Ayalenesh recent piece V. EPRP's May Surprise !!!

Tedla Asfaw

Change will only come through active participation to attain a goal. Politics is a game of winning public vote to implement our vision to lead a country at local, state and Federal level. The recent call by EPRP(May 2009) posted on EPRP site and other sites like, www.ethiofourm.org, www.abbaymedia.com are encouraging timely debates in our community. Supporters and haters of one party are debating  currently  and will be the debate of the week, month and years to come until we answered this legitimate question which has been unanswered for the last eighteen years, a question of united front to remove TPLF.

Our people back home have no platform to agree and disagree peacefully and be part of this process. Such basics, freedom of speech and print denied home,however, should not be repeated here by default. We have to debate here to answer the big call of our country and people which was also the rallying cry four years ago in the historical defeat of TPLF, "Tebaberu Weyeme Tesebaberu", unite or perish raised by EPRP, "May Surprise".

However, I disagree  with recent piece by Ehete Ayalenesh,my favorite commentator on Debteraw website,  "Weyanene Tebeke, Ehapan Lekeke", because her tactic of going it alone has been tried for almost two decades without removing TPLF from power. I wish her piece helped us to reach her genuine desire of removing TPLF, but how could it be by fighting  Ginbot7 and others who are trying their part to  remove TPLF ?  It is time for cease fire among ourselves, we will have plenty of time to debate and convince our people for the good and the bad of each other.

I would like to read another piece from Ayalenesh on what we should do to answer the EPRP's May call not coup for united front to remove, real coup,  TPLF which I support without any reservation.

Bulcha Demeksa, the "criminal" ???

Tedla Asfaw

Bulcha Demeksa is the leader of Oromo Federal Democratic Movement (OFDM) who has been known for speaking his mind. On VOA Amharic May 6, he spoke with Surafel for which the TPLF cadre, Ermias gave a short reply and accused Ato Bulcha as a "criminal".

 Bulcha said the regime in power has been known for locking up Oromos on fabricated charges of being  OLF fighters to overthrow the regime and what is happening now on non-Oromo army officers and civilians, accused of terror and assassination plot is the trademark of the regime and "without independent investigation he would not accept the charges labelled by TPLF/EPRDF".

By independent commission he meant foreign organizations since there are not any functioning independent organizations of any kind in present day Ethiopia. He said, those like him who are in parliament are just listeners . "There is not free press and organizations", he said and in such situation, "we are unable to do anything for our constituencies". He said, " we cannot even visit our constituency without risking our and other lives".

The May 3, All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP) news release which is also  posted on Aiga Website for propaganda propose,however, declared the expansion of AEUP offices throughout Ethiopia. The divide and rule of TPLF is now at full speed. All potential enemies are rooted paving the way for June 2010 election. Bulcha said also that the regime is now recruiting people throughout Ethiopia to vote for EPRDF. "Conferences and workshops are everywhere  while others so called oppositions including his party are just seating and waiting for the landslide victory of TPLF/EPRDF".

Persons like Bulcha Demeksa who has been a partner with  TPLF/EPRDF for many years know very well that they haven't served their constituencies except giving legitimacy for the regime. His courage as an individual for speaking the truth on TPLF's parliament and on foreign  platforms,however, is commendable.

The sad thing is that party like AEUP, UDJP  still believe that they will pull the kind of the Kinijit's victory of May 15, 2005 by just being nice and do organizational work to defeat TPLF. It is only one year before the so called election of 2010 and the recent arrest and the intimidation campaign is part of the TPLF election campaign as Bulcha accurately put it together recruiting millions of hostages,  workers and peasants, under the cover of workshops and conferences.

The choice for Bulcha and his party is now clear. For more than a decade he tried to empower his people peacefully and that has not produced any tangible result. Now it is time to save himself before he faces similar fate like the thousands of Oroms who have been locked up for years as members of an outlawed OLF.

What Bulcha Demeksa tried for a decade is now discovered  as something new by AEUP, UDJP  and others believing that there is no other alternative. I wish they were right.




 

Voice for the voiceless

Wondem Abebe Gellaw,

I heard your voice, the voice of the millions of voiceless Ethiopians, on May 6 on Western media and thank you for educating many of the journalists on that conference and the wider audience that followed you on TV or Internet. I am positive that your stay at Stanford University as Yahoo fellow have already produced fruits and  friendship to document and expose the total monopoly of information by the TPLF regime of Ethiopia. This could not have been possible without hard work and I commend you for that.

                                                                                       Thanks,

                                                                                    Tedla Asfaw

Silence under terror !!!

Tedla Asfaw


Eng. Hailu Shawel is the leader of All Ethiopia Union Party (AEUP), the party formed after Kinijit/ CUD split into Judge Birtukan Medeksa led UDJP and Dr. Birhanu Nega's led Ginbot7 a year ago. Birtukan has been jailed for more than three months for not submitting to the blackmail of Meles Zenawi, and the last we heard from her was on her now  famous letter, "Kale", moments before she went to jail.

The fabricated TPLF coup by Ginbot7 this past week is now downgraded to terror and assassination. Many former TPLF army officers mainly Amharas of alleged Ginbot7 members including an eighty year old man Ato  Tsege  the father of Andargatchew Tsege and others are locked up.

The recent news from AEUP that was posted on websites informed us also that AEUP offices were opened for political activities in all corners of Ethiopia and the peaceful struggle is in full swing.  Are these "organized people" capable of protecting and defending themselves from TPLF terror we are witnessing now ?  Where is the  stand of AEUP on the ongoing terror on peaceful people? Is it maybe because all the accused, UDJP or Ginbot7 alleged members and the former TPLF officers are not AEUP members ?

Such stand is only helping TPLF. It is also self defeating because the Ethiopian people will not win by such failed tactic of divided struggle. The call for unite or else, "Tebaberu or Tesebeaberu" was true in 2005 and still true now to defeat TPLF terrorism.

TPLF has been killing and jailing Oromos in the name of fighting OLF "terror" and now is jailing mainly Amharas in the name of the "terror plot" by Ginbot 7. Does AEUP still believe by organizing the masses in all corners of Ethiopia can defeat TPLF by going it alone ?


Silence while Birtukan Medeksa of UDJP was  thrown  to jail and now Birhanu's led Ginbot7 alleged members  accused of "terror plot" and cleanse Amharas from the army is not defensible. If AEUP thinks it is not the enemy of TPLF we need clarification on that.

Soon Birtukan will be free from jail, but not free to run her organization. Her UDJP will be run by others who are known for accepting TPLF's supremacy and its boss Meles Zenawi and I am afraid yours AEUP is going on that track under your leadership.