While TPLF chose “yekurtun meneged”-to
start the long and arduous struggle
to remove tyranny in the late sixties, EPRP and MEISON chose to slug it
out
cutting each other’s throat quarrelling on acronyms like “lab
ader” and “wez ader”,
“enachenfalen” or “enashenfalen”. We all know
what happened since then,
TPLF became victorious and both EPRP and MEISON, well let us say did not
fair well. Today ER and CUD NA, the two pillars of the vocal Diaspora
struggle are cutting each other throat based on should there be yet
another demonstration in Washington DC on May 15 or 16. Is there no
man/woman left with integrity in the opposition camp to tell these
losers to come out of their smoggy world and realize Ethiopia has moved
on.
Our time is ripe for loyal opposition and Ethiopia can be better served
if all
opposition remain loyal and play by the rule. Any thing else is a sure
recipe to disaster,
need we see in our short life a third example.
See Also:
Comment:Admittedly,
there is role reversal. As the face of the government, the Ministry of
Information was supposed to present the government in good light, which
requires cultivating good relation with the private press. Instead it
assumed the job of being the watchdog of the press, vowing to hunt them
if they are out of line. On the other hand, The Justice Minster, which
is the enforcer of the law, has recently been trying to mend fences with
the private press. In this muddled process though there is improvement.
The Reporter has come a long way. During the election the reporter was
unabashedly working hand and glove with the opposition, belittling, dismissing,
distorting any news about the government and EPRDF in an effort to discredit
and tarnish the ruling party. It is with sadness we remember that the
Reporter never bothered to cover the return of the obelisk, a national
triumphant event, loathing of paintig EPRDF in good light.
In the end, the opposition that the Reporter endorsed turned out to be
undemocratic and anti-free press. Pampering an opposition party for the
sake of having opposition turned out to be not a wise strategy. An opposition
that destroys the very foundation of democracy is better if it does not
exist.
The reporter has come a long way to create a healthy relationship with
the government and the ruling party. Nevertheless, The Reporter's and
any private press' job is not only to be a watchdog, it has the responsibility
to strengthen the institutions. The private press has the responsibility
to create awareness of the institutions, create a ground for the citizens
to have faith in the institutions. Beside dispensing its wish list what
has the reporter and the private press at large done in the community?
The reporter needs an editorial to answer if it is doing its responsibility
as a press that has come of age.
Amnesty said the trial was a test of the independence of Ethiopia's
judges
Amnesty described them as "prisoners of conscience who have not used
or advocated violence".
Which office should this trial determine as independent? Amnesty International
or the Ethiopian Courts! The court in Ethiopia has not yet decided on the
cases but Amnesty has when it claimed... "prisoners of conscience who have
not used or advocated violence". What if the court finds the defendants
guilty fair and square! ...more comments from readers:Amnesty
in a 50/50 gamble politics.
