Mr. Lidetu starts with simple self serving premise. He states EPRDF is by nature prone to commit fraud hence fraud is committed. EPRDF could not have won with out a fraud hence the election is defrauded. This conveniently silences AndEthiopia radio’s reservation as to how it could be stated that EPRDF could win only 23 seats in the rest of Ethiopia and the fact that the opposition has not fielded enough candidated from the getgo.

The problem is CUD and it hubris. It is the CUD’s all or nothing strategy, their decision to campaign on the premise that they would win the election. This fact is stated in Mr. Lidetu’s book “The Weed Farm.” Page 82-84. After CUD endorsed Hailu Shawil’s “we will win the election” dogma, it was clear that it is down hill after that. Mr. Lidetu can not rehash after the fact by stating election observers have said the election was fraudulent. The fact is election observers have said that there is problem in the election but not to the extent the opposition has made it to be. Mr. Lidetu should refer to what Anna Gomez said (Ann Gomez on Elecion)and the Carter center stated (Mr.Carter on Election)for the record.

It is understandable that Mr. Lidetu wanted to lend a hand to distance the accused leaders form the ill advised post election – civil disobedience- document which is comparable to Hitlers strategy of alienation of the Jews through boycott and scapegoatting for all ills in German, which is a precursor to the holocaust.But to state that the leaders are deaf and blind to the document that was supposed to unfold in stages in an attempt to paralyze the government is testing the intelligence of his audience. It should be clear to Mr. Lidetu that they have ample time for the leaders to dissociate themselves and did not do so to this day. To the contrary, they are defending their position through their proxies in America with the likes of Birhanu Mewa giving lame explanation as to what the document is saying while seemingly being oblivious to the effect the decument has generated. It would not be missed to Mr Lidetu the CUD did not contest the 38 seat in Tigray for its racist election strategy to show the party as a part of one area. Otherwise logic would have it that the EPRDF that cheats in other place would cheat in Tigray too. This racist election strategy was utilized by Mr. Lidetu repeatedly and efficiently during the election. What you reap is what you saw. Mr. Lidetu's appologist attutude can be a consolation but can not whitewash CUD's evil intent.

The problem with the CUD is its hubris. It goes for a broke and come up with nothing. The 8 points are going to be addressed not on CUD's terms but by the players in the game at this time.Mr. Lidetu is a victim of his own making. He is in untenable position of pandering to the extreme end of the opposition as well as wanting to play in the democratic process. If the system is as bad as he stated it to be how could he join the parliament to talk the positive and negative issues of the ruling party’s economic progress report? Mr. Lidetu, seems to have found no way to shade his playing of a caricature for the opposition. The fact is Ethiopia is no South Africa and the opposition leaders are no Mandelas. They are unrepentant Dergists who want to see the old Ethiopia and who wanted to make the 2005 election to settle old scores. No prison system, judiciary and military should be a breading ground for these zombies. Democratization will be done despite them and not because of them.Effort should be doubled to make these relics of the past a history.Mr. Lidetu, like the sons of the confederacy, could defend their legacy but do so at the perl of harvesting further weed.