Ethiopian political news and discussions

[Vildana]

I saw the video ,just to put things in perspectiv.
1.sensational journalism
2.Malnutrition , no starvation
3.ICU with the Norwegian MSF doctor : 1 child with anemia and malaria , 1 child with dehydration , 1 child with pneumonia , and 1 child with malnutrition .

[Yoniii]

By Yemane Nagish

The United West Somali Liberation Front signed a peace treaty with the government of Ethiopia. In a peace treaty signed on Thursday at Ghion Hotel in Addis Ababa, the front agreed to shun from its anti-peace actions. The leader of the front, Sheik Ibrahim Hussein, said he will work on the peace and security of the Somali region with the government of Ethiopia.

The Minister of Federal Affairs, Dr. Shiferaw Tekle-Mariam, on his part, said the Ethiopian government had pledged that resistance fighters would be given a chance to blend with the community if they changed their destructive ways. According to him, such acts will help rebuild peace and security in the region.

Resistance fighters from different regions as well as different government officials, including Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s advisor, Abay Tsehaye, were present during the signing of the treaty.

The United Western Somali Liberation Front has been conducting a war of insurgency against the government ever since the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) took over from the military Derg regime. The resistance has been an ally of the Al Itad movement and was consistently striving to split the Ethiopian Somali region and form an independent Western Somalia region.

The front called on the Ogaden National Freedom Movement to come to a similar peace agreement with the Ethiopian government during the signing ceremony.

Source

[Yoniii]

The Ethiopian regimes so-called "peace deal" with the Ogaden branch of the now defunct Al-Itihaad Al-Islaami (AIAI) organization known as the United Western Somali Liberation Front (UWSLF) has no impact on facts on the ground in Ogaden and represents an attempt by the regime to promote the idea that a non-existent peace process is underway in Ogaden.

The so-called UWSLF was created to act as the Ogaden chapter of the AIAI organization. Its ideology and methods were counter to the interests of the people of Ogaden and were therefore rejected by the people. USWLF assisted by external elements sought to establish a functioning presence in Ogaden during the last few years but failed to do so. When UWSLF sponsors ceased to provide financial and material support for the AIAI affiliate, the leadership of the UWSLF was left with no option but to surrender to the Ethiopian regime. The regime saw this as an opportunity to forward the impression that it was pursuing a legitimate peace process and making significant security gains in Ogaden in order to alleviate the fears of potential investors in the oil sector and also out of increasing concern over persistent accusations that the regime is engaged in collective punishment, war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ogaden.

Promoting a fictitious peace process with actors having no impact on facts of the ground in Ogaden, and potentially other conflict areas in the future, is also part of the regimes strategy to deviate attention from the most recent stolen election in Ethiopia in which the regimes ruling party and its allies illegitimately secured 545 out of 547 seats in the national assembly.

The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) wishes to make clear to all interested parties that the UWSLF has no constituency in Ogaden nor does this so-called "peace agreement" with the Ethiopian regime impact in any way facts on the ground in Ogaden. The ONLF wishes to further affirm that any legitimate peace process aimed at reaching a just, comprehensive and lasting political settlement to the conflict between the people of Ogaden and successive Ethiopian regimes can only be achieved through an internationally mediated process, taking place in a neutral venue.

The Ethiopian regime continues to refuse international mediation of the conflict and has therefore pursued bogus so called "peace agreements" with entities that are either non-existent or have no constituency in order to create the impression that there is a peace process underway in Ogaden.

The ONLF wishes to affirm once again that there is no peace process underway in Ogaden and that statements to the contrary by the Ethiopian regime are a diversionary tactic by the ruling Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) party.

Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF)

Source

[Ahadu]

I do not think this is some sort of propoganda. She looks sincere......

[Simfan34]

This is certainly propaganda: it is designed to make her look good. The textbook definition of propaganda is:

Originally Posted by Wikipedia

"Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position.

As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda, in its most basic sense, presents information primarily to influence an audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or uses loaded messages to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the attitude toward the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda. Propaganda can be used as a form of political warfare."

I fear that this may be the beginnings of cult of personality. And Azeb Mesfin is not the First Lady of Ethiopia- Girma Wolde-Giorgis's wife is.

[Yoniii]

This is so fake.

She's trying to portrait herself as someone that gives away all the money she "earns", who is she trying to fool? Pathetic.

She and her husband can start with declaring their salary and encourage all politicians to do so. That of course will never happen, we won't at least never see the real figure.

[Simfan34]

Let's not forget she is also at the head of the parastatal EFFORT, which conducts a great deal of business in Ethiopia.

Don't belive the Ethiopian Review's stats though- they say EFFORT account for 80% of GDP!

[Hersh]

Ethiopian Review is a joke of a site. Its practice of misinformation and propaganda is not matched even by the EPDRF.

As for Azeb, did Ahadu seriously think that anyone would fall for this? How whipped do you have to be to buy into this crap? "This seems genuine.."??? Ya rabbi.

[Simfan34]

That's why folks call it Elias Kifle's Eritrean Review.

[Simfan34]

“Live and Let Live” Boggs Down Ruling Party



Partial aerial view of Bahir Dar, the seat of the Amhara Regional State. In focus is a statue dedicated to the martyrs of the ANDM, formerly the EPDM.

Reciting a poem inside the Bahir Dar town hall last week, a young actor recalled the sacrifices made by people such as Mulualem Ejigu, a veteran fighter in the armed struggle against the Derg who was assassinated a few years after the ousting of the military regime, to whose memory the hall is dedicated. A poetically emphasised, but stern, warning on the curse of corruption was sent by the routine.

Facing an army of cadres of the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), one of the four parties that form the ruling coalition, who gathered last week at their party’s ninth convention, those allegedly involved in corruption, nepotism, and the advancement of self-interests at the expense of the common good was denigrated by the actor.

He won a round of applause from the animated majority of the 1,200 cadres assembled on the first day of the convention, in the afternoon of September 4, 2010.

Later in the night, in bars across the town, this feeling was echoed by some of the cadres who played to the tune of the latest release by Tewodros Kassahun, a.k.a Teddy Afro, with lyrics promoting the virtues of keeping one’s integrity and not submitting to the pull of vested interests.

Whether leaders in the ruling coalition and the national parties that form it have been involved in practices that compromise their party was a subject of heated debate when they discussed part of the 47-page report which was presented by the leadership of the ANDM to the convention, chaired by Addisu Legesse, a politbureau member at the time of going to press.

Achievements in the social and economic life of the Amhara Regional State and the outline of goals to accomplish until the next convention, in two years’ time, dominated much of the three-part report, dubbed “transformation.” The party’s plan of action parallels the “growth and transformation plan” which the federal government is currently brainstorming.

Theirs is as ambitious as the federal plan for the whole country; leaders of the Amhara regional state would want to double agricultural output by 30pc, supplying 5.36 million quintals of fertilizer in the next five years, twice the volume that is available in the region now. They want to ensure a 100pc provision education, while in the health sector they plan to improve the ratio of health post one to 25,000 people.

Determined to root out what they claim is entrenched “rent seeking” culture in the public, they pledged to identify sectors in the region’s economy “to allow enhanced competition and efficiency.”

Yet, beneath their satisfaction with past accomplishments, delegates were bitter about the “loss of revolutionary culture” in their party that has led the leadership to “favouritism and corruption,” as they described it.

Some delegates challenged the leadership for the existence of an alleged “group that has the power to destroy others, does it deliberately, and has the ability to conceal its vices.”

This is reflected more in the leadership than the rank and file, according to Ambachew, one of the 300 non-voting delegates that participated in the convention, who is doing his doctoral studies in the United Kingdom (UK).

“Are there untouchables; those who are protected?” he asked.

The existence of networking within the party is real, they would agree. So is opportunism at the highest order of the ruling party’s leadership, Bereket Simon, a founder and senior leader of the party, said.

• A father figure in the party, Addisu Legesse, founder and veteran fighter, handed over his chair to a noncombatant younger leader.
  
• A teacher when the EPRDF took over in mid-1991, Demeke Mekonnen’s ascendance to the top most position surprised many.
• A political maverick, Bereket Simon is one of the veterans preparing the ground for the younger generation to take over the leadership.
• Humble and popular in the regional state, Ayelew Gobeze was a teacher when he joined the party in the early 1990s. He is an emerging star.
• 
  
• Relatively younger than the veteran founders, Tadesse Kassa (Tinkishu) is an old hand; his election to the politbureau was unexpected.
• 
  
• Little known outside of the region, Gedu Andargachew was a student when he joined the party during the last year of the armed struggle. His ascendance was no surprise.

“Opportunism” exists at the highest level of the leadership, each member of which has been evaluated, the central committee of the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) agreed in its recent meeting, Bereket told delegates.

“There were relationships formed on the basis of unprincipled benefits,” he said. “However, we could not establish that senior leaders are in bed with powerful interests.”

This view is indeed confirmed by the World Bank, in its country policy and institutional assessment for 2009, a key component used to determine the amount of loans and grants it gives member countries.

“Where corruption does occur, it is reported as typically entailing misrepresentation or falsification or of documentation, rather than a network of bribery of public officials,” says World Bank’s assessment, in its section of “state capture by narrow vested interests.”

There is a growing feeling among members, however, that the system they have installed since their ascendance to political power in the early 1990s has created many millionaires. Yet, their selfless contributions to the advancement of the country failed to help them address the basic needs of health and education of their families and themselves, some feel, in the same way they would agree that the party’s culture of correcting its leaders and members with “criticism and self-criticism” has been seriously eroded in recent years.

The attitude shared by members of the leadership is “live and let live” and a growing culture of “opportunism,” according to the assessment by the leadership of the EPRDF.

The sources of opportunism are diverse, according to Addisu, who is also deputy Prime Minister. The desire for co-existence, the insecurity of leaders as well as the rank and file about their political status, and the prospect of losing the material comforts which political offices bring, are some of these sources.

Opportunism is the result, rather than the cause, delegates like Ambachew, whose views were shared by others such as Tadesse Kassa, a.k.a. Tinkishu, a founder of the ANDM and member of its central committee, said. It is the new culture of “hearsay and gossip” within the organisation that has created an environment which makes “opportunism” rewarding and fighting it costly, according to them.

However, these all result from individual weaknesses and their source ought not to be externalised, Bereket argued, referring to the conclusion of the EPRDF leadership.

“The leadership of the EPRDF believes that opportunism is internal; not imposed by outside sources,” he said.

It takes individual resolve to fight the attitude of “live and let live,” Addisu agreed.

“Why do our members not dare anymore?” he wondered.

Daring they may, if only the party provides a guarantee that whistleblowers will be protected.

“The party should establish a stronger supervision and controlling system on those who network and subject other members to punitive consequences,” Desta Tesfaw, director general of the Ethiopian Broadcasting Authority (EBA), said.

The problem is exhibited on an individual level and thus, “Individual members should be prepared to take risks and pay the price,” Bereket insisted. Yet, these “problems occurred with the transformation” of the party.

In light of the expanded size of its membership (nearly a million) and the increasing number of intellectuals that have joined the party lately, delegates espoused this argument. Of the 75 delegates nominated for the party’s central committee on the afternoon of September 7, for instance, not less than seven have PhDs, including Genet Zewdie, now Ethiopia’s ambassador to India.

“What remains now is consolidation,” Bereket said.

Despite the increase in membership size, the quality and resolve of such members for the cause of the organisation, which was first formed in November 1980, in the remote parts of Waag, in Wello, are questioned by critics.

Among the 37 founding members, two of which are women, Bereket and Addisu were members of the five presidiums last week, which navigated delegates during the convention that came to an end on Wednesday morning, electing Demeke Mekonnen, a former teacher before joining the party, as its chairman.

It is the first time that the party has installed a non-combatant member, who joined after the end of the war against the Derg came to conclusion, in May 1991, to its highest position.

Gedu Andargachew, a student who joined the party a year before the end of the war, and now deputy governor of the regional state, was elected as deputy chairman, while veterans such as Addisu, Bereket, and Tadesse remained in the executive committee and its politbureau, but with the intention to phase in the handing over of the leadership to the new generation.

“The succession plan of the EPRDF is a redeployment of the veterans and the top leadership,” said Tadesse.

While the veterans are redeployed, perhaps to teach or take leaves of absences to write their memoirs, the new and relatively younger leadership will be challenged in its bid to root out what the EPRDF leadership calls an increasing attitude to “live and let live.”

In the view of the outgoing leadership, it is such a growing attitude that has paved the way for the rank and file’s lack of desire to fight “mediocrity” in search of personal comfort. Illegitimate land grabbing in urban areas, as well as increased disputes on rural land; rent seeking; and poor service delivery have been caused by this. The issues of land, tax, and government procurement are areas in which businesspeople make sudden elevations “from rags to riches.”

“The EPRDF is to be tested on the issue of land,” Addisu warned.

Perhaps, the rank and file of the EPRDF get less credit than they deserve in their internal fight to hold their leaders accountable; their critics appear to be little informed about the elevated nature of debates on policy priorities and their implementations.

Despite every discourse within the party being pre-determined in the tradition of leftist parties, in the view of sceptics, the remarkable, unscripted, and raw nature of comments directed, particularly, from farmer members in their midst makes it hard to accept everything as predesigned.

In the unprecedented openness and access they allowed to the private media for the first time, following a heated debate, according to a veteran member, they were seen ruthlessly passing judgment on those nominated for the central committee. However, while some of them made it onto the committee, even after the onslaught they were subjected to, others did not.

Such was the story of Asrat Genet (MD), head of the regional government’s health bureau and central committee member for the past two years. His nomination for a second term, and voting in favour thereof, met with strong resistance from the rank and file on the grounds of unbecoming personal conduct, alleged corruption, poor handling of members under his supervision, and underperformance on the region’s delivery of healthcare services.

“He wants to be served,” said a female delegate. “He is not there to serve the public.”

The criticism directed at Asrat was echoed by other members who claimed to have worked in the same cell.

An intervention from the highest order, Ayalew Gobezie, president of the regional state and politbureau member, that Asrat is well versed in health policy development and interpretation, did little to save him. A second round of voting on his nomination fell far short of the 265 votes needed to get him on the shortlist.

Yet, in the case of Alebachew Negussie, head of the EPRDF’s political affairs, the result was different. None other than Bereket Simon bailed him out of a political storm brought forth by a delegate’s assertion that his performance was poor and did little for the regional party apparatus. Bereket’s defence of Alebachew for outstanding achievements at the EPRDF level helped him to survive and enter the central committee.

Such a political culture of openness and uninhibited discussions within the EPRDF domain astounded observers, some of whom were known businessmen and women, such as Bizuayehu Tadelle, Abebaw Desta, Hirut Alamerew, and Telksew Gedamu, a businesswoman who is building a 17-storey hotel with a projected cost of 130 million Br, on the shores of Lake Tana.

“I am surprised with the openness and participatory nature of the meeting,” Bizuayehu, chairman of East Africa Holdings, which owns 80pc of National Cement in Dire Dawa, told Fortune. “It is clear that they are committed but I am more surprised by the elevated political consciousness of their farmer members. They were direct and to the point.”

I hope that this is a sign of greater political transparency.

[Yoniii]

Yared Shumete received his award from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton



Ethiopia's Yared Shumete, the African Grand Finalist filmmaker in the 2010 Democracy Video Challenge, received his award from Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on September 10, along with the other five Grand Finalists from Colombia, Iran, Indonesia, Nepal and Spain. Yared Shumete’s video, Democracy is Fair Play, and the other winning videos received a special screening at the Motion Picture Association of America on September 9.

During his trip to the United States as a Grand Finalist, Yared will be meeting with American film and television industry representatives, U.S. government and United Nations officials, and democracy advocacy and youth empowerment foundations and non-governmental organizations in Washington, New York and Los Angeles.

The transcript of the remarks by Secretary Clinton and Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs Judith McHale at the State Department’s Democracy Video Challenge Award Presentation on September 10 follows.

EDIT:

The presentation video

[abesha]

Ethiopian ruling party, opposition to hold joint debate on dev. plan

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopia’s ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and three main opposition parties have agreed to hold their first national debate on the country’s recently launched Growth and Transformation Plan (GTP), APA learns here on Friday.

According to sources, the EPRDF, the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), the Oromo National Congress (ONC) and Kinijit (a coalition of opposition members) have agreed to hold their first national debate on GTP on 5 October 2010.

Ethiopia launched the GTP to undertake massive development activities in the agriculture, road, telecommunication and health sectors among others.

The ambitious GTP aims at doubling the current economic growth (around 10%) in the next five years.

The debate is part of the pledge made by the Front during the 4th national elections to work together on national issues with all opposition parties willing to abide by the constitution.

The ruling party won 545 seats in the parliament while only one independent candidate and one candidate from an opposition party won a seat.

Though the opposition parties failed to win more seats at the parliament, the ruling party promised to work with the opposition parties on national economic and social affairs.

It was reported that the ruling party has also sent invitation letters to the All Ethiopia Unity Organization (AEUO) and the Ethiopian Justice and Democratic Forces Front to take part in the discussion though their confirmation is not yet to be received.

An agreement on how to establish a consultative forum and work together has been reached between the Front and the opposition parties.

http://www.apanews.net/apa.php?page=...article=132854

Should be interesting!!

If it is indeed genuine, cooperation for the greater good would be a dream come true. Not everyone knows everything. You can always learn from each other.

[abesha]

Ethiopia to register wealth of 22,000 government Officials

By Tesfa-Alem Tekle

October 3, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) – As part of the nationwide efforts to curb corruption the Ethiopian Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC) said on Sunday that it is set to register assets and wealth of 22,000 government appointees as of next month.

This will be the first time for the Horn of Africa’s nation to register wealth of government officials including ministers. Ethiopian Parliament on March 30, 2010 endorsed the wealth registration proclamation which has been the pipeline for several years.

The target includes registering a total of 45,000 people including the wealth of families of government officials, and other key civil servants who are in positions of making decision on resources of the country. According to the commission, the registration of properties and wealth is not a onetime work and it will be continued every two years.

Speaking at a recent discussion forum, the Commission’s Ethics Education and Communication Affairs Director, Birhanu Assefa, noted that the commission has been working with a foreign consultant firm to launch the process of registration and final preparations are well in progress.

The registration process includes verification of the wealth of individuals, and subjects are also expected to notify income source of their families during the registration.

Individuals who tip to the commission about the hidden wealth of government officials, employees and constituencies, the tipsters will be rewarded 25 percent value of the hidden and found property if the tips are found to be true, according to the proclamation.

Cognizant of the dangerous threat of corruption, the Ethiopian Government established the Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission (FEACC) in May 2001. According to the commission’s website (www.feac.gov.et), since its establishment, the FEACC has been taking preventive and curative measures to curb corruption at various levels.

As a continuation of the previous efforts, the activities carried out by the anti corruption commission in the 2008/2009 budget year were believed to have due contribution in checking and controlling corruption.

The annual report of the Ethiopian Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission for the fiscal year 2008/09 (July 8, 2008 to July 7, 2009) indicated that it has received a total of 2286 corruption related complaints (787 less than the previous year) out of which 1212 were reports within the commission’s mandate.

http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article36477

[Simfan34]

Hmm... who wants to bet that these won't be made up?

Though the part about "Individuals who tip to the commission about the hidden wealth of government officials, employees and constituencies, the tipsters will be rewarded 25 percent value of the hidden and found property if the tips are found to be true, according to the proclamation." sounds nice. Real nice.

[Ras Siyan]

Originally Posted by abesha

Ethiopia to register wealth of 22,000 government Officials
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article36477

Excellent initiative for the fight against corruption. Ethiopia won't regret this.

We need steps like these, where is Ismael Omar Guelleh, we could start by him and his family.

[Ahadu]

Originally Posted by Ras Siyan

We need steps like these, where is Ismael Omar Guelleh, we could start by him and his family.

His Excellency President Ismael Omar Guelleh and his wife Madam Khadra Mohammed have already acquired close to 30,000 hectares of flower-bed around Sebeta area.

We love and do care for our investors - so, if you don't mind, stop accusing them without concrete evidence! They are not corrupt.

If you touch them, we shall declare war up on you!!

Leave our investors alone!
Thank You

P.S. Ismael Omar Guelleh is our son. Don't forget, he was born and raised in Ethiopia. We Looooooooove him...

[Ahadu]

Originally Posted by Simfan34

Though the part about "Individuals who tip to the commission about the hidden wealth of government officials, employees and constituencies, the tipsters will be rewarded 25 percent value of the hidden and found property if the tips are found to be true, according to the proclamation." sounds nice. Real nice.

Are you thinking whistle blowing on the first lady (Azeb Mesfin and EFFORT) ? - I know you & the others hate Azeb Mesfin. She and her hubby are as clean as crystal - I can bet on that and put my neck under the guillotine. The couple are clean - I say!

NO 25% cut for you - think & try another one....

[Yoniii]

A very interesting initiative. It should stress most people, but top officials will most likely "get away".

[Yoniii]

Originally Posted by Ras Siyan

Excellent initiative for the fight against corruption. Ethiopia won't regret this.

We need steps like these, where is Ismael Omar Guelleh, we could start by him and his family.

Indeed, it's a step towards the right direction at least. Is Ismael popular in Djibouti, or are most people against him?

[Simfan34]

Originally Posted by Ras Siyan

Excellent initiative for the fight against corruption. Ethiopia won't regret this.

We need steps like these, where is Ismael Omar Guelleh, we could start by him and his family.

I have a feeling they meant our government officials.