Tedla Asfaw
Last Saturday in Los Angeles gathering to welcome Ato Seye a leader of Medrek an interesting mathematical theory was developed which disprove that 4 million times 5 is not 20 million. The four million members of TPLF/EPRDF have been on mission to recruit five more people in their areas throughout Ethiopia to give a landslide victory for the Meles regime to continue on five more years so called "development' and economic"growth" to feed our people three times a day. So far the three time eaters most probably are the 4 million members of TPLF/EPRDF and another five millions to be recruited to fill their bellies three times a day, twenty million of them, farmers,students, teachers, government employees, merchants etc.
Ato Seye Abraha believes that let alone the new to be recruited five million the four million so called TPLF/EPRDF members most of them will not vote for TPLF/EPRDF. He also said that more than one hundred thousands administrators of the election have also been selected by Meles to administer the election. Thousands of so called independent observes are also nominated by TPLF.
If we believe the diehard 4 million supporters and their five million recruits most of them will note vote for their bread maker, TPLF/EPRDF, the so called election administrators and observers who are to lose big time if TPLF/EPRDF is beaten on the voting booth can cheat in the vote counting. However, Ato Seye Abraha brought the experience of Addis Ababeans who stood and defended their vote in May 2005 election, acting as voters, administrators and observers to beat TPLF/EPRDF in a knock out blow.
Are the political opponents of TPLF/EPRDF ready to defend their votes as Seye believes ? If yes, how ? TPLF/EPRDF has already prepared its security forces in all voting areas to intimidate voters. These security forces will clear the voting stations from all opponents and are we ready to confront the Agazi forces once again ?
The troubling thing for me is the major opponents of TPLF/EPRDF AEUP and Medrek are not even allowed to have their election rallies until now. We will not forget the one million march of Miazia 30 five years ago which shows the unpopularity of Western pampered regime of Meles Zenawi. The regime does not want to expose itself by allowing such big rallies by opposition forces this time.
We have less than a month to call our supporters to go and vote against TPLF/EPRDF. If we can not call our supporters to rally and give its support publicly why we should call them to vote for our parties in one hundred percent administered and observed election ? Let us show the strength of the opposition for friends and foes alike before any election.
TPLF/EPRDF may call its twenty million "supporters" for rallies and many of these will vote or not vote for TPLF, most likely they will be influenced if the opposition staged huge rallies. Rallies by oppositions will encourage the TPLF/EPRDF so called supporters to join the masses for real change like they did five years ago..
The subdued atmosphere where we find our people now is only helping the regime to steal/rape the election. Going election without energizing supporters and have a plan to defend their votes is as good as participating in an election rape.
