DR BERHANU NEGA, "ETHIOPIAN OPPOSITION LEADER". AT IT AGAIN!

Washera_2000

As the grand Diaspora tour of the Kinijit leaders winds down, rumors are abound that some are staying here while those that returned are moving directly to Kality prison. I hear Dr. Berhanu Nega is accepting a three month fellowship at the American University, here in Washington, D.C. A popular website, EthiopiaFirst, sites a "reliable source" that alleges that the government will commute their pardon and put some of them back to prison. Please tell me it ain't so!

When does he get it, Dr. Berhanu Nega? Let me take you to his recent interview with Jerome McDonald on Chicago Public Radio. Pardon me if I do not make enough comments. At list you will have the hard copy for free. Here goes...

"...talk to the opposition groups and then convene a project that will reconstruct the constitutional base of a transitional federal authority with new leadership and new direction for Somali society." Oops! That was Ahmed Samatar of Somalia!

Not to worry. Dr. Berhanu's demands are no better. Hold your horses!

Asked why the international tour instead of continuing his work in Ethiopia, after his release from prison:

"...to talk to the Diaspora and international community in general. The political environment in the country is such that you cannot hold a meeting; you cannot have a discussion with your supporters. You don't have any media to air your views. So it is a complete dark hole. You cannot do any thing politically in Ethiopia. Till the situation clarifies there was not much that we can do in terms of communicating with the public. We can do some organizing; we can re-establish our structure and things of that sort. We left sufficient number of people to do that."

Let me get this. This "dark hole" gave him his freedom from prison, allowed him to tour the world and express his grievances to every Tom, Dick and Harry and let him "do some organizing" back home. Wow! I am impressed. Some dark hole!

Don't jump your gun yet.

"...On the other hand, we are also completely bankrupted by the government. They have taken everything from our offices; they have closed all our offices. We don't have anything. So, if we are going to operate as a party, we need some finances and our main supporters in the US in Europe, it was a very important fund raising activity that we need to do."

Ok. I get it. To operate as a party in this "dark hole", we need money. The Diaspora cows are ready to give us that money. Of course once we take the money back home, the government is going to "bankrupt" us again, because we have not changed the way we do business with this government. Does the government have rules about foreign funds coming to his party? Do these support organizations have accountability to the countries that they registered as tax free entities?

Hold on. Cool your jets. There is more.

"...as you know, the United States has been the major political supporter, if you will, of the Ethiopian government. The HR2003 was coming on the floor (JM says: that is the Ethiopian Freedom, Democracy and Human Right Advancement Act of 2006?). That is right. And we thought it would be good to go and have a discussion with members of Congress and if possible, with State Department and others, to support this bill, because it supports democracy in Ethiopia."

First of, it is called "The Ethiopian Democracy and Accountability Act of 2003." Second, I doubt if you went any where near the State Department. If you did, the words of Jendayi Frazer and Ambassador Yamamoto would tell you that the government of Ethiopia has made significant steps to regain a respectful democratic process and would send you packing to go back home and build on a budding democratic movement, not a "dark hole." Those ONLF folks that you sat with, in the hallowed halls of congress, only know how to kill and maim to liberate their region. We will debate you on the merits and demerits of HR 2003, and let the chips fall where they may.

He goes on

"...for those of us who know Ethiopia, and who are Ethiopians, who live in it and who just came out of prison, the situation in Ethiopia has gotten significantly worse. Live alone to be any progress, it has deteriorated significantly. I mean, you have heard repeatedly about the human right abuses in the Ogaden, in other parts of the country. There was no, no movement whatsoever, towards democratization. There is no discussion between the government and opposition. No negotiation or what, whatsoever. What progress, after the killing of those people, has been made, it would have been good for the senator (Senator Inhofe) to itemize. We don't know it. In fact, we are terribly worried that the situation is escalating. The various regions are in turmoil."

So, you have no better example than those murderers in the Ogaden to back up your allegation of "significantly worse situations in Ethiopia"? No negotiations whatsoever? I thought we just completed two years of negotiations to get you out of Kality prison, to go around the world and bad mouth those same people who worked for your liberty. Did you mention the names of any of those elders whose time, money and resources you depleted to get your freedom? Of course not.

There is more.

"...The security of the United States requires that it supports Ethiopia, no matter what."

You bet your bottom dollar it will! I will pass your lecture on terrorism and authoritarian governments, because I know it, agree with you and do not need that lecture. Let me just mention in passing, that the good Senator from Oklahoma that you so harshly criticized, knows the interests of his constituency very well and the security needs of his country much more than you, Sir.

"...The reason why we love the people of the United States is precisely because of this contribution to humanity that they put, because of their love for liberty, their love for democracy. It is that, we want to see in the United States. We want the United States foreign policy to reflect the decency of its people. That is what we are calling for."

Dr. Berhanu, do you mind extending those same policy of decency and respect for your own brothers and sisters in Ethiopia? Whether in government or outside?

"...It was clear that it (the government of Ethiopia) was doing a coup d'etat. I mean there was no issue there. Now, after that what we did through time was, Ok, the government is not willing to relinquish power by votes. But if we push the government hard, then it is going to lead to a serious conflict. So, why don't we say to the government, "look, we know you didn't win. We know we have won. But we don't want to create any conflict in this country. So, we will give you the power for now. Take it. But, let us make sure the institutions necessary for a real democratic election next time around are in place." So, we put an 8-points demand. And these all these 8-points are 8-points that require the government to implement its own constitution. One, we said the election board has to be independent. That is what the constitution says. Two, the judiciary has to be independent. It was, you know, as the world has seen in our case, it is a kangaroo court....if you agree to negotiate on these points in good faith, we will go to parliament, although we know you have not won"

Just hold on one minute, good doctor economist. So, the present government is in power by coup d'etat? And you plan to unseat them how? No, you did not say you will give them power to avoid conflict did you? This is a new one on me. Is this politics 001, to give them power and ask them to play by their own rules, I mean by their own constitution? I am completely lost good doctor. You give them power and then you demand to negotiate. What power do you wield that will prevent the same "kangaroo court" from doing business as usual, the same "kangaroo court" that set you free? Do you understand why the government refused and will refuse to talk to you if you come up with these same concoctions of political mumbo jumbo?

I think I spoke too soon. The answer may be some where in the following convoluted diatribe.

"...they (EPRDF) told the Ethiopian public very clearly, that they will never accept real genuine democracy in that country."

Really? Is there fake democracy? So why "play ball", as you said, with a government that has made its point clear? Do you have a magic wand to change its opinion?

"...This government made it a point to divide society along ethnic lines. This government is the one that argued that all politics has to be ethnic. This is the only country in Africa that has legitimized ethnic politics. You know, in fact we are arguing this has lead to further conflict rather than bringing the country together....Currently, in eight of the nine regions of the country, there is a conflict. Conflict based on ethnic political considerations. Most of the opposition now, including these ethnic opposition forces are saying, if there is a genuine democracy in Ethiopia, that even the secessionists who have been, you know before this, claiming that they want to be independent Ethiopia would drop their demands for secession or at least consider seriously their demand for secession."

I get it! So you now have the new AFD. I thought the reason you sat with the ONLF guys in congress was from lack of good PR advice. I was sooo wrong! And these secessionist forces who have been schmoozing with you, would drop their demands for secession?. I sure would love for OLF or ONLF to come out with a single such statement. But then again, you told us there is no genuine democracy in Ethiopia. So why bother? Go on please, enlighten me more, good economist doctor. I am still waiting to hear how you plan to "play ball" with the Ethiopian government.

"...The coalition (CUD) is a peaceful legal political organization that wants to advance its aims of establishing a democratic order in Ethiopia through elections."

We are back to those sham elections again?

"...But elections, just because there is an election does not mean it is a reflection of popular will....The CUD is not interested in sham elections. That is why it keeps calling for a negotiation first. A negotiation among all political forces (including OLF and ONLF and ..LF and ..LF, I presume), to create the institutions necessary to have a real democratic election. That must come before these coming elections, because without those institutions, then the election has no meaning and participating in this election will have equally no meaning."

Wow! I told you the guy thinks Ethiopia is just like Somalia. A country with no law and order. Do you think he should have toured the rest of Ethiopia, outside Kality prison, and gauged the state of the country before giving his State of the Nation address in the US?

Even the recent Economist article gives the government some credit:

Since the early 1990s, however, Ethiopia has recovered somewhat under Mr. Zenawi. It is an inspiring story. The new university buildings springing up all over the south are tangible evidence that the aid and development money pumped into Ethiopia reaches the people it is meant to. Roads are clearly being built, funded largely by the Chinese; schools and water-treatment plants are being opened. And there are few complaints of corruption, a fact that continues to make Ethiopia popular with foreign donors. The government, to its credit, must have thought that it had drawn much of the poison of ethnic competition by introducing a new federal constitution in 1994, with many powers devolved to the regions, and by accepting the independence of Eritrea in 1993.

This is far from saying we are not mired by poverty, unemployment, ethnic strife and an economy that needs a major overhaul. But, let us give where credit is due and move on. I don't see guerrilla movements creeping up all over the country. Instead I see new university buildings springing up, very inspiring, indeed! Let us build on what we have.

Is he done? Oh ya. What if the government refuses to talk to you?

"...I honestly don't know any political party that has been put under a systematic deliberate attempt by the government, to divide, to break, to you know, to create all kinds of havoc within, I mean, within the organization itself. They put us in different blocks, they separated, you know, what they consider to be, you know, the different main figures, so that they won't be together. They spread rumors between the zones. They hired their agents to infiltrate and, you know, they haven't tried anything (you mean they have tried everything?) All these attempts by the government and other political opponents of the CUD, obviously will have some strain. But what is amazing is, irrespective of that, the main line, the main ideas of the CUD, the political platform of the CUD, is still intact. Everybody is subscribing to that. If there are differences, these are differences among individual characters within, within the party or in fact more importantly, among the rules of the game within the party which, which have, manifested at different times. But my view is that the main line of the party is there. It would continue to be there. Because the ideal that the CUD has advanced has won in Ethiopia. ...it is a question of how we go there now, and I think the CUD as a party would lead that among, you know, by working with other parties....it is working with other political organizations to do that. I think we will make it."

I am sorry. I cannot comment on this section. I thought he was going to call for negotiations first. Did I hear him wrong? Is there a CUD party? This is getting absurd.

Any absurd (juicy) stories from Kality prison?

"...there are a number of those that has happened. I mean, the most amazing is the absurdity of dictatorship in the behaviors that you see with our prison guards, with the prison administration and things, so on. You know, the most stupid thing that you would see. You know they would come and, I remember once, one of our our members has a T-shirt with small CUD logo on it. And, you know, the prison guard came and said you have to take that T-shirt off. And the guy kept saying why am I taking my shirt off? He said, you know, I just said so. And he kept arguing that, you know, just because you said so I am not going to take off my shirt. You know, you are asking me to do the most humiliating thing and I am not going to do it. He said, well if you are not going to do it I will put you in isolation, and the guy was put in isolation for about a month for wearing a shirt."

This is the juiciest story form Kality prison? Help me out. I get the message, but "most humiliating"? Has this guy heard about Guantanamo detention camp? I thought the juiciest story was about how you managed to write a 600 plus page book from a "block" (cell) with all those schizophrenic cell mates watching. I reckon you are saving that for the campaign stump!

Are you optimistic about what comes next for Ethiopia?

"...If you are following Ethiopia closely, actually the feeling you would have is rather schizophrenic. On the one hand, you feel optimistic and I will tell you why we feel optimistic. On the other hand, there are indications that, unless otherwise something happens, then things are gonna go really out. What makes you optimistic, at least from my perspective, is the fact the idea of liberty, the idea of a genuine democracy, that that is the system that we ought to live in, has penetrated society so much, I don't think there is anything that will take us back."

AMEN! Now you are talking buddy. That is why I am optimistic and if I were you, I would put my money where my mouth is. The institutions are there. Don't recreate the wheel. Thank your EPRDF brothers and sisters for this unique opportunity. Go get yourself a party and prepare for the elections. You of all people know what it takes to be elected, what it takes to win. Go read your own book on your troubles at the last election and don't make the same mistake, again.

Oh, you are not done? Here we go again with the mud slinging. Why did you have to cross the line? Why Nega, Why? We fought for 21 months, day and night, to get you out of there.

"...On the other hand, the belligerence of the government has created an environment where this transition might not take place peacefully. I mean, it would have been great, if this idea that won, would be implemented through a peaceful negotiation and move into this new system peacefully. But, the government seems to be bent on stopping this historical march. And in this process, it has created forces that believe that the only way to get rid off this government, the only way to change this process and bring about a new outcome is through force. And that that, you know, traditionally known process in Ethiopia, of achieving change through force is now re-establishing itself, in the sense that, at one point, because of the 2005 election, that was not the most accepted way of doing things, or at least in terms of thinking. Now these forces are getting currency. The population, after they saw what happened in 2005, have started saying this government is not going to change. The only way it can change is through using the means that it only knows, which is force. And accordingly, you see a lot of guerrilla movements creeping up all over the country. And as we also saw in the news, it is escalating. As we have seen in the Ogaden, it could happen in Oromia any time, in the Amhara, and once these things build up, then it reaches that threshold where it becomes very difficult to bring back to a peaceful solution."

I have a creepy feeling that this guy has been spending to much time in bed with ONLF. This escalating stuff reminds me of the recent San Diego fires. Can you see all these guerrillas, monkeys and baboons creeping up the Ethiopian highlands, like wild fire, on their way to Menelik Palace?

Dear Dr. economist. The only movements creeping up all over the country are those damn universities, get it? My advice for you on the previous paragraphs stands as is.

Good luck and God bless.