SEATTLE – After 12 months and five concentration camps, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi may have thought he has dismantled Kinijit – the party that virtually ended his 14-year-old rule at the May 2005 polls. It is true the PM’s reign of terror and trepidation may have resulted in hauling the seasoned Ethiopian leaders of Kinijit to the dark corridors of Kaliti Prison, his cadres may have shut down Kinijit offices, destroyed families, bulldozed homes, and dimmed the hopes of the Ethiopian people for a better future. However, Kinijit may have beaten the odds, and proven resilient.
From Atlanta to Vancouver, from Seattle to London and beyond, it is the Month of May, and the maxim has become: “Kinijit is the Way!” Indeed, the Spirit is engulfing droves of Ethiopians as Kinijit officials continue to reach out wider audiences around the globe. Once more, after Atlanta on Saturday saw off – at least for the time being – Kinijit officials Berhane Mewa and Dr. Seyoum Solomon, it was Seattle’s turn to accord the guests a deserved standing ovation on Sunday.
The Polls in Retrospect
When Meles stood on a podium and addressed a pro-government rally in May last year in Addis, he was wowed by the huge turnout, and said: “We don’t need to rig elections to stay in power. We’ve a sea of support!” He was funny, and reminded everyone of the Ethiopian adage Abayin Yalaye Minch Yadenkal.(One who doesn’t know the Blue Nile fascinates with a stream!” Meles never anticipated an ocean was surging and advancing inward.
It was a remark the PM would cover up with a state of emergency that is still in effect though officially lifted after two months. His ‘sea of support’ was taken over by an ocean of change-seeking millions of the city residents of Addis Ababa. Election results for Addis Ababa alone stood at 23-0 in favor of CUD-Kinijit – the party the Ethiopian people pinned their hopes on as their future leader capable of both building democracy and demolishing poverty. Kinijit also wrapped up all 138 City Council seats but one for Addis.
More success stories of Kinijit continued to flow to Addis, by which time Meles declared a state of emergency, and of course horror stories that would worry human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others.
More success stories of Kinijit continued to flow to Addis, by which time Meles declared a state of emergency, and of course opening a chapter of horror stories that would worry human rights groups such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, among others.
“The Kinijit North America Support Committee under the leadership of Berhane Mewa decided that from now on it will conduct any political activity in the Washington DC area by itself,” Ethiopian Review wrote, adding “Ethiopian Review calls on Ato Berhane Mewa and his colleagues to stop dividing the Ethiopian community in Washington DC. You are hurting the elected leaders who are languishing in jail.”
Berhane Mewa answered: “We decided to stage first-year protest rally in Washington, DC on May 16 which is Tuesday, a day when members of the US Congress are in office. If such rally is held on May 15th, which is Monday, the congress persons would miss our protest rally because they don’t come to office on Mondays.”
Berhane explained as well that his side had discussions with officials from the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF). He said: “Efforts to jointly organize the protest rally did not work out for both of us for some minor differences. However, we should be aware that there may be some elements interested in driving a wedge between two friendly groups.”
The Seattle audience – humming with the frequent mention of names like Hailu Shawel, Bertukan Mideksa, Yacob Hailemariam, Mesfin Woldmariam, Berhanu Nega and other Ethiopian icons of freedom – urged Berhane to move on to other areas of interest, citing ER was no stranger to attacking Kinijit, for instance against the jailed Addis Ababa mayor-elect, Dr. Berhanu Nega.
Kinijit remains steadfast
Bright and articulate, Berhane turned his attention to the political conditions back home, and explained with great detail that Kinijit’s supreme goal was not holding power but instituting democracy and the rule of law for coming generations of Ethiopia, thereby ending the cycle of overthrowing governments by violent means.
“Holding government power is secondary to the principal mission of the party, and that is to establish the rule of law and democracy,” he said. “Kinijit’s program is a people-centered one, unlike other groups that make their respective party the center of their existence and bid to power.”
Berhane explained how the eight-point preconditions Kinijit forwarded to the EPRDF regime to join parliament remained unchanged because their implementation were crucial if the rule of law and a democratic governance are to be established in the country.
The eight pre-conditions are:
The Election Board needs to be restructured and be able to operate independently
All forms of media should be free and available to all political parties.
The legal system must be able to operate independently without any coercion from the ruling party.
An independent commission to be established to investigate the June 8, 2005 killings of innocent Ethiopians.
Ensure the police and armed forces do not get involved in politics and take sides.
Recent laws that have been passed at the concluding sessions of the last Parliament that deal with parliamentary procedures and governance of the City of Addis Ababa should be receded.
All political prisoners should be released, and opposition party offices that had been closed should be opened.
Establish an independent commission, that is acceptable to all parties, to follow up that the above mentioned issues are resolved on a timely manner.
The soft-spoken and humble Dr. Seyoum Solomon on his part detailed the economic crisis gripping Ethiopia, and how the ruling party of Meles Zenawi was concocting fictitious reports of economic growth.
“Seventy-three percent (73%) of the Ethiopian youth is today unemployed. This staggering figure shows the hopelessness of the situation in the country. Yet the regime continues to churn out reports that suggest economic growth rates,” Dr Seyoum said.
The regime tries to cover such crisis by misinforming the public on the one hand, and ridiculing the unemployed youth of the nation as ‘hooligans’ on the other, he said, adding Ethiopians must rally around their party to bring a change for the better.
From the Seattle side, Ato Getachew Birru led the ceremony of recognition of service to members of the Kinijit Coordinating Committee, Kinijit Youth Committee, Kinijit Women’s Committee, as well as Artistes.
