Tedla Asfaw
Do really Ethiopians care about this coming so called election ? What about the day to day struggle for feeding families in soaring prices and no one is sure of the next day and are forced to look for "food for election program" which is underway as you claimed on your piece, the 25 million registered to vote who are suffering from "election fever" http://www.ethiopiafirst.com/
which I call "election for food".
You did not mention the four million fed and clothed TPLF/EPRDF candidates which cost the regime big time and no surprise survival is linked to election in this spring local election.
This local election/selection is preparation to win the 2010 general election by chasing loyal oppositions like Merara, Beyene and Bulcha from their constituents and replacing them with Lidetu likes from the splintered Kinijit party.
The intimidation of opponents was aired by VOA by interviewing these "parliamentarians" by hardly listened VOA to Ethiopians and international community is also is aware of it. The jamming of VOA and German Amharic is part of this spring local election circus to deny Ethiopians an alternative sources of information except government election related
propaganda.
Our country's hope of reconciliation is derailed and those who are using their guns, OLF and ONLF, to determine their future will have good excuse to go on their method of struggle and is also time of reflection and assessment for all of us who believe in peaceful struggle.
The recent election related crisis in Kenya has learned a good lesson from the Ethiopian election
experience of 2005 and power sharing deal is reached today between opposition and the ruling clique thanks to Koffi Anan mediation.
However, Ethiopia is going on a make-believe election track and surely will miserably fail and that might be the "fever" you are talking about and I hope innocent lives will be spared from its consequences.
