diversion has no “direct implication” as it doesn’t alter the flow of the river. A technical committee made up of neutral experts and four representatives each from Ethiopia, Sudan and Egypt is expected to deliver a report on the project in a “few days,” Edrees said. “Actual dam construction” can start after the diversion was carried out a “few days ago,” said Debretsion. The altering of the course was a milestone in the project as “we managed to direct Abay on our own side,” Alemayehu said, using the Amharic name for the Nile. Members of the Ethiopian public have bought bonds worth more than 5 billion birr so far to pay for the dam, which will be financed from domestic sources only, Bereket Simon, who heads a fund-raising council for the project, said in an interview at the site yesterday. To contact the reporters on this story: Salma El Wardany in Cairo at selwardany@bloomberg.net; William Davison in Addis Ababa at wdavison3@bloomberg.net
To contact the editor responsible for this story: Antony Sguazzin at asguazzin@bloomberg.net

Mead runners organize humanitarian trip to Ethiopia

Tags:Andrew GardnerDaniel SchofieldEthiopiaIdaho prepsWashington preps

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Mead High School runners Andrew Gardner, left, and Daniel Schofield hope to provide 30 to 40 donkeys for Ethiopian widows.
(Full-size photo)

Andrew Gardner is taking another step toward returning to his homeland on a more permanent basis.
One of the top long-distance runners in the nation for his age, the Mead senior, along with his brother and three other Mead students, will fly to south-central Ethiopia in early June for a 16-day journey they hope brings relief and hope to those struggling in the developing nation.
To that end, they’re staging a fundraising race Saturday at Mead High School. Since the students have already paid for their airfare, all proceeds from the race will go to purchasing life-sustaining vehicles for Ethiopian women.
They come in the form of donkeys.
“It costs $150 for a donkey,” said Gardner, an Ethiopian native who was adopted at age 9 by Steve and Michelle Gardner. “The donkeys allow widowed women to transport water from wells 3 to 5 miles to their homes. They also can carry wood. They sell water and wood at the markets.”
The 5-kilometer race, which is open to all ages, is titled Racing in Two Worlds and is Saturday morning at 8. The race will be held on Mead’s cross country course. The cost is $7 for preregistration and $10 the day of the race. Pregistration can be done at Runners Soul.
“We’d love to be able to buy 30 to 40 donkeys,” Gardner said. “The donkeys will be with them a long time. They also can rent them out. They’re going to be a huge tool for them.”
They’ve raised enough money so far to buy 11 donkeys, Michelle Gardner said.
The Ethiopia project started 10 months ago. Andrew saved money earned from a summer job to pay for his airfare.
The students have been collecting clothing and school supplies to give to villagers.
“Over half the children die before the age of 5 largely due to dysentery and other results of dirty water,” Michelle said. “Children also die because they are small and malnourished and can never get warm during the rainy season. We are taking lots of blankets and baby hoodies and little caps to help keep the heat in.”
Four adults, including Michelle Gardner, will accompany the students. It will be Michelle’s 18th trip to Ethiopia.
Andrew Gardner and another standout Mead runner, Daniel Schofield, also from Ethiopia, graduate June 7. They’ll board a plane the next day along with Grace Olson, also from Ethiopia, and Spokane native Colton McLendon.
They’ve jokingly dubbed their trip “Four Ethiopians and a White Guy.”
“Colton has been a close friend since last year,” Gardner said. “When we started the project I asked him if he’d like to go. The farthest trip he’s ever been on has been to Oregon. He asked his parents and they said no. Then for his birthday they surprised him with an airline ticket to Ethiopia.”
Gardner will attend the University of Washington beginning in the fall. He accepted a scholarship to run cross country and track.
He plans to major in nursing. As soon as he graduates, he plans to go back to Ethiopia.
“A lot of people have asked me why I’m not going to school to be a doctor instead of a nurse,” Gardner said. “My goal isn’t to be in college too long. I want to go back there and work with doctors. I want to do whatever I can. I’ve wanted to give back for what they did for me. I’m more fortunate now that I’ve lived here. It would have been so cool as a young boy in Ethiopia if somebody came like I want to and did something for a community.”
The students have also collected donations of soccer jerseys and balls. Soccer is popular among the youth in Ethiopia. Bloomsday organizers have also donated dozens of medals and T-shirts.
Gardner said he and the students are planning a mini-Olympics in some of the villages.
“We’re so grateful for all the donations,” Gardner said. “Our goal is if we can get their minds off their worries for a day or two and let them enjoy life that would be cool.”
Gardner, his 14-year-old adopted brother, Nathanael, Schofield and Olson hope to find relatives who are still alive.
“Nathanael is hoping to find his sister,” Michelle said. “We think she is about 21. She may not still be living, but we are going to try to find her.”
The more people who participate in the race Saturday the more donkeys the students can give to widowed women.
“A donkey can literally keep a family intact and enable a woman to send her children to school,” said Michelle, who used to have a non-profit group that among its projects gave donkeys to Ethiopian women. “When we hand a woman the rope around a donkey’s neck, it’s like handing her the keys to a car.”

Courageous and Encouraging Move for Political Freedom and Human Rights Cause

by T.Goshu, May 2013

I am not and should not be in some sort of illusion that an extraordinary change for political freedom and respect for human rights is happening or is going to happen in our country. My very intention is to reflect my observation about relatively smart and courageous political developments that are becoming visibly encouraging in the political arena of our country. When I say smart, it is to mean relatively wise/systematic/responsible and rightfully aggressive. They are wise / systematic/responsible in a sense that those political actors are trying to advance the very just cause they stand for in such a way that the tyrannical ruling circle could not have any ugly excuse to mess with their peaceful and legitimate struggle for the realization of genuine democracy, justice, civil rights and shared prosperity. They are rightfully or legitimately aggressive in a sense that they look very determined that respect for political freedom and all other fundamental human rights are not something to be given by a bunch of individuals or groups in a political power as privileges. Those freedoms and human dignities are inherently related with the rights of the people as enshrined in a constitution that governs the relationship between the people (the governed) and government (the governing political entity).
Unfortunately enough, there has never been and there is no a real meaning of constitutionalism in our country. The current constitution is not only just a document on the shelf but sadly enough, it is an instrument to attack the people who demand for making that document (the constitution) relevant to the very exercise of their political freedom and respect for all other civil liberties. These are the very critical and central objectives being pursued by opposition political parties and human rights activists. Having said this introductory reflection of mine, I want to make very brief and specific comment on some courageous if not exemplary moves being pursued by some opposition political actors and human rights activists.
1. I strongly and sincerely believe that the very peaceful, legitimate, persistent, well-determined and well—coordinated movement by our Muslim compatriots against the very ugly political intervention in their religious freedom for more than one year deserves very great appreciation as well as meaningful encouragement and visible support. Yes, this front of the struggle has nothing to with the demand for sharing political power let alone the intention of overthrowing the government unconstitutionally as the inner circle of the tyrannical ruling circle tries to play its senseless and dirty political propaganda. The very demand by our Muslim fathers/mothers/brother/sisters is very clear and simple: a) the right to elect their religious headship and make it responsible and accountable b) to administer or manage their educational institution (Awalia), and c) asking the government or the ruling party not to muddle in their religious affairs by sponsoring other uninvited elements and mess with their healthy worshiping that has co-existed with other religions for thousands of years. Sadly enough, the leaders of the very peaceful and legitimate demand for religious freedom (one of the most fundamental elements of human rights) have been accused of “terrorism” and are being treated inhumanely . Amazingly enough, the suffering of those leaders of the legitimate cause has made the struggle for freedom of religion more persistent and determined. There is no doubt that this remarkably peaceful and resolute struggle has been and continued to be the role model as far as the issue of building a country in which all her citizens live in a sustainable peace and shared prosperity is concerned. And it goes without saying that this very peaceful and legitimate fight for religious freedom is inseparably linked with the struggle either to force the ruling party to come to a serious negotiating table or get rid its deadly political game. Are we serious enough more than ever to move towards the right direction? I sincerely hope we are!!
2. We have witnessed another encouraging and rationally critical step taken by UDJ (Unity for Democracy and Justice –Andinet) concerning the weaknesses and strengths of Medirek which has recently transferred itself from loose cooperation to a more coordinated cooperation (front). The committee assigned by the party to conduct a critical review and come up with its recommendation has submitted a 19 – page report. As a genuinely concerned Ethiopian, I have gone through the document with great interest and I have found it very courageous as well as encouraging. Given our political culture of lacking rational and critical assessment within our own circle and those who we work with, I dare to say that the steps taken by Andinet to deal with problems within Medirek has to be taken as a very great start if we want to move forward in this 21st century. After its critical review (study) on the program and by-law of Medirek in relation to the program and by-law of Andinet , the committee has stated in in the section of its recommendation that “The committee believes that at this chapter of the struggle we found ourselves, it is appropriate to take a clear understanding that it is impossible for a unilateral struggle to achieve victory without working with other democratic forces .However, we have realized that it is seriously wrong to think that a coalition that is characterized by basic contradiction would be victorious.” This is a very great move as far as the political culture we desperately need to develop is concerned. And I sincerely and strongly believe that all members of Medirek both at a group and individual level will be and should be willing and able to take this desirably courageous and encouraging political trend as a way of political civility and deal with it accordingly.
3. Blue (Semayawi) Party which did not celebrate its first birth day has become a relatively vibrant force in the process of the struggle either to force the tyrannical ruling circle to come to the negotiating table or to get rid of it through civil disobedience. Comprising mainly the youth as its members and supporters, and being led by young and energetic people who are professionally trained in various fields of studies, the party has already launched its challenge against those members of the inner circle of the ruling party whose political agenda and program has made a serious damage not to the very future of this generation but also the generation to come. It is encouraging enough to witness Semayawi Party being born and joining the camp of opposition forces, and making a very great move towards the very center of the political struggle for the realization of genuine democracy, rule of law/justice, civil rights and shared prosperity. As one of millions of genuinely concerned Ethiopians, I have followed its move with deep interest and I am still closely following its courageous move in challenging the dictatorial ruling circle.

FREEDOM,PEACE AND EQUALITY FOR ALL ETHIOPIANS

Opposition parties