Kingit appears to be in a state of confusion and flux. Power grab and money grabbing are some of the hall marks of Kingit officiandos so far. There has been many stories where financial disrepencies appeared while the leaders of Kingit were in prison. Now, probably the money is gone, but there is a scramble for power grab.
An organization that has moved from being an Amhara party and into a multi-ethnic party is struggling without any direction with a sparkle of a few Gurages and Oromos. Although the remanants of the old guard still cling to the idea of Amhara control of the party and Amhara hegomony, unfortunately, the leadership has not been able to articlulate its vision.
The conflict seem to run deep in the organization where it has forgotten who the real enemy to the democratic process and Ethiopia's future lies. The EPRDF instead of fearing Kingit, now it is laughing at it.
After their unceromious release Kingit members have become irrlevant once they got out of prison becuase they never put a structure or an organization to start with. It was an amalgamation of interested groups without any central control. That is plaguing the organization and the leadership in prison and out of prison. Their unceremonies and humiliating pardon was a consequence of lack of organization and support group.
An organization that has gotten millions of vote and won the majority of the capital should have brought the regime to its knees if it had good leadership. Lack of leadership, poor planning and execution will continue to plague the organization given its recent tarnish image and bickering.
Kingit like EPRP, Hibret will become a party in paper, unless a new leadership takes over to invigorate the party. That is very unlikely given Hailu Shawl's unwillingness to admit failure or his inability to invigorate his supporters for a common purpose than partisian fighting.
Is the time for Kingit and Hailu Shawl over? Time will tell.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Sunday, September 9, 2007
Empty Celebration - EPRDF Style
Ethiopia's 2K or 3K celebration reveals the hopeless predicament of the Ethiopian state boxed by enemies within and without. It also reveals the regime's effort to mask the underlying problem of its extreme unpopularity and abject poverty that has gotten worse and worse under the current centralized and communist style economic system.
To get ready for the celebration, the regime killed millions of stray dogs, and removed all the homeless children, woman and men from the streets of Addis Abeba, the capital city to unknown destination. The capital city has turned into a military camp and sharp shooters in every building because of fear of popular uprising and terrorism, a spill over from the regime's adventure into Somalia last December. The EPRDF regime has become like a caged animal edgy and scared.
According to AP, The pun of an answer to the Millennium is — "menem yellum," which means "there is nothing" — summing up the feeling of many Ethiopians about the festivities for Ethiopia's 2,000th year, which begins Tuesday on Ethiopia's Coptic calendar. Ethiopia's external enemies lead by Eritrea are builiding momentum, while its internal enemies the Woyanes are cooking the pot for any possibility. A drama never seen before. For Ethiopians, it is becoming difficult which enemy is the lesser of the two evils.
Skyrocketing food prices, huge unemployment, and the hopeless outlook bring a sober reality into Ethiopia's current situation. These are the result of 16 years of mismanagement of the economy and misallocation of resources based on ethnic consideration and favoritism.
Of course, the absence of democracy and freedom on their own limit peoples desire to strive to their best and take risks. Ethiopians are using antiquated tools and technology in farming and schools while trying to live in 21st century and feed over 81 million people by relying oxen-technology. The majority of Ethiopian farmers are using oxen-driven tilling, have limited access to land, and have become a lessor instead of an owner under the current regime, giving them little or no incentive to invest or innovate.
In Ethiopia, many are tired of cheerleading a regime that has brought nothing but misery and great suffering for the past 16 years. While masquerading its economic policy which is nothing less than a highway robbery of the Ethiopian treasury by a few EPRDF cadres and their cheerleaders, but it still continue to enjoy the resounding support of the U.S. government and some international agencies, which are closely linked to advancing U.S. foreign policy.
Its economic policy, especially the regime's ownership of land, telecommunication and other critical economic assets has become a road block to economic development. The current inflation and high unemployment are symptoms of this strangulation. Fear and hope are choking the Ethiopian landscape. They are hoping that there will be internal and external peace, besides the majority worrying about their daily survival. Some members of the Diaspora are throwing their hopes and dreams in some rebel movements in squeezing blood out of the bloody regime that is terrorizing the people of Ogaden.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has been attracting quite a few supporters given its recent success in exposing the regimes atrocities and its military vulnerability. The ONLF despite its moderation still may aspire for unification with Somalia whenever Somalia resurrects itself from ruins. This is a hazard that many Ethiopians are still worried about and thinking seriously before giving political and financial support.
Many articles supporting ONLF have appeared on Ethiopian websites, a sign that the front is winning friends especially among the Diaspora. Meles has undoubtedly alienated the majority of Ethiopians and many would like him to resign or leave in disgrace. Failing to do that they may go for the lesser of the two evils, organization like ONLF, and throwing Ethiopia's unity and future again in doubt.
To get ready for the celebration, the regime killed millions of stray dogs, and removed all the homeless children, woman and men from the streets of Addis Abeba, the capital city to unknown destination. The capital city has turned into a military camp and sharp shooters in every building because of fear of popular uprising and terrorism, a spill over from the regime's adventure into Somalia last December. The EPRDF regime has become like a caged animal edgy and scared.
According to AP, The pun of an answer to the Millennium is — "menem yellum," which means "there is nothing" — summing up the feeling of many Ethiopians about the festivities for Ethiopia's 2,000th year, which begins Tuesday on Ethiopia's Coptic calendar. Ethiopia's external enemies lead by Eritrea are builiding momentum, while its internal enemies the Woyanes are cooking the pot for any possibility. A drama never seen before. For Ethiopians, it is becoming difficult which enemy is the lesser of the two evils.
Skyrocketing food prices, huge unemployment, and the hopeless outlook bring a sober reality into Ethiopia's current situation. These are the result of 16 years of mismanagement of the economy and misallocation of resources based on ethnic consideration and favoritism.
Of course, the absence of democracy and freedom on their own limit peoples desire to strive to their best and take risks. Ethiopians are using antiquated tools and technology in farming and schools while trying to live in 21st century and feed over 81 million people by relying oxen-technology. The majority of Ethiopian farmers are using oxen-driven tilling, have limited access to land, and have become a lessor instead of an owner under the current regime, giving them little or no incentive to invest or innovate.
In Ethiopia, many are tired of cheerleading a regime that has brought nothing but misery and great suffering for the past 16 years. While masquerading its economic policy which is nothing less than a highway robbery of the Ethiopian treasury by a few EPRDF cadres and their cheerleaders, but it still continue to enjoy the resounding support of the U.S. government and some international agencies, which are closely linked to advancing U.S. foreign policy.
Its economic policy, especially the regime's ownership of land, telecommunication and other critical economic assets has become a road block to economic development. The current inflation and high unemployment are symptoms of this strangulation. Fear and hope are choking the Ethiopian landscape. They are hoping that there will be internal and external peace, besides the majority worrying about their daily survival. Some members of the Diaspora are throwing their hopes and dreams in some rebel movements in squeezing blood out of the bloody regime that is terrorizing the people of Ogaden.
The Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) has been attracting quite a few supporters given its recent success in exposing the regimes atrocities and its military vulnerability. The ONLF despite its moderation still may aspire for unification with Somalia whenever Somalia resurrects itself from ruins. This is a hazard that many Ethiopians are still worried about and thinking seriously before giving political and financial support.
Many articles supporting ONLF have appeared on Ethiopian websites, a sign that the front is winning friends especially among the Diaspora. Meles has undoubtedly alienated the majority of Ethiopians and many would like him to resign or leave in disgrace. Failing to do that they may go for the lesser of the two evils, organization like ONLF, and throwing Ethiopia's unity and future again in doubt.
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