EDITORIAL: FORGET THE �OPPOSITION� WITH NEGEDE GOBEZE

Tecola W. Hagos, June 27, 2005

It came as a shock to me to learn through news report that the Opposition was represented at an international high visibility conference of the European Union, the European Commission and the European Council meeting of June 21, 2005 in Brussels, Belgium by none other than the blood drenched terrorist Negede Gobeze. Have we sunk so low that a criminal who had caused so much pain and suffering in the 1970s could represent Ethiopia�s democratic interests at such an august body? It is not that I was not aware of Negede Gobeze and others who helped the Derg hunt down ordinary Ethiopians (aristocrats, EPRP members, et cetera) during the Derg period of consolidation 1976-1978, were involved with the Opposition. For the sake of the welfare of Ethiopia, I was willing to overlook such individuals� participation as long as they were simply in the background. Shame on UEDF for delegating Negede Gobeze to represent our interest.

In anticipation of such unholy association of individuals, who have murdered or caused the murder and torture of individuals, who may have sneaked in with the Opposition movement, I have repeatedly pointed out in an editorial and article the negative effect of associating with such individuals with a history. In order to protect the Opposition as a movement from being identified with such dreaded names, I have simply implied the identity of such individuals, individuals known to most people around the leadership of the opposition groups and by thousands of Ethiopians. In my wildest dreams, did I imagine Negede Gobeze, a known criminal, whose hands are drenched with the blood of so many innocent Ethiopians, and an individual who should have been treated as rabid dog, be in a position of power and prestige to represent Ethiopians at the European Union.

It is because I hold the interest of Ethiopia and Ethiopians above my personal interest that I was willing to condemn and part company with my heroic brothers and sisters of impeccable record of courage and valor from the TPLF, EPDM (APDM), OPDO and others, who despite my incessant criticism never once raised their voice against me. I condemned them for following a treasonous leader who forced us into insurmountable international problem.  I put them through hellish critical test in the interest of all of us. Now, here we have the leadership of CUD sitting down with a known bloodthirsty criminal who had caused so much destruction in Ethiopia during the tumultuous 1970s.  I demand an apology from Engineer Hailu Shawl and Dr. Berhanu Nega, as officials of CUD, to the people of Ethiopia who put so much trust on their judgment, for allowing to sit next to their delegation Negede Gobeze, a known terrorist, and represent the interest of the honorable people of Ethiopia. Furthermore, I demand that all those political organizations cleanse themselves from such people with alleged records of atrocities, murders, mistreatment and torture of Ethiopians during the reign of terror of Mengistu Hailemariam.   

My Fellow Ethiopians, we are rapidly approaching or reaching a point of no return. Here is where our Ethiopian sensibility is being tested. The reason I had reservation at the very outset on the 2005 Election is being reinforced day by day. We are watching in disbelief how the Opposition is being pushed into a type of movement managed by cadres of Mengistu Hailemariam and bloody Meison leaders, who wrecked our country to shreds some thirty years ago. �As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly.� Proverbs 26: 11. We, Ethiopians are not dogs who return to our vomit. Moreover, I did not sacrifice my brothers and sisters in order to get Negede Gobeze and his likes as my/our leaders. Hell will freeze before such abomination would ever occur.

We now here the opposition blame EPRDF for ethnic fracture without ever mentioning the idea of �killil� was incubated by the so called leftists in collaboration with the Derg �elites� in the 1970s, and implemented during Mengistu Hailemariam�s reign of terror. The Derg on the advice of Meison collaborators started an agency for the study of nationalities in Addis Ababa, which the Derg used for its own purpose. What is important is the fact that after having effectively infiltrated the Ethiopian elite, Negede Gobeze and associates skillfully replaced the problem and issue of democratization by issue of ethnicism blaming the EPRDF for the problem. Anyone who criticized them was labeled Tygrean, or Oromo narrow ethnic chauvinist. By making Ethiopians to focus on issues of ethnicism rather than democratization, they designed their comeback without ever having their bloody background exposed. This is how they even outsmarted Meles Zenawi who prides himself with strategic skills.

I urge Meles Zenawi to redeem himself even at this late stage by declaring the 2005 Election a failure and throw out the election results in toto. I urge him to suspend the 1995 Constitution except the section dealing with individual human rights on the basis of extraordinary circumstance of endangerment of national security. I urge him to resign and allow the EPRDF to elect a new Prime Minister from the APDM and form a provisional or caretaker government. In the best interest of Ethiopia, I would suggest that the EPRDF with the Rainbow Ethiopia-Movement for Democracy and Social Justice (Rainbow), form the provisional or caretaker government I mentioned above and in other essays. In fact, I would be comfortable if the leaders, Chairman or Vice Chairman of Rainbow assume the roles of President and Prime Minister on a revolving arrangement with the leaders from the EPRDF to lead the provisional or caretaker government. I trust Rainbow has the unadulterated interest of Ethiopia compared to all other political parties.

The only political organization with fresh ideas and with least �history� of corruption or violence of its leadership is the Rainbow political party than any other group including the EPRDF. Of course, Rainbow is a member of CUD that includes among others the splinter Medhin group. I believe Rainbow is being used as a saving-grace blanket by the other political organizations in both CUD and UEDF to shield themselves from critical investigation of their leadership and leaders. To put some light on the other Opposition members, those motley assortments of unlikely political unity represented in UEDF, will take a rather lengthy report. However, briefly, I can surmise that UEDF�s political agenda cannot be trusted because it comprises of groups that were deadly enemies in earlier times. I do not believe there can be any healing of such atrocities visited by some on others that would allow full devotion to build a new Ethiopia. Their coalition is unrealistic only fueled because of Meles Zenawi�s presence. UEDF ought to disband in order to save us from further embarrassment and pain by sending some unsavory characters such as Negede Gobeze to public forums.

The main duty of the provisional or caretaker government is to level the political field so that only honorable Ethiopians free from any past misdeeds could run for political offices and stand for elections as representatives. Especially the caretaker government must prohibit all those leaders whose political deeds is tied to the Red Terror, Mengistu Haile Mariam, Meison et cetera. The EPRP is not included in this group of offensive Ethiopian political organization not because it is free from some atrocities, but because it was a victim of atrocities both in the hands of Meison and the Derg.

Since May 15, 2005, I have been learning more and more about the characteristics of the Opposition. The Opposition is becoming simply a den of aged former ex-officials, old Red Terror participants, Mengistu�s Cadres, WPE members, rejectees from an assortment of liberation fronts et cetera.  The association of such unlikely groups is not a healthy one. It is their common hate to Meles Zenawi that is the driving force and not an undivided devotion or love for Ethiopians or Ethiopia. Let us move beyond these losers. �No man putteth a piece of new cloth unto an old garment...� [Matthew 9: 16]

Tecola W. Hagos

June 27, 2005