Reporters Without Borders honored the trio “Terrorist” Journalists

Theodros Arega
Stockholm, Sweden
Yesterday, on May 3 at the United Nations World Day for Press Freedom, parts of speech organization RSF (Reporters Without Borders) Swedish chapter granted its Press Freedom Award 2013 to Mesfin Negash, Ethiopian exiled journalist and to the duo Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson.

According to RSF’s press release the annual press freedom award is intended in honor of people who are fighting for free speech around the world. The award is focusing this year on Ethiopia, a country that systematically silences anti-regime voices. They get the award because they dared to challenge the limits of press freedom in a country where free journalism branded as terrorism.
Following the award, Mesfin Negash says “First and foremost, I see Press Freedom award in recognition of my Ethiopian journalist colleagues who either imprisoned or working in difficult conditions. Personally, being awarded is an encouragement to continue my work in exile.”
Swedish freelance journalist Martin Schibbye who was imprisoned for 14 months and released last September on his part says that “We are honored, above all, it feels great to be physically able to receive the prize. We could stop counting after 438 days, a number of our colleagues in Ethiopia still counting. Colleague Reeyot Alemu has today been jailed for 685 days for having done her job”.
The photographer Johan Persson underscored that The threats to freedom of the press must be challenged with more journalism. There needs to be continued effort to monitor what is happening in the country which remains the world leader when it comes to predator of free speech and forcing journalists to flee their country.
Mesfin Negash who went via Uganda to Sweden, where he received asylum in February 2012 continues working as a journalist and he writes for Ethiopian and several foreign newspapers and participates regularly in the Daily News.

Non-competitive Election Held in Ethiopia

by Betre Yacob
Ethiopia held a non-competitive local and city council election on 14 and 21 April 2013, in which only the authoritarian ruling party, Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), and its affiliated parties contested. The election is said to have fallen short of international standards, and seriously condemned by thirty-three opposition political parties—which had boycotted the election during the run-up to the polls.
“It wasn’t an election but joking”, said Mr. Asrat Tasse, the chairperson of the coordination committee of the thirty-three opposition political parties. “Imagine! It didn’t participate all major opposition political parties that represent millions of Ethiopians; the ruling party was the only contestant.”
The election was held at nearly 45,000 polling stations across the nation with a total of 3.6 million candidates. Reports indicate that more than 96% of the candidates were from the ruling party, EPRDF, and the remaining 4% also from its affiliated parties.
The thirty-three opposition political parties had boycotted the election during the run-up to the polls—claiming that the government was committing political violence against their members, supporters, and candidates. According to Human Rights Watch (HRW), as the election was approaching, many key members and candidates of opposition political parties were detained while thousands of supporters were intimidated and harassed. One candidate was also reported to have been killed by security officials.
The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), which can be seen as one of the political institutions of EPRDF, however announced right after the election that the election had been conducted in a peaceful manner and to meet all international standards. The Chairperson of NEBE, Merga Bekane, said to a reporter that the election even could be considered as “exemplary to the international community”.
According to different sources, the actual number of people who went to the polls to cast their votes was very few and unprecedented. For instance, the prominent newspaper named Fnote-Netsanet, which has been working online after being banned from printing by the tyrannical Ethiopian government, reported that most of the polling stations across the country had been almost empty since late in the morning.
The reason for the low public participation is said to have been a lack of public trust in the election. According to Ethiopian political activists, many people have clearly realized from the past experiences that the election in Ethiopia is meaningless and a cheating instrument of the tyrannical regime to give a legal ground to its power.
According to the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the funny result of the election is to be announced on 6 May.
Since the ousting of the Derg regime in 1991, the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia held four general elections to the House of People’s Representatives and Regional State Councils. 3 local and city council elections, apart from this one, were also held. But, none of them were fair and democratic, according to different independent human right organizations report.