Kinijit for Unity and Democracy | ቅንጅት ለአንድነት እና ለዲሞክራሲ

Tedla Asfaw

Engineer Gizachew and Dr. Hailu Araya on VOA Amharic(April 17) informed us that their signature drive has now reached five thousands much more than the requirement put by TPLF and are working to legalize their party to participate in the 2010 election.

My question for these two gentle men is simple. What will their new party do different than the so called "loyal" oppositions of Dr. Beyene Petros, Ato Bulcha Demeksa and the Afar movement who realized in the eleventh hour that TPLF will never share power in the name of any kind of election with anybody.

Moreover, Dr. Hailu promised to win the 2010 election and did not say anything about the fake local election going on now in Ethiopia. The timing of their signature drive while Ethiopians both in cities and in rural area are forced to vote for the millions of TPLF candidates is also troubling. Is it out of fear that after the "landslide" victory by TPLF they might not get even the one thousand signatures required for legalization?

Is the 5000 signatures a sign of confidence for the coming new party as Eng, Gizachew alleged on his interview while the regime dominates the election by bribe and force fielding millions of candidates and destroying few of he loyal oppositions and force them to boycott this week local and by-elections?

By not condemning the 99 to one ratio fielding of candidates between TPLF and loyal oppositions they are expecting favor from TPLF and be the next loyal opposition in the 2010 replacing Beyene, Bulcha, Merara and others to join their old friend Lidetu Ayalew.

Pro TPLF websites have already called this week's election as a "Slam Dunk Election" to be replicated for the general election in 2010. The "Dunk" then maybe on the heads of the new Kinijt that of Eng. Gizachew and Dr. Hailu. The millions who voted for Kinijit in 2005 will not be part of the game the result of which is well put in place.

The legalization of a new Kinijit party led by Weizero Birtukan Medeksa to replace most of the loyal oppositions is underway and we know also they might end up being an ally of Lidetu Ayalew who is known for giving few minutes speech in the TPLF's lecture hall after long hours of show from his TPLF boss to guarantee his salary.

What Ethiopians need now is not to bring new party to join TPLF in 2010 rather leaders that mobilize people to get their democratic rights to organize,speak be respected and you do not need one signature for that.