LONDON – Dr Merera Gudina, Chairman of the opposition United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) on Sunday addressed Ethiopians in London on the developments in Ethiopia particularly following the May 15 elections.

Dr Merera started out by stating reasons why – despite mounting challenges or obstacles posed from the ruling party – opposition decided to participate on the election marred by the unfairness from the start to the finish. The opposition had been demanding to change the regime’s handpicked and trusted members of the National Electoral Board by an independent, fair minded people. The regime refused to give into that demand because that was another winning card in the hands of the dictators. However, the regime agreed the presence of some foreign and local observers to monitor the election process. The state run television and radio granted 44% airtime to EPRDF, 23% to UEDF, 23% to CUD and 10% to others. This was effectively used to transmit the programs of the opposition and reach millions of Ethiopians everywhere. On top of that, the opposition made several tours throughout the country and campaigned. The opposition bloc raised the hope of the people and realized that the people were ready to get rid of the EPRDF. Regardless of the fact that the opposition, particularly the UEDF did not have enough resources, it decided to participate in the election any way.

On the other hand, however, EPRDF had all the resources of the nation at its disposal, and the armed forces, the police and made enough preparations to the last minute to outsmart any possible threat from the opposition to win the election. After gauging the political temperature in the cities and towns, however, Woyyane realized it may not be an easy ride in the cities and towns, therefore it tightened its grip on the countryside. It divided the nation into some sort of cells and attempted to control every life in the countryside down to every household. The peasant associations were divided into the smallest group ever possible. Kebele chairmen were each given a monthly allowance of Birr 150, an unheard of practice aimed at buying loyalty to the ruling regime. After doing all that, EPRDF became over-confident and started declaring that the hoopla of the opposition would only be limited to towns and cities. The countryside, where 85% of the population lives, belonged to them, so believed the ruling party.

The overconfident EPRDF let Inter-Africa Group organize public debates with the opposition, which the regime thought the opposition were ill-prepared, with no viable programs. Dr Merera said the opposition were at first hesitant to take part in the discussions which they accepted later. The first phase of the debate did not go as the EPRDF wanted. They were no where near the presentations of the people. They felt they were becoming a laughing stock of the nation, and demanded that other panel discussions be held without the presence of audiences but the Woyane (ruling party) allowed a TV coverage, which exposed the ruling party as a group which ruled the nation on empty rhetoric. Therefore, the TV coverage dealt a blow to the regime, which resorted to name calling and labelling the opposition after the infamous Interahamwe militias of Rwanda.

Dr Merera explained how the opposition members, both the CUD and UEDF criss-crossed the country with the limited resources at their disposal and conducted meetings with the people. All the while, EPRDF deployed its Military force, the Federal Police Force, its local Police Force, Its Rapid Action Force (Fetno Derash) and the notorious reserve militia at the local level. The show of force was meant to intimidate the people from attending opposition rallies. In spite of the threats, opposition rallies drew large crowds, at times attracting about 80 thousand people.

The countryside on which the EPRDF was counting as its base became very clear which way it was going. In the last month election, the EPRDF cadres looked terrified as if they lost everything. Talking to peasants, the cadres of the ruling regime would say the “bee” – EPRDF’s symbol – fed them honey, and have to be loyal to the insect. In private talks, however, the peasants would say the bee would turn into a fly this year.

The regime, through its representatives acting as Electoral Board, demanded the names of would-be-observers from the opposition, but the opposition waited until the last minute to release the names. Failing to get the exact names, however, the EPRDF waged a campaign of terror on what they suspected the opposition electoral observers. They detained everyone they suspected of siding the opposition.

On the day of the election, the EPRDF started a “slow down” process. However, the people turned up at polling stations as early as 4:00 o’clock in the morning and waited peacefully and patiently for the doors to open. The regimes cadres tried to delay the voting system by creating every obstacle they could think of and tasted the patience of the people. The people stayed in line from down to dusk and refused to leave the polling station until the last man voted. Finally, regardless of all those irregularities, the people voted.

After the voting was completed, another drama started. As 50% of the vote counting underwent, the EPRDF realised that they lost the election. They stopped by force the counting the ballots. They unleashed their reign of terror wherever there were no international observers. The regime caught up with the opposition observers, beat them up and forced some of them to sign confirmation that EPRDF candidates won while the truth was another matter. In the process lives were lost. Next morning, they declared victory and announced the EPRDF was ready to form the next government. That was totally illegal, but they had their own reasons why they did that. According to Dr Merera, they did that to calm down their cadres who started panicking when they realised the people had spat them out.

They completely lost the cities and towns. Therefore, they held the countryside at ransom as a balancing check. In reality, outside Tigray, EPRDF totally lost all its seats. Its big guns lost every seat everywhere. Therefore, EPRDF took the brutal action for damage limitations. The Prime Minister went on air and declared something looked like the state of emergency, brought the Military, Federal Police, Special Force, Rapid action Force under his direct command and declared a one-month ban on any public demonstration. Dr Merera thought that too would have no effect on the people determined to demand their rights be respected. In fact, Dr Merera expects that Military and even the Special Force might side the people when the decisive day would eventually come. Dr Merera’s confidence seems to stem from the fact he observed previously. On Sunday, the day the people flooded on the streets of Addis Ababa in millions, a special force was brought to guard the Menelik Palace. What the demonstrators saw was amazing. They members of the special force guarding the Place were signing “V” with their fingers showing their solidarity with the demonstrators.

EPRDF cadres are engaged at the moment with ordinary daytime robbery. The Electoral Board reported that some “unknown armed” people stole ballot boxes and ran away here or there, wherever it was know the opposition won the election. Some disappeared with the ballot box. Some took home to count.

Dr Merera reiterated that wherever foreign and the opposition observers were allowed to observe, the regime did not get more than 10% of the votes, maximum. Outside Tigray, they could not win a single seat, except in Adama, where they expelled a UEDF runner on the ground he was not born there. (one wonders if Erkebe was born in Addis Ababa). They lost without any doubt be it in the Amara region or the Oromo region – everywhere. However, the dictators have defied the truth and claimed victory. The stand off between EPRDF one side and the opposition and the people on the other had continued, according to Dr Merera.

Dr Merera explained the situation as one holding the tiger’s tail. Both the EPRDF and the opposition are in trouble here. The EPRDF would not give into defeat because without the power all its investments and luxurious life would be at risk. The opposition would not let it go, because if they gave into such blatant robbery of the popular vote, the people would lose their faith in the opposition, would not take them any more seriously and would not give a single ballot to the opposition hereafter. The people had said it out loud and clear what they wanted. The people need leadership. The opposition has the morale obligation to defend the right of the people. The opposition should show the quality of leadership. The opposition has to deliver it. The people have been waiting for the signal from the opposition to defy the ban and go on the street and demand the stolen ballots returned and voting rights respected. Therefore, the opposition is trying all the legal avenue to minimize any life lose but not prepared to give an inch into the bullying of EPRDF.

The opposition has now demanded re-election to run in at least 130 seats. They are waiting for the Electoral Board’s decision on this.

Dr Merera concluded his speech by placing two assignments in front of the diaspora.

The most important and very crucial task to be carried out should be the diplomatic campaign in every country of the world wherever Ethiopians live. He particularly appealed to Ethiopians in the UK because the UK Government is the major group that subsidises the governmental machines of the EPRDF. Subsidising a dictatorial regime breathes life into perpetuating suppression of the mass. A suppressed mass would eventually rise up and reclaim its rights. At that time, all those who sided with the dictators will have a hard time bearing the humiliation. Therefore, Dr Merera asked Ethiopians to convince the UK Government to distance itself from dictators and side with the people of Ethiopia.

As a second assignment, Dr Merera said Ethiopians will continue to fight for their rights in the course of which many familities may be left without any form of help. Some may go to jail again leaving their dependants unfed, unclothed, unsheltered in some instances. Therefore, he pleaded with Ethiopians not to forget extending the “sinq” – which means financial support.

The Ethiopian audience expressed its unwavering support for CUD and UEDF leaders to fight for the rights of the Ethiopian people.

Thank you!

(By Wondimu Mekonnen, one of the observers)