THE DIASPORA POLITICS CONTINUES TO BAFFLE ME.

Engineer Hailu Shawel, the previous Chairman of CUD finally arrived in Washington Dulles Airport among a confused commotion of supporters and a few detractors hoping to throw a rotten egg or two at him. He was well protected by Dulles police and even some of his party leaders were not able to get near him. He looked weak and fragile. His voice, however, carried some dignity. He was gentle with his words towards the other camp within his party, i.e. the Dr. Berhanu/Bertukan camp. It is rumored that he is on his way for medical treatment in a hospital in New York. God speed.

The DC Metro Kinijit Support Chapter had organized a large meeting at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Arlington, Virginia and successfully raised funds through entrance fee of $30 and other generous donations. The hall was packed and the speakers were lined up one after another. Ato Brook Kebede, Ato Gizachew Shiferaw, Wzt. Bertukan Mideksa , Dr Hailu Araya and Dr Berhanu Nega, who were among the visiting delegation.

Engineer Hailu Shawel, who was supposed to be the leader of the delegation decided not to show up and the gathering proceeded without him. Is a coup d'etat in the works? Are they trying to do it in a gentler and kinder way?

Dr. Berhanu Nega's speech was rather long. But the audience was hungry for it and took it all in, with awe and many a standing ovation.

Now, don't get me wrong. Don't run off saying, here goes Washera supporting advertising the deeds of his Kinijit friends. To be honest with you, that was the furthest thing from my mind. Some thing, however, is deeply palpable in the air about the Kinijit supporters in the Washington, DC area in particular and probably in the Diaspora in general.

To be honest with you, I am getting worried a little bit. I did not find very encouraging statements from Dr. Berhanu's speech about joining or forming a party in Ethiopia to sit down for a dialogue with EPRDF. I did not hear a sentence or a word about thanking EPRDF for their release from Kality. The same old rhetoric of blame the government seemed to be getting amplified again.

A few nights ago, I had a dinner where I met the visiting delegation and took the opportunity to chat with some politicians in the room. The visiting delegation members were gentle and did not say much about politics. But some in the room lacked the willingness to find ways to start a dialogue with government representatives in the Washington area.

I am worried that these delegates too, may not find it extremely important to design ways of going back into the political dialogue with EPRDF in a peaceful and lawful way. I am worried that they may be lost in the Diaspora and fail to fulfill their obligations to further our struggle for good governance in Ethiopia. Among some circles, they have acquired a hero status for their time in Kality. It is not an easy position to be in and it may be a bit too early to judge them. But if they fail to deliver, they will be deeply resented and quickly loose that hero status.

I am also worried for the Diaspora Ethiopians. They appear to be hungry for a leader of their own to keep here in the Diaspora, that they can drive around in a stretch limo and worship them like celebrities.

The realities in Ethiopia do not seem to penetrate their jaundiced eyes. Let me share a sentence from an e-mail sent to me by a good friend of mine from Ethiopia, more of a Kinijit supporter than an EPRDF sympathizer.

"The Ethiopian Millennium turned out to
be a great show both for the country
and the EPRDF. Never have
I seen so much mass and neutral
happiness in my life before.
Politics had very little space in the
celebrations. As an example, and to
the credit of EPRDF, in a huge poster
of all the last 8 leaders of
Ethiopia (exhibited at Meskal Square),
there was a more-than-life size
picture of none other than
Mengistu Haile Mariam. The funny thing
that I noticed was that all the younger
generation 'kids' were more keen to 
having their pictures taken against
Mengistu's background than any body 
else's. I guess Haile Selassie may have
been the second favorite, and
Meneilk II the third. Perhaps only there,
was the political
element seen in the celebrations."

Not only does it prove wrong the gloom and doom wishers of the Millennium celebrations, but it also gives credit where credit is due. The government is becoming more credible every day, and for me, the day the prisoners came out cemented my confidence in it's willingness to go the extra mile to do good. The democratic path is clear; the candle is lit. Let us all protect it and use it as a guiding light to do the hard work of helping our people.