| On this historical day we Africans are proud that we have one of our own in the White House. The highest expectations from Obama's election by many Americans white and black ,however, might not be realized until the end of his presidency and most likely Americans will reelect him and be president until 2016 and finish what he started. However, the concern we Ethiopians have for mother country will not be tackled as we hoped it urgently and differently because Africa is now on the hands of the Clinton people who worked and supported TPLF for eight years and handed it over to Bush that continued the support and finance as an ally on terror to terrorize our people. Our country hope is squarely on a well organized diaspora's relentless campaign and protest that should start immediately and go on until it bears fruit and let we Ethiopians learn from grass root movements that are responsible for making today's history and mobilize our people and force change rather than wait from the angels in the White House. |
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Policy change for Ethiopia ????
Tedla Asfaw
Thursday, 15 January 2009
Is Seye Abraha a savior of TPLF?
Tedla Asfaw
Ato Seye Abraha has been active since he has been released from jail few years ago. He came out in public on VOA Amharic after he was released and told Ethiopians that he was jailed for personal vendetta and was not involved in any corruption he was accused for which he spent more than six years in jail. I had congratulated him then for being out of jail and be with his loved ones. What I am going to comment here is based on his recent speeches and writings as "free" man that makes me believe that he is the next man to replace Meles Zenawi to save TPLF.
On his recent speeches and writings it seems that he is ready to join the so called "election" in 2010. On his recent appearance on Andenet/UDJ party meeting as guest he was received with wide applause and seems that he has political future. However, he has not so far formed or join any party except giving speeches. He recently wrote more than thirty pages in Amharic on the political situation of our country and his recommendations.
No doubt, Ato Seye Abraha is directly speaking to members of TPLF/EPRDF who are and will continue to dominate any "election" in the future. Yesterday, on VOA Amharic he said emphatically that TPLF/EPRDF made a mistake on jailing Birtukan Medeksa and opening up the "wound", defeat of TPLF, of election 2005. He demanded for her immediate release to avoid popular anger and revolt to continue the path to "peaceful" struggle. Stay tuned he will be the VOA Amharic guest today.
I am sure many of his former buddies who are now controlling the parliament are also seriously thinking to save TPLF, to keep their wealth and power. Why jailing the popular leader and spoil the coming fake election of 2010 which surely Ato Seye Abraha, Gebru Asrat ready to join according to the recent speeches Seye gave.
Ato Seye might join the parliament running as individual to work with his buddies in parliament who are known for voting anti-people legislation to keep TPLF in power for years to come. TPLF will have one of its "leader" in the parliament in the name of opposition to charter its future after Meles' retirement due to foreign countries pressure and save TPLF as reformed party with a new leader, Seye Abraha.
Nothing is impossible on politics driven by ethnic loyalty. Ato seye's only problem has been Meles Zenawi and the rest as he told us on his speeches and writings is a foundation for our country's future. For Ato Seye Abraha the Constitution of TPLF is a must and one thing he doesn't want to admit is that the TPLF constitution was a document imposed on our people not a product of any democratic deliberation.
We have to start from scratch Ato Seye if we are serious to save our country. However, if the intention is to save our own ethnic domination by staging another fake election, we might succeed in cheating few people and collaborate with known opportunist political parties. But the majority of the people will not be part of such enterprise and repeat May 2005 again. Our people demand is total freedom that was snatched by killing squads of TPLF four years ago. The Freedom Train that was derailed in 2005 is fixing its tracks and ready to rumble to make a promising future for our people and no force can derail it this time.
Ato Seye Abraha has been active since he has been released from jail few years ago. He came out in public on VOA Amharic after he was released and told Ethiopians that he was jailed for personal vendetta and was not involved in any corruption he was accused for which he spent more than six years in jail. I had congratulated him then for being out of jail and be with his loved ones. What I am going to comment here is based on his recent speeches and writings as "free" man that makes me believe that he is the next man to replace Meles Zenawi to save TPLF.
On his recent speeches and writings it seems that he is ready to join the so called "election" in 2010. On his recent appearance on Andenet/UDJ party meeting as guest he was received with wide applause and seems that he has political future. However, he has not so far formed or join any party except giving speeches. He recently wrote more than thirty pages in Amharic on the political situation of our country and his recommendations.
No doubt, Ato Seye Abraha is directly speaking to members of TPLF/EPRDF who are and will continue to dominate any "election" in the future. Yesterday, on VOA Amharic he said emphatically that TPLF/EPRDF made a mistake on jailing Birtukan Medeksa and opening up the "wound", defeat of TPLF, of election 2005. He demanded for her immediate release to avoid popular anger and revolt to continue the path to "peaceful" struggle. Stay tuned he will be the VOA Amharic guest today.
I am sure many of his former buddies who are now controlling the parliament are also seriously thinking to save TPLF, to keep their wealth and power. Why jailing the popular leader and spoil the coming fake election of 2010 which surely Ato Seye Abraha, Gebru Asrat ready to join according to the recent speeches Seye gave.
Ato Seye might join the parliament running as individual to work with his buddies in parliament who are known for voting anti-people legislation to keep TPLF in power for years to come. TPLF will have one of its "leader" in the parliament in the name of opposition to charter its future after Meles' retirement due to foreign countries pressure and save TPLF as reformed party with a new leader, Seye Abraha.
Nothing is impossible on politics driven by ethnic loyalty. Ato seye's only problem has been Meles Zenawi and the rest as he told us on his speeches and writings is a foundation for our country's future. For Ato Seye Abraha the Constitution of TPLF is a must and one thing he doesn't want to admit is that the TPLF constitution was a document imposed on our people not a product of any democratic deliberation.
We have to start from scratch Ato Seye if we are serious to save our country. However, if the intention is to save our own ethnic domination by staging another fake election, we might succeed in cheating few people and collaborate with known opportunist political parties. But the majority of the people will not be part of such enterprise and repeat May 2005 again. Our people demand is total freedom that was snatched by killing squads of TPLF four years ago. The Freedom Train that was derailed in 2005 is fixing its tracks and ready to rumble to make a promising future for our people and no force can derail it this time.
Wednesday, 14 January 2009
Open Letter to Ghanaian Ambassador in D.C.
January 14, 2008
Dear the Ghanaian Ambassador in D.C.,
I send this open letter to you as a fellow African brother. I am an Ethiopian exiled in USA since 1987 and very active on affairs of Ethiopia and the well being of Africa.
It came to my attention that you and the TPLF/Ethiopian Embassy are organizing an inaugural party on this weekend for Obama. I commend Ghana for taking such initiative to throw a party and be part of history.
However, the regime in Ethiopia that is throwing opponents as we speak and forced the educated Ethiopians to exile should not be part of any celebration and we are calling the Ghanaian Embassy not to be a collaborator of Meles Zenawi on this historical occasion.
It is indeed very sad seeing an exemplary country for conducting a successful election few weeks ago be associated with a regime that killed hundreds and jailed opposition leaders in the 2005 election and continue to rule the country with a military decree since 2005 as a co organizer.
I want you to be aware that the protest rally you might come across is not against the people of Ghana for honoring Obama, the first son of Africa, to hold the highest office in USA but against Meles Zenawi the leader of the Apartheid regime in Ethiopia.
Sincerely,
Tedla Asfaw
New York City
I send this open letter to you as a fellow African brother. I am an Ethiopian exiled in USA since 1987 and very active on affairs of Ethiopia and the well being of Africa.
It came to my attention that you and the TPLF/Ethiopian Embassy are organizing an inaugural party on this weekend for Obama. I commend Ghana for taking such initiative to throw a party and be part of history.
However, the regime in Ethiopia that is throwing opponents as we speak and forced the educated Ethiopians to exile should not be part of any celebration and we are calling the Ghanaian Embassy not to be a collaborator of Meles Zenawi on this historical occasion.
It is indeed very sad seeing an exemplary country for conducting a successful election few weeks ago be associated with a regime that killed hundreds and jailed opposition leaders in the 2005 election and continue to rule the country with a military decree since 2005 as a co organizer.
I want you to be aware that the protest rally you might come across is not against the people of Ghana for honoring Obama, the first son of Africa, to hold the highest office in USA but against Meles Zenawi the leader of the Apartheid regime in Ethiopia.
Sincerely,
Tedla Asfaw
New York City
Friday, 9 January 2009
Freedom and Justice Rally by all Ethiopians !!!
Tedla Asfaw
Ethiopians are starting the new year by coming together on Wednesday January 14 in ten major cities of the world to denounce the TPLF regime in Ethiopia that is throwing the opposition UDJP party chair the honorable Judge Birtukan Medeksa who is now on her tenth day hunger strike in prison in Ethiopia. Amnesty International categorized her as prisoner of conscience.
No one is spared on this crackdown. The famous singer Teddy Afro and many Oromo professionals are among them. The coincidence of this crackdown with the defeat in Somalia is not accidental. The regime invasion of Somalia in Christmas 2006 was then to divert attention from ongoing internal crisis following the 2005 stolen election.
The current crackdown is also to exploit the window of opportunity during power transfer in USA. This is the warning for the coming Obama administration. "Do not get involved on our internal affairs on sovereign Ethiopia, and we know you have your own economic problem, Iraq, Afghanistan etc and leave us alone".
Hopefully this message will be delivered to Obama by the Clinton's people who are now surrounding Obama, Ms. Clinton, Susan Rice etc. who supported and financed the TPLF regime amid continuous protest by the Diaspora exposing the tyrannical behavior of the regime.
The regime in power in Ethiopia exploited the 9/11 incidence on the last Bush Administration and came as the number one fighter of terrorism in East Africa. The invasion of Somalia two years ago was with the direct financial and logistical support from USA. If you ask the members of Meles' Parliament/Club who pays for the two years adventure in Somalia the answer is they do not know. The war book is with Meles and Pentagon.
Somalia is now where it was before the invasion after thousands of innocent lives lost. It is shameful to hear " Mission Accomplished " by the regime cadres and go to their business of destroying opponents that was temporarily on hold during the invasion to get political support. To their dismay no one supported this adventurous war and opposition parties all exposed the consequence of this war, bringing future instability. As the world witnessed, Ogaden has been the main victim of this Somalia adventure. The war in Ogaden is well documented and the time for those who perpetuated this war crime is not going to be far.
The coming Wed. 14 protest is one of the many that is going to be carried throughout the world this year. The dimension of the crisis needs all Ethiopians to come out and voice their anger. This is not a rally for political organizations. Calling this protest is no more than taking the initiative and we should not exploit such gatherings for our own limited political goal.
The banners we carry on this coming protest calls for justice in Ogaden and the release of all political prisoners. Parties that do not take the initiative of organizing this coming rally should join and voice their anger too. From our experience of the last eighteen years protest in the Diaspora throughout the world we learned that all the successful protests were those organized by concerned Ethiopians without any political affiliation.
We all have common enemy and this rally is not a political solidarity with any group, ours should be with the voiceless Ethiopians. The coming rally is by all Ethiopians for Ethiopia and all are well come. I call especially our Somali and Oromo brothers and sisters to join us because it is only when we stand together we will make difference.
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