ADDIS ABABA – ADDIS ABABA – A BBC journalist on Friday warned Information Minister Bereket Simon to be prepared to answer to the killings of 42 demonstrators on June 8 in Addis Ababa rather than worrying about EU’s alleged lack of “integrity and professionalism.”

The minister, who was defeated in the May 15 election by an opposition candidate but waged a three-month-old state terror against the public and staged a re-election boycotted both by the public and the opposition parties, said the EU observer mission had lacked in what he called “integrity and professionalism.”

But a baffled BBC came back with a grim reminder that the minister be better prepared to answer for the murders of 42 unarmed demonstrators on June 8 in Addis Ababa. Here is an excerpt from the interview in which Bereket Simon blames EU chief election observer Ana Gomez:

Bereket Simon: “She didn’t manage the whole thing professionally, I can tell you there are two objectively leaked reports from her office, which it has put the integrity of the mission into question. With this type of lack of professionalism and integrity, we can only question the whole process, the way they handled, they have handled this process. Neverthelesss, the facts on the ground have proven that they are wrong once again; that is why in her report she couldn’t conceal that the process went as per the terms of reference, so, basically, I know Ethiopia is on the right direction, but for some reason, the head of the mission, has come up with a mixture of facts and biases. That regrettable.”

BBC: “How can you say that somebody from the EU is biased in Ethiopian politics? Why would they be? When Ethiopia is so often held up as one of the best examples of how democracy, how government, work in Africa. I don’t understand!”

Bereket: “Well, let me give you one thing. I am not talking about the EU in general. I am talking about specific EU observation mission. And this observation mission, right from the start, hasn’t handled its job professionally. We’ve ample facts for this. And now, we shouldn’t take the blame for this…

BBC: “So are you going to complain to the EU that the person was unprofessional?”

Bereket: “Absolutely. We’ve told the representative here that they are handling this case with lack of integrity and professionalism.”

BBC: “Eventually, Mr. Minister, you must be prepared that there were problems with this elections; there were problems during it, and also, if you remember, during protests over the election, as many as 42 people were killed. There were problems with this election.”

Bereket: “No. You know, basically, I believe this is an emerging democracy. And as any emerging democracy, we are bound to make mistakes. But the pattern in Ethiopia is in the right direction.