From the beginning, most people including myself had doubts about any meaningful positive effect on democracy and promoting tolerance in pardoning the convicted CUD officials. Their release might have helped create a little more festive atmosphere in Addis during the millennium celebration, but that doesn’t mean it was good for democracy, justice and promoting tolerance. Unless one believes they were political prisoners in the first place, promoting tolerance (mechachal) cannot be one of the objectives of their release. Crime is punished not tolerated.
How ever, regardless of personal opinions as to whether they shouldn’t have been pardoned or not, almost everybody has accepted it after the fact for different reasons. One obvious reason is that the true nature of this hate-driven organization has come out and that we are witnessing its disintegration as a result. Even though it started in the prison cells, we wouldn’t be able to see this coup d’etat in action if they were still locked up in Kaliti. Of course, it’s good to have a strong and loyal opposition, not only for the country but also for EPRDF as a party, but not Kinijit or one that smells like it.
Yes, we all know by their own signatures they admitted guilt and asked for mercy. But, the gov’t should have done more. It should have requested that they read what they were signing and air it on TV for the public to see.
The Berhanu Nega group, which has managed to come on top after the unofficial coup d’etat in the organization, after causing all the havoc, destruction and death in Addis in 2005, it is striking again. This time, not in Addis but just like his title, Diaspora Mayor-elect, it is in the Diaspora, even though the intended target is in Addis.
Except for Dr. Hailu Araya, Berhanu and Co. are telling their supporters and testifying in front of the US congress, that they were released not because they admitted guilt and asked for mercy, but due to international pressure on the Ethiopian gov’t.
Berhanu Nega’s testimony on the house floor during the passage of HR 2003 is now a public document available for everybody to see. Looking at what Berhanu said during the testimony regarding the situation in Ogaden, having an ONLF representative on his side was redundant. ONLF, the terrorist organization, was more represented by Berhanu Nega. Even though this is for the prosecutor to follow up, it seems very apparent to a lay- man that he is in breach of the contract he signed in the Kaliti prison.
Except for the few architects of HR 2003 like Al Mariam, the naïve hate-driven supporters of Kinijit do not know anything about the hurdles it has to go through to become a law, let alone about its negligible effect even if it becomes a law. For now, before they get in a depression mode soon after reality sinks in and find out that it is not good enough to remove the EPRDF from power as they were told, their supporters along with the armed wing of Kinijit, Shaebia, are celebrating as if they have captured a town on the battle front. Speaking of Shaebia, whose hidden hand is behind HR 2003, the threat to terminate, the already practically non-existent Algiers’ agreement, on the Ethiopian side should not be left open-ended with out any dead line.
Finally, I would like to express my disappointment at the silence of the gov’t media, Walta and others regarding the pardoned Kinijit leaders and the recent developments. Not even the raw news regarding the Kinijit leaders’ actions in the Diaspora has been reported on ETV, ENA and Walta yet. Those who elected these traitors in 2005 deserve to know the true nature of these people. Every private citizen in the Diaspora, let alone the gov’t with all its intelligence, knows about everything they do and say, but why wait to make “ a movie based on a true story” instead of reporting the raw news to the public at the right time?
While still celebrating the millennium and keeping the good spirit in the entire country, the EPRDF and the gov’t media should keep the public informed about the good and expose the bad in a timely manner while it’s relevant.
Zenebe Nega
Oct 4, 2007