Tedla Asfaw
I just read EPRP press release of Ginbot 18 on the rigged election of May 23. EPRP is claiming that the Ethiopian people boycotted the election and thanked the Ethiopian people for "boycotting" the election.
Where is the proof for the boycotting ? What in fact we all saw on May 23 is a large turnout of Ethiopians lined up peacefully to vote. Their faces however clearly show that they were not in a festive mode to give their vote to TPLF, "vote is secret" , "Mircha Belebenew".
It seems that voting is mandatory for anyone to survive another day in TPLF controlled Ethiopia. The EPRP claim of boycott is absurd and only legitimatize ones previous call for boycotting the election, I told you so !!
Boycotting was not what we saw in May 23, it was a large turnout estimated 30 million of our people who voted in the 43,000 polling stations which was observed by TPLF security, controlled by ground and air cover that ended as one of the biggest victory recorded in our election history if not in the world, 99.9 percent taking full control of the TPLF parliament with one Medrek candidate from Addis Ababa as "observer".
It is appropriate to thank the Ethiopian people like EPRP did in its press release but not for their boycotting the election rather go out and vote for the oppositions, AEUP, Medrek overwhelmingly on a difficult circumstance.
I take my hat off for the Ethiopian people and the oppositions that exposed the regime for the western financiers of TPLF. Yes I agreed with EPRP there is no time to waste by going to TPLF court for recount. What I support is the rerun of this election which I called on my piece on May 24, "Ethiopians vote Meles Counts ".
AEUP and Medrek are calling for rerun of this election under the presence of large numbers of international observes and opposition party observers. Let us give credit where it is due, the work of the oppositions as well the Ethiopian people should be congratulated. May 23 will be recorded as watershed in our people struggle like May 15 five years ago.
