Happy 33^rd Anniversary to the founders of T.P.L.F.

One thousand miles starts with one step. Thirty-three years ago afew of the T.P.L.F members started a long, difficult, journey with ups and downs in the struggle against the dictator dergue regime. Along the road, so many young Ethiopians joined the struggle. After 17 years of struggle they overthrew the authoritarian dergue regime and declared victory.

Over the 17 years of arm struggle, so many of our young men and women, Ethiopian brothers and sisters, paid a heavy price for our freedom. Thanks to their sacrifices the Ethiopian people are enjoying justice, freedom and equality. They have a constitution that respects their democratic rights to exercise in their own language, culture and history for the first time in Ethiopian history. Not only that, but also the constitution respects nations and nationalists self determination.

The 16^th American great president and the uniter of the Union Abraham Lincoln said” Government of the people from the people for the people”.

Ethiopia has now a government for the people that commits to establish a democratic system, make poverty history and to change the image of the country once and for all.

No longer do they always have to go to other countries as a beggar. The people have a clear and bright future for themselves and for their children. Our people have suffered so much in the past. They deserve to see the light.

The government is working very closely with people to achieve citizen’s rights such as to build schools for their children, clinics for their health care and to help them enjoy better lives.

The best outcome of the struggle and our government foreign policy makes possible that our heritage, our civilization, our culture and our history Axum obelisk is part of our society. This was unthinkable 20 years ago, now it is back after 60 years to its rightful place in our country.

The new generation has an obligation to learn from T.P.L.F. determination and their sacrifices for freedom.

It is their responsibility to safeguard their democracy and work hard to develop the economy of our country and make it a better place to live for generations to come. 

The surface calm should not be trusted.

The enemies of the Ethiopian people including some of the opposition parties in the Ethiopian parliaments do not recognize the T.P.L.F 17 years struggle that took so many young men and women lives for our democracy. They mislead the international community by changing the truth into false allegations against their own country. Here is what Dr. Bulcha Demeksa one of the opposition parties representing in the Ethiopian parliament had to say on his on words in an internet Radio interview with Elias Kifle on February 2, 2008 posted on Ethiomedia. He said: “opposition members and supporters are thrown to jail at will. The government makes sure opposition candidates are placed behind bars somewhere. Candidates that are qualified to be elected are singled out for arrest and the government makes sure they wouldn’t be registered in the first place. EPRDF also hastens to 17 years in power; Ethiopia’s rogue regime tightens repression. Free press and independent judiciaries remain outlawed. The regime resorted to a nationwide killing spree over the 2005 elections”.

As we can learn from Mr. Bulcha’s interview, he used his democratic rights to betray his own government and his own country for foreign media. He is an agent to the anti peace and untidevelopment elements sheabia, ONLF and OLF. He gave false allegations that he can not prove it to a media. Not only that but also he mentioned on his interview that violence as an option to overthrow the Ethiopian government.  No country in the world will allow a parliament member to lie and betray his country to foreign media and get away free. 

Yohannes

From New York