---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tedla Asfaw <tedla.asfaw@gmail.com>
Date: Jan 28, 2008 9:15 AM
Subject: Make-believe election in Ethiopia
To: "abe. gelaw. addis" <abe.gelaw.addis@blogger.com>
Tedla Asfaw
The news of more than fifteen million people registration for local election this spring in Ethiopia is coming through the TPLF/EPRDF's media and the "loyal" opposition, the likes of Beyene, Merara and others in the parliament, are complaining as usual and would like to participate to keep themselves paid.
Twenty percent of those "registered" are themselves candidates for election and should not doubt that ninety nine percent of them are TPLF/EPRDF's candidates and this is what you call buying election before voting, indeed learning from May 2005, and the purpose of such election with or without foreign observers is meaningless.
There will not be a repetition of May 2005 election in Ethiopia as long as TPLF/EPRDF is in power and that means the "Kinijit" divided leadership has to come out with a fresh thinking to challenge this regime. It should start by encouraging those who "registered" to vote out of fear of reprisal by the regime not to go out and vote, stay home.
All the large gatherings of people for sport or other festivals should be exploited to denounce this make-believe election and rally the people to say no to TPLF/EPRDF's election and the Diaspora Ethiopians who care for their people should rally behind our people and expose this fake election for the world community.
Willingness to participate in a make-believe election out of fear is to give license for the regime to continue on its dangerous track of absolute rule by terror and fear forever. The May/Miazia 30, 2005 public desire for change can now be matched by staying home and not participating in this "I was forced to vote election for sale".
It is a time for the real opposition leaders to be tasted and get respect and the Kinijit leadership who got millions of vote on the May stolen election have to organize a public protest and the Ethiopian students have to take an active role as always and we have to expose the financiers of this regime, USA and UK, that they are standing with the regime that criminalizes decent and protest and keep power forever by organizing fake election as we have been accustomed in the last days of Mengistu and the last sixteen years of Melese's TPLF.
Those who distract us from this struggle and focus on irrelevant issues concerning the division within Kinijit are those who have been benefiting from their association with the regime and are going to lose big time in a free and fair election.
