A Few Seats in Woyane Parlament is not the answer

By N. Kebede

Despite the odds that have been stacked against them, the Ethiopian people have reversed this election in their favour and have given Zenawi and his regime their farewell. Their evil plot to perpetuate their hold on power by controlling the land and the Ethiopian peasant farmer has received a devastating blow. After 14 years of repression the Ethiopian people have claimed their rights and nobody can take it away from them and they are ready to defend their hard won rights.

The vigilantes in Sidama, in Lalibela, in central Ethiopia and in many other places, who stood guard day and night to prevent theft and tampering of ballot boxes by Woyane cadres enduring constant abuse, beatings, arrests and murder are the heroes of our struggle.

It is a tribute to them, that, despite the constant threats the Woyane cadres have thrown at them they chose to suffer the consequences of these threats rather than submitting to endless abuse, mistreatment and injustice under Zenawi’s regime.

Without the Ethiopian people and their leaders rising up together against the repressive rule of the regime, the victory which we know the Ethiopian people have won, would not have been possible. Opposition party leaders and activists have to suffer long prison sentences, endless court appearances, abuse and interrogations while they were fighting against Zenawi’s repressive regime and sadly, many political prisoners still remain in Woyane prisons throughout the country.

In this election, the Ethiopian people have shown where they stand. They have taken drastic and fundamental decisions that are life changing, They have exposed themselves even to more dangers from Zenawi’s regime – in short they have placed high stakes and their salvation lies in making sure that their votes are made to count.

In the towns and cities, people have stood up against cadres of the regime who have threatened them with their jobs and livelihood. In the rural areas, the peasant farmer has paid major sacrifices despite threats that his land will be taken away.

People throughout the country have expressed their outrage against the regime that has shown disregard and contempt for human rights by continuing to detain political prisoners and by the barbarous acts of violence they have committed against innocent civilians in Awasa, in Gambella, students of Addis Ababa University etc.

The Ethiopian people have shown to the world that what they want is a country, in which all the citizens are free from poverty, disease and ignorance and enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and persecution.

Zenawi’s regime should not be allowed to reverse the win of the people and to continue with his anti Ethiopian, anti democracy repressive policy.

The continuation of the current government, even with a reduced majority, means allowing Zenawi to continue with his conspiracy against Ethiopia. It will mean giving a free hand to the regime to reverse the gains of the Ethiopian people, won through 14 years of struggle against tortures, murders, disappearances of people and detentions.

Sitting in the Woyane parliament would mean passing death sentence on the Ethiopian people. It means putting the people in danger of revenge attack by Zenawi and his cadres. It means participating in the grand design of Zenawi to destroy our country. It means the gallows to many of the political activists and participants who will become targets of the regime and endless prison terms for those political prisoners who are already detained. It means the continuation of the mistreatment and injustice by Woyane judges and courts.

It means the continuation of the abuse of human rights, the suppression of free speech and the free press.

The future can not be different from the past as long as Zenawi holds the reins.

The Ethiopian people have to stand up together and make Zenawi and his regime accept the verdict of the people.

The victories of our people can not be exchanged for a few seats to allow a few people to sit in the Woyane parliament. The rights of our people, their honour and the freedom they have fought for can not be traded for any thing that the Zenawi regime might employ to reverse the gains of the people. The Ethiopian opposition, political leaders, activists and supporters can not be instruments to perpetuate the repression of our people.

As far as the Ethiopian people are concerned they have spoken and the line is drawn in the sand.

The measure of victory for the Ethiopian people is not the number of seats Zenawi or his Election board assigns to the opposition parties in the Woyane parliament. They do not need any favours from Zenawi or his election board. They want their votes to count. They want to be the rightful owners of their votes and the tampering and the misappropriation of ballot boxes and votes that have taken place to be stopped and investigated. Votes that have been stolen to be returned to the people and recounts and/or re-elections to be carried out, in the presence of independent observers, in all the regions where the ballot boxes have been tampered with.

Justice must be done and justice can only be done if the rights of the people are respected and they become owners of their votes and masters of their destiny.

 

Victory to the Ethiopian People

GOD BLESS ETHIOPIA