It was CUDP then it is UDJ now! The slippery road continues….
The fate of Kinjit may have been decided when UEDP-MEDHIN left the coalition a while back but one could not have foreseen its fate looking in to the Diaspora supporters who until recent were swearing in the name of Kinjit. To put the nail over the coffin, Birtukan group with out the vacationing Berhanu Nega and without an answer to the 22 questions Berhanu is looking for answers has restructured or reinvented Kinjit.
The new party will be named UDJ! The funny thing is the Lady though a lawyer does not seem to understand Ethiopia’s constitution. Although any one in Ethiopia is free to form a political party provided it is playing by the rule, Birtukan is asking permission from the Election board to start collecting necessary documents.What is this all about? Is she playing smart on Hailu Shawel? Why would an election board come in between AAPO and UDJ!
It is public secret Birtukan is having hard time breaking in to the strong base of Hailu Shawel. If she thinks Election board will help her getting “ illegal” support document that will do the trick to hoodwink former Kinjit supporters then she is fooling herself. Although Birtukan is a convicted but pardoned person she has every right as any citizen to form a party. The only document the government should issue should be to warn you not to mix violence with peace, if you ask me
Your supporters in Diaspora are taking polls to choose between violence and peace. Ask Andargachew and Elias for an update on this. I am sure you have received one suggestion for the new name from these folks and you should know them by names. Right? Huletum ataqeso mehed aychalem! Enough hurt!
(Zeru Hagos 03/18/08)
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Full Article form Capitol
By Kirubel Tadesse
The former Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) led by first chair, Birtukan Medksa, has renamed itself Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), selecting this from the one hundred twenty five proposals received from supporters.
The executive committee, which discussed the twelve finalist names, informed
the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia the selection of ‘UDJ’ complying with
the board’s request, which required a name issue the party documents to collect
fifteen hundred signatures needed to form a national party.
UDJ is still awaiting support documents form NEBE, which forty-eight members
will use to collect signatures in more than five regions. Mekonenn Wondemu of
the NEBE, who rejected the first request for supporting documents made on
behalf of twelve people, who are mainly members of the former CUDP executive
committee, explained to Capital that forming a new party is a right guaranteed
to all Ethiopians under the constitution and seeking supporting documents to
form a new party is not a common request when it is a right that for any
Ethiopian to collect signatures freely and later, ask for accreditation from
the board.
Senior members of the newly established UDJ told Capital that the board is to
decide whether to give the supporting documents or not this week. Explaining
the reasons why they are seeking supporting documents when party registration
regulations does not require this, senior members explained that it is done to
avoid harassment when the forty eighty members travel to the regions to collect
signatures.
In a related development, Birtukan Medksa has denounced a reported party
election that claimed to unveil secret elections which put Birtukan and
Temesgen Zewidie (MP) to the president and vice president post respectively.
She told Capital that there was no election that has taken place within the
executive committee or the supreme council and the executive committee is only
working in various groups to complete legal status for the newly established
party, which still needs the board’s accreditation. She added that it would be
the general assembly of the new party which will nominate and elect people to
different posts.
The executive committee, which put on board two MPs; Temesgen Zewidei and
Mohammed Ali, in its latest election alongside three other members of the
former CUDP, and the supreme council, which has sixty members, were elected on
September 24, 2005. The two year term has expired and the legal status of the
party never came to be following the failed merger of the four parties that ran
for the May 2005 elections together.