We appreciate EU governments, particularly the British Government’s positive attempts to pressure the Government of Mr. Meles Zenawi to adhere to international standards and norms in its treatment of human rights issues, the conduct of the anticipated national elections.
Indeed, the Ethiopian opposition Parties have uncovered several irregularities that could render the so-called election a meaningless exercise that would lead to a possible chaos and instability. The United States has become the first Western country to appreciate the dangers posed by the Meles Zenawi’s regime should the election be conducted in the atmosphere of intimidation and fraud and hence is moving a Congressional Bill that would authorise President George Bush’s administration to apply appropriate sanctions (Write Your Representative).
We urge the British government to take similar actions in the best interests of peace and developments not only in Ethiopia, but also of Africa as a whole. Although we appreciate the focus the Government of Prime Minister Tony Blair has given to Africa, nevertheless, Ethiopians are disappointed that Mr Meles Zenawi the typical example of failures of governance in Africa was nominated as one of the Commissioners of the Commission for Africa.
Cynical voices have already noted that the Commission for Africa good governance test is selective and anti-African patronising gestures that reward dictators that toe western lines and promote the interests of the west at the expense of the poor in countries like Ethiopia. How else can one understand the promotion of Meles Zenawi that is accused of a possible state conducted genocide to sainthood by nominating him to represent Africa?
The British government and the British taxpayers in this country have invested in Ethiopia out of goodwill and for understandable long-term interests. However, we fear that the outcome would be a wasted time and of scarce resources unless the central dilemma of poor governance in Ethiopia is genuinely addressed.
We believe one major step in this regard is the holding of a meaningful election although it is apparently too little too late on the part of the west to pressure Mr. Zenawi to not rig the election. We understand that EU would send a handful of observers who will be based in big cities and towns. This is almost a meaningless gesture where 97% of the electorates live in the countryside and are dependent on government’s handouts for basic services (Ethiopian opposition complains EU observers arriving too late).
We would like to note that Ethiopia has the potential to emerge as an economic and business attraction centre of the Horn of Africa region. Ethiopia has sufficient experience in international diplomacy and can act as a focus for peace in the sub-region not least due to being the seat of the African Union and the longest independent polity with organic links with Africa and Asia in equal measure, particularly the Middle East.
However, Ethiopia can and would only discharge her responsibilities, be it domestic, international or sub-regional if there were responsible and accountable governance at its own centre. At the present though, due to poor governance, inappropriate economic system, oppressive and dictatorial political structure, Ethiopia has become the marker and the symbol of failures and failings that bedevil part of the African continent.
Billions of dollars that were poured into the country in the wake of repetitive famine episodes have made no difference to the crushing poverty as the ruling minority clique misuses what is left of personal self-enrichment on war and internal suppression of dissents, may we say at the expense of the poor and the Donors’ goodwill. The ruling minority regime of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has remained an embarrassment to the world especially to its western donors and supporters.
We believe that the joke of the current status quo of a poverty inducing ruling clique calling itself democratic while practising the most barbaric system of rule is an unsustainable and costly adventure. We believe that it is high time to take stock of as to why Ethiopia is in such a deep crisis through a non-partisan a re-evaluation of the Meles Zenawi’s government’s records.
The current status quo of a no war and no peace stand off between Eritrea and Ethiopia can only be resolved through mutual cooperation if there were to be an accountable and transparent Ethiopian government that has earned legitimacy by people’s free will unlike the minority led Meles Zenawi’s regime whose very existence has produced the very crisis itself. The Ethiopian opposition parties and the Ethiopian people at large would like an end to the needless bloodshed between brothers and sisters by entering into amicable negotiations for a peaceful co-existence based on equity and fairness to all the people of the two countries. In this regard, we argue that the up-coming parliamentary election in May 2005 is a window of opportunity that can be used to halt the crisis. The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, UEDF, has clear strategies on how to engage in a free and fair election to form responsible governance should they win the election.
However, the TPLF/EPRDF regime has a history of conducting ‘elections’ that its own cadres police with predictable outcomes of claimed overwhelming victories in the race that they are the only contenders and winners while hundreds of opposition supporters are being detained or killed as the state controls everything from the mass media to local police and militia. We fear that unless there are verifiable monitoring independent mechanisms and internationally accredited bodies in place to provide an oversight, the election would be anything, but a hitherto predictable fraudulent outcome that would leave the autocratic regime of Meles Zenawi to return itself to continue running an illegitimate crisis-ridden system of unaccountability while continuing to haunt the conscience of the world with images of the needlessly dying children from avoidable hunger and diseases.
Hence, given the likelihood of the ruling party winning by the overwhelming majority in the election it policies through local partisan militias and Election Board staffed and run by government cadres, we suggest the best options for the west is:
1. To refrain from apparent endorsement through the tiny election monitoring delegation sent to observe the election
2. To support civil peaceful disobedience should the majority of Ethiopians take this course of action after the predicted fraud (Kieving Addis Ababa after the Election).
3. To cease direct subsidy to the dictatorial government in conditions of little or no transparency. Instead to disburse funds through reputable international NGOS and a handful of local non-ruling party affiliated NGOS after verifications of their legitimate and bona fide independence.
4. To support Ethiopian oppositions attempts at democratising the country through an all-inclusive political platform.
We believe that the international community has a moral and self-interest considerations to assist Ethiopia overcome what is in effect a man made perpetual crisis with inherently serious consequences for the stability of the Horn of Africa and country-country diplomatic and socio-political relations.
In summary, we believe that simply sending a team of independent observers will not be sufficient to affect a desired outcome. It is clear and obvious that an accredited delegation of observers that would look into the election mechanism and the process in its entirety that then reports back to the donor governments is a preferred and more effective option. But, it appears that this opportunity is already lost and Mr. Zenawi’s minority based regime would declare itself the winner to continue with the proven poverty inducing strategies and violations of people’s basic rights while earning a pat on the back sitting on the Commission for Africa and ridding a high horse of hope and aspirations.
However, we sincerely hope that the British government through the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices would act in the best interests of Ethiopians and your own national long term interests to use your good offices to stop and reflect on what a pat on the back has produced so far-continued human rights violations, once again, possible rigging of elections and a no war and no peace status quo with Eritrea and ever worsening poverty in a country that is potentially the richest in the sub-region.
We are eager to avail ourselves in person to provide more details on this appeal.
Thanking you in advance for your attention and the consideration you would give to this appeal.
Yours sincerely,
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces UK support Committee
P.O.Box 20549 London, NW8 DO
Tel: 07956496193
