WASHINGTON DC – The Honorable Ana Gomes, a prominent member of the European Parliament made an impassioned plea to the US Congress on Tuesday to join the EU campaign for the unconditional and immediate release of elected members of parliament in Ethiopia. “Lack of judicial freedom in Ethiopia nullifies the talk of the ruling party in Addis that the prisoners would receive fair trials,” Ana Gomes said.

Ana Gomes, who arrived in Washington earlier this week on a working visit from Brussels, said she had the responsibility to brief members of the US Congress and the large Ethiopian community in the US about the May 15 election in Ethiopia.“The EU Final Report was a summary of observations made by about 200 professionals highly skilled in the conduct of democratic elections.”

“The election was a major stride in which the Ethiopian people demonstrated to determine their own destiny through the ballot box,” Ana said, adding we shouldn’t allow the government to steal the votes and walk away free. She said the May 15, 2005 election was the Ethiopian people’s achievement that no other force should be allowed to claim the victory.

Now our task should be to say, “No! The votes of the people should not be stolen,” and stand for the rights of the Ethiopian people. We have to re-double our efforts so as the people could achieve the goals they had set out to accomplish during the polls.

The aspirations of the Ethiopian people at the polls are democracy, the rule of law, justice and freedom.

When the Ethiopian people lined up for more than 16 hours to express their faith in democracy, we Europeans have broadened our horizon about the dimensions and power of democratic governance.

What the Ethiopian government verbally pronounces about democracy to the West is quite the opposite of what it practices in on the ground. On this occasion, I would like to remind the Ethiopian Diaspora to work tirelessly on behalf of their people, and campaign vigorously to bring to the attention of US officials about the repression in the country.

The Ethiopian government has hired expensive lobbyists in order to influence US officials through propaganda, and this amounts to snatching money from the mouths of hungry Ethiopian children, she said.

Prime Minister Meles Zenawi knows how to talk about the rule of law, development, democracy in a manner that entices the West into believing him, said Ana, warning that the reality in the country was quite different. “It is actually oppression, is actually regression, is killing, it’s beatings, is harassment of people, of the youth.”

The government has branded the youth as “dangerous hooligans,” and ostracized them. How is it that a government would ostracize the youth, who are actually the future of the country? The government rounds up youths in the wee hours of the night under the pretext that it is clamping down on ‘bandits.’ This is the source of indignation.

The government controls and censors the media; This is not a sign of democracy; It is an underlying characteristic of dictatorship, Ana told the meeting attended by Congressman Donald Payne D-NJ, Congressman
Michael Honda, D-CA, and chair of Ethiopian Caucus, employees of Ethiopian Embassy, Ethiopian political groups in Washington, DC.

Ms Gomes said an alliance of European and American leaderships was crucial to impact the political crisis in Ethiopia, and cited as a positive note that the the advancement of the Ethiopia bill on democracy – HR 4423 – by winning unanimous bipartisan support an encouraging sign the Ethiopian people’s struggle for democracy and justice was winning recognition in the US.

Speaking about the jailed leaders of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUDP-Kinijit), Ana said she feels responsible for their current situation because she had influenced them to take put their faith in the democratic process, and take part in the elections despite mounting fears and evidences about government repression.

Ana Gomes said the absence of judicial freedom in the country nullifies the talk of the government that the prisoners would receive fair trials. Europe along with the United States must jointly pressure the government in Addis to set the prisoners free and without pre-conditions.

“It is outrageous that elected members of parliament are in jail, and facing ridiculous charges that carry the death penalty,” Ana said. “The genocide charges have no connection with the political reality in Ethiopia. In fact, it was the government that started talking about genocide by making the first references to words like Interhamwe.”

Fekadu Beyene, one of the Ethiopian Embassy officials who attended the Ana Gomes address to the US Congress, on his part said he was in Ethiopia during the elections and unlike what Ms. Ana Gomes said, the government did not rig the elections, nor is the government a dictatorship.

He said the ruling EPRDF party is an organization that has the respect of the people. It is a force that removed the dictatorial regime of the Derg dictatorship. I come from an oppressed nationality. There are over 80 nationalities in Ethiopia. It is the government that brought equality and democracy to these groups. Those who are here may only only come from a maximum of four nationalities. The majority of Ethiopian farmers gave their votes to EPRDF.

Another unidentified individual who defended the government said the duty of Ms. Ana Gomes was over with the finalization of the May 2005 elections. I don’t understand why Ms Gomes is campaigning blackmailing the image of the government.

Commenting on the last remark, Ana said election observation is not confined to the election alone. When there is human rights violations, when the media is muzzled, when journalists and elected leaders of the people are thrown into jail, to say the struggle doesn’t concern me is not expected from the international community.

Meanwhile, New Jersey Congressman Donald Payne on his part said there were signs that democracy was fledgling in pre-election Ethiopia. In post-election Ethiopia, however, the measures taken by the security forces of the government have become a cause of serious concern for members of the US Congress.

Some of the government measures were extreme and dangerous. We would like to remind government officials that government responsibilities include respect for the rule of law, transparency and respect for the interests of the people. However, we don’t see these things in Ethiopia.

Congressman Payne also warned opposition groups that their partisan moves – their division along their own respective lines of thought – would not bear any fruit. Citing instances from the Israeli and Cypriot immigrant communities in the US, and the one voice such communities make to bring about changes for the better in their native countries, Mr. Payne said unless Ethiopians stood as one force and spoke as one voice, it would be very difficult to bring about a desired change.

The session ended when Congressman Payne expressed gratitude to Ms. Ana Gomes for the role she played in the conduct of the Ethiopia 2005 elections.

Meanwhile, a special event in Washington DC was also dedicated to Ms. Ana Gomes. Over 1500 guests accorded Ana a warm and colorful reception. Addressing the audience at Capital Hilton, program chief Fekade Shewakena said the non-political event was dedicated to honoring a true and courageous friend of the Ethiopian people.

Ana, who humbled the audience by transfering the honor to the elected leaders of the people languishing at Kaliti Prison, called on the Ethiopians to forge unity among themselves and carry their political goals to fruition.

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The above Ethiomedia report was entirely based on a VOA Amharic Program report broadcast June 28, 2006.