Ethiopia: “Shame” agreement for 2010 EPRDF elections

By Ethioguardian

The ruling party is paving the way for a 99 % election victory by excluding strong opposition parties, intimidating members of strong political movements, imprisoning charismatic opposition leaders and by embracing weak and/or sister organizations.

The Ethiopian ruling party (EPRDF), it sister political parties and the controversial Ethiopian businessman (Hailu Shawel) signed an agreement for the 2010 EPRDF election. The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), All Ethiopian Unity Organization (AEUO), the Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) and the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) were the parties to the discussion.

The Electoral Code of Conduct agreement was signed excluding the leading opposition political parties UDJ, Medrek, Ginbot7, OLF and EPRP. MEDREK a forum for eight political parties, walked out of the negotiation saying the government set the negotiation on topics that are concerning the interests of the ruling party. Ginbot7 boycotted any political participation in the current system of government and started an all-inclusive political movement from exile.

The parties who signed the election campaign are sister organizations of the ruling party and a fading political movement led by Hailu Shawel. EDP, led by the long time EPRDF puppet, Lidetu Ayale, who infiltrated the opposition for long time and exposed in the 2005 election, lost its public support both inside the country and the Diaspora. The other EPRDF sister party led by Ayele Chamiso was awarded the name and sign of the popular opposition movement (CUD) by the ruling party court, hijacking the popularity of the opposition movement. The third party that signed the electoral code of conduct is led by the controversial business man, Hailu shawel, 76 and suffering from diabetics, is also a dying political figure and origination that does not have any political impact in the country. The ruling party is using the sister parties and weak opposition figures to create confusion among the public and the international community.

The charismatic leader of one of the excluded popular party (UDJ), Birtukan Mideksa, is languishing in EPRDF prison on fabricated charges. Berhanu Nega, a former leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and now a member of the Ginbot 7 said Ethiopia is not a conducive country for democracy. Nega said the 2010 election will most likely be similar to the 2008 local election when he said Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party won 99 point nine percent of the vote.

The ruling party is paving the way for a 99 % election victory by excluding the strong opposition parties, intimidating members of strong political movements, imprisoning charismatic opposition leaders and by embracing weak and/or sister organizations.

Meles Zenawi, a rebel leader who took power in 1991, is running for another term in office, to be in the prime minister, the most important office in the Ethiopian government, for more than 20 years.
Ethiopians are dissatisfied with the performance of Zenawi’s regime. The ever-increasing living cost, drought, unnecessary war in Somalia, increasing ethnic conflicts, corruption, Genocidal acts on ethnic minority of Anuak and Ogaden region, media monopoly and other dictatorial actions of the regime have made Zenawi’s regime very unpopular. Zenawi’s EPRDF does not have any chance of winning the 2010 election without intimidation, creating confusion, and election fraud.

The controversial national elections will be held on 15 May 2010.

It should be recalled that zenawi’s EPRDF rigged the 2005 elections and took power by force killing hundreds of civilians, imprisoning thousands, silencing the media and jailing almost all opposition leaders.