Economic and development analysis: Perspectives on economics, society, development, freedom & social justice. Leading issues in Oromo, Oromia, Africa & world affairs. Oromo News. African News. world News. Views. Formerly Oromia Quarterly
In response to President Obama describing Ethiopia’s government as democratically elected, during his visit to the country, Freedom House issued the following statement:
“President Obama unfortunately was fundamentally wrong in his comments about the parliamentary elections Ethiopia held in May, in which the ruling Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) won every seat,” said Mark P. Lagon, president of Freedom House. “Calling Ethiopia’s government democratically elected lowers the standards for democracy and undermines the courageous work of so many Ethiopians who fight to realize a just and democratic society.”
Ethiopia is rated Not Free in Freedom in the World 2015, Not Free in Freedom of the Press 2015, and Not Free in Freedom on the Net 2015.
Freedom House is an independent watchdog organization that supports democratic change, monitors the status of freedom around the world, and advocates for democracy and human rights.
https://freedomhouse.org/article/ethiopia-wins-misplaced-praise-us#.Vbebj7NVikp
While US president calls for end of crackdown on political and press freedom, his comments on Hailemariam administration are widely condemned
‘Critics accused Obama of granting legitimacy to the regime. Reeyot Alemu, a columnist released earlier this month after four years in jail on terrorism charges, said: “It’s not ‘democratically elected’ because there was only government media and people did not get enough information.
“They also arrested many opposition leaders and journalists. They won the election by using human rights violations. How can it be democratically elected? It is completely false. I wish Barack Obama had sent a strong message.”
Bekele Nega, general secretary of the Oromo Federalist Congress, representing Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group, said: “I don’t know if democracy means robbing people’s vote and robbing their election result? They have killed people and they have taken the ballot box with them in organised fraud.”
Nega claimed his party found some of its votes thrown down a toilet, while at one polling station its victory by 800 votes to 40 was reversed to a 40-800 defeat. “I wonder if people could tolerate this in America or Britain or wherever? Is this the meaning of democracy in America? We are very sorry that Mr Obama’s comment on our election is really supporting dictators. We know the US is always looking after its own interests and will take over on the military side, sending our people to Somalia.”’
Barack Obama has been criticised by opposition groups and journalists in Ethiopia after referring to the country’s government as “democratically elected”, with one human rights watchdog describing the statement as “shocking”.
The US president was speaking at a joint press conference with Hailemariam Desalegn, the Ethiopian prime minister, after the two leaders held talks in the capital, Addis Ababa.
Although Obama said he had raised issues of good governance – “I don’t bite my tongue too much when it comes to these issues” – he also insisted: “We are opposed to any group that is promoting the violent overthrow of a government, including the government of Ethiopia, that has been democratically elected.”
Answering questions from journalists later, Obama repeated the phrase: “We are very mindful of Ethiopia’s history – the hardships that this country has gone through. It has been relatively recently in which the constitution that was formed and the elections put forward a democratically elected government.”
Hailemariam’s party and its allies won 100% of seats in parliament two months ago. The opposition alleged the government had used authoritarian tactics to secure victory, including intimidation, arrests and violently breaking up rallies. At the time, the US said it remained “deeply concerned” by restrictions on civil society, media, opposition parties and independent voices and views.
But Ethiopia remains a key security ally for the US in the fight against the Islamist militant group al-Shabaab. It has also become an economic battleground with China, which has delivered huge infrastructure projects in Africa’s second most populous nation.
Critics accused Obama of granting legitimacy to the regime. Reeyot Alemu, a columnist released earlier this month after four years in jail on terrorism charges, said: “It’s not ‘democratically elected’ because there was only government media and people did not get enough information.
“They also arrested many opposition leaders and journalists. They won the election by using human rights violations. How can it be democratically elected? It is completely false. I wish Barack Obama had sent a strong message.”
Bekele Nega, general secretary of the Oromo Federalist Congress, representing Ethiopia’s biggest ethnic group, said: “I don’t know if democracy means robbing people’s vote and robbing their election result? They have killed people and they have taken the ballot box with them in organised fraud.”
Nega claimed his party found some of its votes thrown down a toilet, while at one polling station its victory by 800 votes to 40 was reversed to a 40-800 defeat. “I wonder if people could tolerate this in America or Britain or wherever? Is this the meaning of democracy in America? We are very sorry that Mr Obama’s comment on our election is really supporting dictators. We know the US is always looking after its own interests and will take over on the military side, sending our people to Somalia.”
(OMN:Oduu Adol.27, 2015) Ameerikaan Rakkoo sabaaf utuu hin taane sodaa ofii isheef qabdu irraa kaatee Mootummoota abbaa irreef beekamtu kennuu akka barbaaddu Dr Mararaa Guddina himan.
Dura taa’aan Paartii Samayaawwii Injinar Yilkal Getnat affeerraa Irbaataa Pirzdant Omaaf qophaa’e irratti akka hin argamne beeksisan.
Dura taa’aa Itti aanaan paartii Madrak Dr Mararaa Guddinaa akka himanitti daawwiin Pirezdant Obaamaan Itoophiyaatti gochaa jiran gaaffii fi bu’aa ummata Itoophiyaaf utuu hin taane dhimmonni shororkesummaa gaanfaa Afriikaa waan Amerikaa irriba dhorkateef jedhan.
Ameerikaa Xiyyaara waraanaa nama malee balali’u Drone jedhamu Nannoo Arbaa Mincii akka qabdu fi Itoophiyaan Soomaliyaa keessatti ergama Ameerikaa waan raawwachaa jirtuuf obamaan dhimma kana cimsuuf akka achi deeme dubbataniiru.
Itoophiyaa keessatti Ijaarsa sirna dimookiraasii babalisuuf Pirezdant Obaamaan miillaan dhufu hin barbaachisu ture kan jedhan Dr Mararaan Pirezdantiin wagga tokko booda aangoo isaa iyyuu gad dhiisuuf jiru jijjirama gudda siyaasa Itoophiyaa keessatti fida jedhanii akka hin yaadnes himan.
Gama biraatiin dura taa’aan Paartii Samayaawwii Injinar Yilkal Getnat affeerre Irbaataa Pirzdant Omaaf qophaa’e irratti akka hin argamne beeksisan.
Injinar Yilkaal Gaazexxa Nagara Itoophiyaaf ibsa kennaniin Pirzdant Baraak Obamaan Ihadeg Paartii karaa dimokiraasiitiin filatame jechuun isaanii ijaarsa sirna Dimookiraasii Itoophiyaa irratti bishaan naquu dha jedhan.
Waamicha aaffeerraa Irbaataa Ihadeg Waame irratti argamuun dararaa fi miidhaa ummata ofii irra gahaa jiru akka irraanfachuuttan ilaalaa jechuun yaadasaanii nuuf kenannii jiru.
Mootummaan Itoophiyaa paartiilee Mormitootaa akka shororkesitootatti ilaaluy prezdant Baraak Obamaan dhufnaan akka paartii karaa seera qabeessaa filatameetti of fakkeessuuf waamicha taasise waan ta’eef irartti hirmaachuu dhiisuuf murteessera jedhan.
Ibsi Pirezdant Obaamaan Mootummaa karaa Dimokiratawaa fialtame jechuun kennanis akka isaan gaddisiisse himuun Ihadeg karaa Dimookiratawaa filatame jedhanii beekmatii kennuun paartiilee karaa nagaa qabsaaaniif dantaa dhabuu akkasumas Mootummaa abbaa irreetiif deggersa kennu ta’aa jechuun dubbii Obamaa qeeqaniiru.
Gabaasaan Alamaayyoo Qannaa ti.
https://www.oromiamedia.org/2015/07/paartiileen-mormiitoota-itoophiyaaobaamaa-komatan/
“Last time I saw you, you looked like apocalypse
Hell and then Genesis combined
Last time I saw you, you were stripping me of
Anything and anyone that was mine
See that’s how I remember you
That’s how I remember you
So please forgive me if
I never call you home again
So please forgive me
If I never call you home again” ~~Corneille: I’ll Never Call you Home Again
Yesterday I attended a conference where we met this year’s fellows from the Mandela Young African Leadership Initiative (YALI). The hot topic of course was discussing how to build and maintain a bridge between the diaspora and residents of the homeland, to leverage a superpower that will engender great change. One of them was of the opinion that those living on the continent had been let down…
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