A tyrant at a ‘progressive club’

By Abebe Gelaw

February 10, 2006

LONDON – Critics of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi continue to lambast the Progressive Governance Summit due in South Africa on 11 and 12 February at Didimala Game Lodge, for its insensitivity and lack of a real progressive agenda for poor countries like Ethiopia.

Wondimu Mekonnen, a human rights activist, said Western leaders should have taken a much tougher measures against their ally who should not have been invited to such a meeting in the first place. “Meles should start his own regressive rulers club rather than rubbing his shoulders with progressive leaders. Meles is a cat among pigeons. The cat should be kicked out for the sake of the pigeons. Where on earth is a repressive tyrant with so much blood on his hands called progressive?” he asked.

Wondimu, who is known as one of the most active leaders of several vigils and protest marches in London, criticized Western leaders over their lack of sincerity. “They should rather endorse the resolutions of the European Parliament and help Ethiopians to bring the dangerous criminals to justice.”

The Network of Ethiopian Scholars-Scandinavian Chapter on its part called on Mbeki and other leaders to help the cessation of the atrocities being committed across Ethiopia. ” South Africa must use all its influence to make sure the entire opposition leadership are unconditionally freed without any delay and with full apologies from the Meles regime for the crimes it committed to date against them and the Ethiopian people.

“South Africa and the AU must join the international call for the release of all prisoners, the dismissal of all the absurd charges of “treason’ and genocide” against the opposition and the establishment of an international inquiry consisting of the members of the African peer review mechanism and other internationally recognised personalities,” NES said in a press release.

According to Business Day, the presence of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi would create unease and cast a shadow on the progressive agenda. ” The broad definition of the term “progressive” is demonstrated by the presence of Meles.

It noted that at a time of the PM’s inclusion in the defunct Commission for Africa there had been a misperception that he was progressive. “There has since been some disappointment among Africa watchers, but this may indicate the extremely tricky nature of kicking out a member of the progressive club,” it said.

Meles Zenawi has continued to resist internal and external pressures to release the detained opposition leaders, journalists, pro-poor activists and human rights campaigners and resolve the post-election crisis through political dialogue.

Heads of state and government from Brazil, South Korea, UK, New Zealand, South Africa, Sweden and Ethiopia are expected to attend. Germany has dropped out of the PGN, it was learnt.

Meanwhile, the Conservative Party has accused Tony Blair of wasting the British taxpayers’ money on his trip to South Africa.

Tories said Blair himself or the Labour Party should foot the bill for his trip, as the summit is nothing more than a political gathering at a personal level. Defending the trip, White Hall told The Times that Blair would also held trade talks with President Lula da Silva of Brazil, and a bilateral meeting with the South African President Thabo Mbeki.

In Canada papers have criticized the Progressive Governance Network (PGN) for rebuffing current Prime Minister Stephen Harper while it invited his predecessor. “Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper isn’t welcome at the international summit on “progressive governance,” but former Prime Minister Paul Martin will land in South Africa,” wrote the Toronto Star.

PGN is a brainchild of Tony Blair and former US President Bill Clinton who played a key role in starting the group in 1999. Clinton is expected to address the meeting via satellite link.