Letter Report from Former President Negaso Gidada, Disruption of a Public Meeting

16th August, 2009

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
To All,
Mob Disrupts UDJ public Meeting !!!!

A mob disturbed a public political meeting of the Unity for Democracy
and Justice (UDJ) this morning (10 A.M) in Adama, Oromia and forced
the discontinuation of the meeting.

The UDJ got permit ion last week from the Adama (East Shoa)
administration and the Adama town Municipality to hold a public
meeting. The Municipality even rented its town hall to the UDJ. But
the town administration forbid the UDJ from posting posters in the
town and from going around in the town to announce about the meeting
and invite the public to attend today�s meeting. We were informed that
the EPRDF cadre in the Qabales was going around last evening telling
the residents not to attend the meeting.

But several hundred residents of Adama came to attend the meeting.
Prof. Beyene Petros of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party, Ato
Benyam of the South Coalition, Ato Hadi of the Ethiopian Democratic
Unity Movement, Ato Siyye Abraha, former Defence Minister, and myself (all members of the Forum for Democratic Dialogue) were at there to attend the meeting as guests of honor.

Around 50 people started to disturb the meeting while Eng. Gizachew
Shiferraw, Vice Chairperson of the UDJ was addressing the meeting. The disturbers were shouting, clutching and whistling from the rear of the hall. This mob came up running to the front and damaged a microphone while trying to grab it. They continued to shout: �This is Oromia,� �Oromo is our Language.� �You have to start the meeting by a blessing ceremony in accordance with Oromo culture.� �You can hold the meeting in Oromo language.� �If you do not speak in Oromo language, and you can not hold meetings in our country.�

Several people tried to cool down the mob by promising that what is said would be translated in Oromo. But the mob would not heed to the appeal. It even threatened to beet us up. Eng. Gizachew could not continue his speech. He was forced to announce that the meeting is adjourned because of the disturbance.

This happened at a meeting �permitted� by the administration. This
happened in a town hall rented to the UDJ by the municipality. This
happened in a country in which the regime claims that there is respect
of the law and order. 　This is in a country in which the ruling party
claims that there is respect of the constitution. This is in a country
in which the ruling party claims that there is democracy, the respect
of democracy and human rights. This is in a country where the
constitution provides for the right of using any language and where
the members of the federation have promised to respect the federal
constitution.

The mob was not a spontaneous disturbing group. There were some
OPDO/EPRDF cadres among the mob. I my self could recognize at leas twoOPDO cadres with whom I worked in the organization before I resigned from it in June 2001. It is obvious that the disturbance was an
organized one.

For me, this is a clear indication that there is no pre-election
leveled playground for political parties in Ethiopia. This
confirms that the complaints of the opposition political parties that
there is no democratic political space, is absolutely true. How can the
opposition political parties participate in the coming election
process, which may begin in November 2009 if they are not free to move
around freely to open their offices, recruit members, and hold public
meetings to explain who they are and for what they stand for?

I call on all those who stand for the respect of democratic and human
rights, for peace and stability of this country and for economic
development of this country do some thing TODAY and not TOMORROW!!

With best Regards,

Negaso Gidada