Walk, protest like Egyptians!!

Tedla Asfaw

 

I watched a brave woman(Aljazerra April 6) on the street of Cairo saying no to Mubarak's tyranny supporting the stay home strike called by Egyptian workers who are now living on a  USA $2 per day and  can not afford to buy bread for their families due to high inflation.

 

The stay home strike that  was called by workers and later on communicated to students and the masses  on Internet by bloggers was a success.The streets of Cairo were quiet except few protesters that were matched in number with armed security personnel who were seen beating women, children and old people.

 

The government of Egypt claimed the "illegal" strike was a failure and most people went to their normal business,however, we saw empty streets in Cairo and we know the strike was  a success and did send a message and shock wave  to Mubarak that his days are numbered. 

 

The people who were on the streets were angered by the regime for not allowing them to protest and vent their frustration peacefully. We all know that country like Egypt and Ethiopia who are the staunch supporters of the "war on terrorr" are good in terrorizing their citizens and locking opponents first fabricate charges later and convict them for long term prison.

 

Moreover, this protest is coming before the Municipal election in Egypt this week and the regime has already locked up opposition supporters like the Muslim Brotherhood who have wide support in the poor neighborhoods that won substantial seat before.

 

The Muslim Brotherhood has boycotted this coming election because the regime has already learned from its previous mistakes and fielded many of its candidates to take the municipal seat and it seems to me that Mubarak and Melese Zenawi are following the same script in conducting "fair and free election".

 

Both regimes deny the right to protest and accuse the protesters as outlaws who wanted to destabilize their countries. Both wanted to rule forever. Mubarak wanted to transfer power to his son and Melese is not sure when to transfer power and the closest one maybe his wife, Emebete Azeb. The possible alternative is to initiate a debate within TPLF  not "to waste the brain power of our beloved leader, Melese Zenawi" is to make him a president of Ethiopia by amending the TPLF's Constitution in his own parliament.

 

The economic hardship of about 40% of Egyptians who live below poverty line is a good testament for the failed Mubarak tyranny and this can be said the same if not more for Ethiopia  where food price is sky rocketing and Melese Zenawi who blame the economic growth of China and India together with home merchants for inflating prices.

 

The west including Saudi can help subsidize food in Egypt and avoid the mass uprising which is surely to come. Ethiopia is already benefiting from the USA subsidized wheat and the question is for how long? As  we see the war in Iraq and the recession in USA is not encouraging to put hope on the handout from USA.

 

The seventy million Egyptians and  seventy million Ethiopians have been ruled for their long history by autocrats  supported by west and the recent talk of "democracy and freedom" by Bush and Condi remains empty rhetoric and the people of Egypt has taken a lead by going out on the streets and demand  their democracy and freedom this past week,.

 

Ethiopians should do no less. We have to follow the Egyptian example and call a stay home strike and boycott the government organized  make-believe election  for this month. We know their is sacrifice to be paid and we also know millions of our people have no dignified life to live for.

Well Deserved Fellowhip!!

Tedla Asfaw

 

I was thrilled to read this morning the news(April 4) from the Stanford University in London posted on addisvoice.com that Ato Abebe Gelaw has been awarded the Johns Knight  Fellowship for Professional Journalists at Stanford University for this year.

 

Ato Abebe will join other twenty accomplished journalists to do the job he has already mastered. I have known Ato Abebe by writing him my views on various topics  and later invited me to join him as an Addis Voice Blogger on his own designed website.

 

This was a big honor for a person like me who is not a trained writer but as a  person who has a strong desire to express my views that started in 1990s on  the Ethiopian Review, Ethiopian Register. As a student of Ato Abebe since 2006 my confidence grow daily and now am a regular on his blog.

 

When I read what he has accomplished as a Yahoo Fellow in  journalism with back ground in political science,law and teaching English, I was not surprised at all for Stanford to grant him its prestigious fellowship.

 

Ato Abebe by joining other accomplished international journalists will be in a good position to learn from  their experiences and no doubt others will also learn form his exemplary career and his website that he established two years ago that is now the major source of information and a platform for debating freely on all matters relevant to Ethiopia and Africa..

 

We all Ethiopians should be proud of Ato Abebe Gelaw and wish him and his family the best in his journey to discover new wisdom and be an example for our young students of journalism that in hard work and commitment you will attain your potential followed by well deserved recognition.

Zimbabwe's slow motion election result

Tedla Asfaw

The result of the election in Zimbabwe is going on in a "slow motion" and that is very different from the previous election result in Zimbabwe or to many who have been going on in Africa.

Premature declaration of winning have brought destruction in many African elections and Zimbabwe's opposition party has been warned not to do so and the public is extremely patient and the speculation on who won and lost is going on.

This morning the opposition claims to win the presidency and I hope this will not bring the opposition supporters and the police on the street to battle on the street.

I have no doubt in my mind South Africa which has been the destiny of many refugees would not tolerate more refugees and would like Zimbabweans to bring order to their country and might play a big rule in convincing Mugabe and the opposition to make the deal.

This remind me what happened last week fight in Basra between the Mahdi army and the Iraq government. While the prime minister, Malik ,is boasting to finish the Mahdi army relying on fire power of USA and Bush called it the last important battle to free Iraq, Iranians worked behind the scene convincing their Shia allies the Mahdi army to stop the fighting.

Here we might have the same result. While USA and Britain talked tough and demonizing Mugabe as always the big player here maybe South Africa. Mugabe will not bow to West pressure to give up power,however,he will be convinced by South Africa to encourage a grace exist for him and save Zimbabwe from its economic hardship and bleak future.

ARENA's first meeting

Tedla Asfaw

 

Ato Gibru Asrat led ARENA party held its first meeting in Mekele after it got legal recognition five months ago from TPLF/EPRDF's cadres. The Tigray administration call the meeting illegal and send a letter to Ato Gibru warning him of his illegal activities.

 

Ato Gibru argued on VOA Amharic(April 1) that he did not brake a rule by calling public meeting as was alleged on the letter rather this was an internal organizational affair complying with the rule of TPLF/EPRDF that mandated  a meeting within six months of a newly legalized party.

 

TPLF/EPRDF cadres in Mekele have threatened members of ARENA and also smeared their names as collaborators with "Neftegnas, the enemy of Tigreans" since the legalization and the official warning of an illegal meeting is not a surprise.

 

What surprise for me is for for the TPLF cadres allowing ARENA to conclude its two day meeting with out physical violence. One of the reasons for this might be  fearing the masses who are fed up of TPLF's rule who brought them economic hardship and  no hope.

 

However the regime will deny ARENA its right to call a mass rally by giving flimsy excuses and to arrest its leaders if they organize such rally and that is the purpose of the letter from Tigray administration after the conclusion of the two days meeting by ARENA.

 

This is also true for the new formed Kinijit/Andenet party led by Birtukan Medekssa. "You will be legalized do  not worry,however,if you try to mobilize your supporters and come for a rally you will be locked up" that is what TPLF/EPRDF means legalizing "opposition parties" and at the same time criminalizing public gatherings.

 

ARENA or other political parties will be on  collision course with TPLF  if they are  mobilizing their supporters and if political parties are not allowed to do that they should not call themselves political parties.