(OPride) — After an intense week of discussions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the activist group Oromo Dialogue Forum on Thursday announced the formation a new political party, the Oromo Democratic Front.

This came after a year long deliberations on the direction of the Oromo people’s struggle in Ethiopia, a series of media interviews, and meetings across continents.

Leenco Lata, an intellectual and founder of the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), a rebel

group formed in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to fight for the self-determination of the Oromo people, was elected the chairman of the new organization.

OLF has fought a low key guerrilla warfare against three successive Ethiopian regimes, including the current one. But its influence waned in recent years as the organization battled numerous internal splits amid a dwindling support from the Oromo diaspora.

There are many old OLF faces in the leadership of the new political party. For instance, all but three of the nine-member executive committee of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF) were, at one point or another, former high ranking OLF officials. ODF Vice President Dr. Dima Noggo Sarbo was among its founders, and briefly, the first chairman of OLF.

What is new, however, is perhaps their political program.

ODF "advocates justice for the Oromo and all persons and nations in Ethiopia," the party's declaration reads. “The founding of ODF ushers in a new phase in the Oromo nationalist struggle with the objective of working for the transformation of the Ethiopian Empire into a truly democratic multinational federation of all the concerned nations.”

The birth of ODF as an independent political party run by former OLF leaders and supporters is a clear break with the recent practice of forming a splinter of OLF which has nearly crippled the movement. The group’s bold decision to depart from the usual business, whereby different factions compete on who is more committed to the "original program" of forming an independent Oromo state than the other, is expected to force the Oromo nationals to look into the future.

Nonetheless, ODF faces a crucial test in lifting the Oromo people's political struggle from its current dismal state. In addition, as has been evidenced over last year, a sizable number of Oromo activists continue to insist on the formation of independent Oromia state as the only answer to the Oromo question in Ethiopia. It remains to be seen if ODF can win their endorsement.

The idea of Oromos having a democratic political force in Ethiopia was first brought to light by the ODF Chairman Lata in his speech in July 2000 at Oromo Studies Association in Toronto. His idea of democratizing Ethiopia has since divided the opinion of the vast Oromo diaspora. Some continue to be preoccupied with denunciation of Lata, albeit without a discernible alternative political agenda of their own.

But the formation of ODF, in large part the realization of an idea he put forth in 2000 and two subsequent books he has written, is being hailed as the first bold move by architects of the mainstream Oromo nationalist camp in re-articulating the goals of the Oromo movement crafted in OLF's program of 1976.

The news of the formation of the new political party for the Oromo people comes as Ethiopia is going through a set of leadership transitions since the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi last year.  At its 9th congress, held in the tourist city of Bahir Dar, the ruling party Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front formally elected Hailemariam Desalegn as its chairman and introduced a number of new faces to Ethiopia's political scene.

It is not immediately clear if ODF is looking to make a leap toward participating in the 2015 general election in Ethiopia. But it's success is likely to be dependent on whether it would become another Diaspora-based outfit or one rooted inside the country.

Here are few excerpts from the announcement:

On Structuring Ethiopia as a Federation

We start from the simple premise that the post-1991 policy of structuring Ethiopia as a federation of its diverse nations is a move in the right direction. The adoption of this policy is attributable neither to the ill-intentions nor generosity of the TPLF but became mandatory as a response to the mounting pressures of the struggles for self-determination by the Oromo and other oppressed nations.

The OLF played an active role in proposing the restructuring of Ethiopia into a multinational federation as a means to end the injustices stemming from the imperial character of the Ethiopian state. Unfortunately, implementing a genuine federal order completely contradicted the present ruling elite’s aspiration of emerging and permanently remaining as a new dominant group by simply stepping into the shoes of those that it replaced. We now stand for correcting the aberrations resulting from the abuse of the federation as a policy of domination by the present ruling elite.  

Federations serve the purpose of facilitating the simultaneous exercise of self-rule and shared-rule and become necessary in order to reconcile unity with diversity. In the present political dispensation, however, communities exercise neither self-rule nor shared-rule but have been enduring the TPLF/EPRDF’s tyrannical rule for more than two decades. The ruling party directly and centrally micro-manages all communities by pre-selecting its surrogates that the people are then coerced to “elect” at elections that are neither free nor fair. Ending this charade by enabling all communities to elect their representatives in fair and free elections is the only way of finally putting Ethiopia on a path to democracy, stability, peace, justice, and sustainable development.

On the Struggle for Self-Determination

The official title of Ethiopia has gone from the Empire of Ethiopia to the People’s Democratic Republic and to the current one of Federal Democratic Republic. Despite some of the changes that accompanied these name-changes, the custodians of the state behave as if the country is their imperial inheritance. Consequently, the struggle for self-determination by the Oromo and other oppressed nations remains legitimate.

On the Exercise of Self-Determination

We aspire to build on the positive aspects of Ethiopia’s current federal set-up. However, to make the simultaneous exercise of self-rule and shared-rule possible it is necessary to remove the procedural and substantive shortcomings that stand in the way of democracy and federalism.

This can be accomplished by exercising self-determination in a multidimensional fashion whereby subject nations, in due course, freely elect delegates to their respective state and central constitutional assemblies. When this process is completed, the present “holding together” type of bogus federalism will be transformed into a genuine “coming together” variety.

On the Issue of Ethiopian Unity

There are those who perceive themselves as the sole defenders and definers of Ethiopian unity. We reject such a stand since the essential precondition for unity is the emergence of a community of empowered citizens. As we have witnessed for more than a century, invoking a common history, culture or language has not guaranteed unity.

We similarly reject the present ruling party’s presumption that it serves as the sole embodiment and defender of the so-called “revolutionary democratic unity.” Such a system has ended in disaster elsewhere. We also disagree with the ruling party’s illusory expectation that the promotion of economic development would serve as an alternative source of unity in the absence of democratic participation.

Consequently, we propose and struggle for the alternative of deliberately forging constitutional patriotism by inaugurating and entrenching societal commitment to their shared and separate political institutions as the more promising and enduring uniting factor. We believe that it will be this commitment that will bind the diverse nations into a united political community willing to protect these institutions from internal and external enemies.

On Citizenship Rights

In order for the present subjects of the Ethiopian state to be transformed into empowered citizens, all their citizenship rights must be recognized and respected. In situations where the simultaneous exercise of self-rule and shared-rule needs to be upheld, citizenship also needs to be entrenched at both the national homeland and federal levels. The bundle of rights that make such a layered enjoyment of citizenship is as follows:

1. Civic rights; that is, the freedom and inviolability of the person, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, equality before the law and prohibition of discrimination on the basis of gender, race, origins, nationality, ethnicity, religion, etc.
2. Political rights; that is, the right to vote and stand for public office, as well as freedom of assembly, association, and information.
3. Social rights; that is, the right to work, equality of opportunity, entitlement to health services, provision of free education of a high standard to the extent that the resources of the country allow.
4. Cultural and language rights; the right to take pride in the redemptive aspects of one’s culture, the right to publicize one’s particular history and the right to use one’s language for education, administration, commerce, and the provision of judicial services.

On Disentangling the Private Sphere from the Public

The elite that have dominated Ethiopia to date have fused public and private institutions in order to advance and serve their partisan and sectarian interests. This shall come to an end by turning all state institutions into the common servants of all regardless of their political allegiance and national identity:

1. The civil service shall be overhauled in order to end its subordination to the ruling party.
2. The military shall be transformed into a neutral defender of all by enacting a concordance model of civil-military relations.
3. The intelligence services shall not be used for monitoring the political and private activities of citizens.
4. Public media shall come under the supervision of a neutral public authority that oversees their work of providing education, entertainment, and information.

On Economic and Social Policy

The regime’s economic and social policies leave much to be desired. Its economic policies have exacerbated inequality, eviction from ancestral lands of indigenous populations, and environmental degradation. Its social policies have created deterioration in educational standards, health disparities and massive youth unemployment. In addition, its interference in the exercise of religious freedom has created unwarranted social tension.

The ODF stands to correct these lopsided policies and upholds inclusive, balanced and sustainable development aimed at curbing growing inequality, protecting the environment, and advancing the rights of indigenous peoples, and promoting employment. It would promote a mass education policy coupled with the development of technical know-how and scientific progress. The ODF would also promote a health policy integrating health education, prevention, cure and care measures. Furthermore, it respects and upholds religious freedoms and equality.

On Mobilizing Stakeholders

We believe that a country-wide movement sharing the preceding vision, principles and policies is indispensable for propelling Ethiopia forward and ending the current political paralysis. To this effect, we will exert all efforts in order to pull together as many advocates and promoters of the interests of diverse social sectors as possible in order to popularize and refine the principles and processes that would transform Ethiopia into a genuinely democratic multinational federation.

A call to all Oromo Organizations and Groups

We believe that ending more than a century old subjugation of our people should be of a paramount interest than dwelling on trivial political wrangling. The prevailing condition of our people demands the Oromo political organizations and groups pulling together our efforts to strengthen and consolidate our struggle to achieve our people’s national aspiration. Thus, we call upon all of you to join hands with us in strengthening our camp to intensify our legitimate struggle and put an end to sufferings of our people.

A Call on TPLF/EPRDF

We call up on the ruling regime to reconsider its ultimately counterproductive policy of aspiring to indefinitely stay in power by fanning inter communal and inter-religious suspicion and tension. We call on the regime to join us in articulating and implanting policies that create sustainable stability.

A call to International Community

The ODF calls on the international community and all other friends concerned with the suffering of the Ethiopian people, to stand with us in implementing our vision and proposal of transforming the Ethiopian state to bringing peace and sustainable stability in Ethiopia and Horn of Africa.

opride

Check this out on Chirbit

Karuturi Global Ltd. (KARG), the world’s largest rose grower, said it will borrow more than $100 million from a sovereign wealth fund to invest in farming in East Africa after selling its first produce from a plantation in Ethiopia.

The company, based in Bangalore, India, produced 21,000 metric tons of corn in the last quarter of 2012 that sold for about $6.5 million in Ethiopia, Managing Director Sai Ramakrishna Karuturi said in a phone interview on March 27. The harvest, grown on its plantation in western Ethiopia, showed the project was “not a disaster” after floods destroyed a 60,000- ton corn crop in September 2011, he said.

The deal with the unidentified fund comes after development banks declined to provide assistance

because of “unfair” criticism of commercial farming by advocacy groups, Karaturi said. “Hundreds of millions” of dollars will be advanced to the company by the end of April and invested in Ethiopian projects as well as Kenyan flower farms, he said.

Ethiopia’s land-commercialization drive has been attacked by groups including the California-based Oakland Institute, which says the farms forcibly displace people and will increase poverty. Karuturi leased 100,000 hectares (247,105 acres) in the Gambella region from Ethiopia’s government in November 2010 for 2 million Ethiopian birr ($108,151) a year

Horizon Plantations, majority owned by Saudi billionaire Mohamed al-Amoudi, leased a 20,000-hectare plot in the western Benishangul-Gumuz region in September to grow groundnuts to produce cooking oil.

Jobs, Foreign-Exchange

The benefits of commercial farming in lowland areas of the country include a boost to crop production to reduce hunger and more jobs and foreign earnings, according to Ethiopia’sAgriculture Ministry.

Since September 2009, the central government has leased 416,803 hectares to 34 domestic and foreign investors with an average plot size of 12,259 hectares, data from the ministry’s website shows. The state identified 3.3 million hectares of land nationwide, an area about the size of Belgium, as suitable for large-scale farming.

Karuturi’s contract stipulates it should develop half its plot within 12 months and the remainder the following year. The agreement starts from the date of signing or “from the date of receipt of all the clearances from the government.”

The project to grow and process crops including cereals, sugar, palm oil and vegetables has “good support” from senior Ethiopian officials, Karuturi said. The leasing of an additional 200,000 hectares to the company is conditional on completion of the current phase, according to the contract. All land in Ethiopia is owned by the state.

To contact the reporter on this story: William Davison in Addis Ababa atwdavison3@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Paul Richardson atpmrichardson@bloomberg.net

Bloomberg

Part 1: Introduction

During the last 21 years, EPRDF has been claiming that, through the guidance of the philosophy of "Revolutionary Democracy", peace and stability has prevailed in our country; that an amazing and rapid economic growth (over 11 % annually) has been achieved; that soon after a period of two decades, Ethiopia will join the ranks of middle-income countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and other countries, etc. Furthermore, through its incessant propaganda, it has been telling the people ad nauseam that Ethiopia is a country where the rule of law prevails, human and democratic rights are respected and the equal rights of nations and nationalities are guaranteed. As if all this has not been enough, and even after the passing away of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the boring propaganda continues to tell the Ethiopian people that Ethiopia is a land where justice, democracy, peace and prosperity prevail. It has failed to realize that if this state of false propaganda continues unchecked, it can result in further damage on the wellbeing of the nation, on the peace and stability of the people and on the growth of the economy.

When, in this 21st century, the majority of the people in the world are living in an environment where a democratic system prevails, justice and the rule of law are respected, and they freely choose or dismiss their leaders, the people of Ethiopia find themselves under the rule of one party that is oppressive and
absolutely dictatorial. They are living in a system where human and democratic rights are trampled upon and where there is no justice, equality or good governance. To begin with, we will cite few among most prominent damages done by the oppressive to the Ethiopian people and the country as a whole.

1.1 During the 2005 election, because there was a somewhat favorable political opening, the people took advantage of that opportunity and scored a decisive victory over EPRDF. However, on the very evening of Election Day, while the votes were still being counted, the government declared a state of emergency. It used its defense, police and security forces, let loose its sharp- shooters and rained bullets on the people. As ascertained even by its own investigating commission, 193 innocent people were killed, tens of thousands of people, whose only crime was demanding justice, were jammed into prisons where numerous citizens were subjected to tortures resulting in lasting bodily and mental damages.

1.2 When the ruling party realized that it could not stay in power by the will of the people, it narrowed the political landscape and devised and implemented a comprehensive network of oppression to prevent opposition parties from reaching the people and to prolong its stay in power.

1.3 During the 2010 national election, EPRDF totally controlled the voting process through its 1- to-5 bonding system and unashamedly declared that it had won the election by 99.6%. By so

doing, it has dashed the people's hope of establishing a multi-party democracy in their country and instituted over the Ethiopian people a lone and dictatorially dominant party rule bolstered by the barrel of the gun.

1.4 The whole bureaucratic resource, including foreign aid, has been used as a political weapon to the advantage of the members of the ruling party and to the exclusion of those who are not its members or supporters.

1.5 Beyond condemning Ethiopia to a landlocked status, our rulers have also been engaged in measures that included ceding our borders.

Part 2: Problems of the Country in detail

2.1 On Political Matters

As ascertained by various independent studies, our country is listed among those countries that are under a typically dictatorial rule. The following are cited as evidence.

2.1.1 The process of building a multi-party system in our country has been aborted and that has fundamentally been due to EPRDF's negative principle of Revolutionary Democracy.

2.1.2 There is a lack of a responsible body in this country for guaranteeing respect for the rule of law at various stages of the administrative system.

2.1.3 The right of freedom of speech that has been dimming all along is now about to be extinguished and the violation of human rights is being perpetrated widely.

2.1.4 There is a lack of democratic institutions and those that are said to exist (Parliament, Election Board, House of the Federation, Human Rights Commission, etc) are operating under the absolute control of EPRDF.

2.1.5 Ever since the 2005 election, EPRDF has been waging an offensive against legitimate civic organizations; issuing new laws; paralyzing civil societies that are outside the full control of the government; particularly abolishing human rights advocates and civic organizations and replacing them by associations of youth, women, wealthy business persons and various trade unions, etc that are under its political control. On the other hand, those NGOs that show the tendency to be outside of its control are denied renewal of their licenses.

2.1.6 In countries where a democratic system prevails, Free Press is taken to be one of the Four Estates, and plays a decisive role - just as the legislative, executive and the judiciary bodies do - in the building of a democratic society, in the preservation of the rule of law and in the implementation of transparency and accountability; while on the other hand, EPRDF is violating, in broad daylight, the rights of the Free Press granted to it by the Constitution and promulgating laws that practically drive it out of existence.

2.1.7 Supporters of genuine opposition parties are deprived the right to work and earn a living as civil servants and are excluded from receiving legitimate government services and humanitarian assistance. As a result, an atmosphere of fear has descended upon the people forcing them to avoid overt association with the genuine opposition parties out of fear for reprisal measures if they support them with money, material and ideas.

2.1.8 Besides spreading the ominous view of the disintegration and disappearance of this country, if it cedes power, EPRDF engages in a false propaganda campaign of hatred against genuine opposition parties by labeling them as “anti-peace, terrorists, agents of the Eritrean regime” and subjecting their members to brutal harassment and imprisonment.

2.1.9 The country has come to a point where a citizen to engage in business and be successful, or to be employed in the government, or to have a chance to study for advanced degrees in institutions of higher learning, or, in general, to lead a life of dignity, he or she has to be, by obligation, a member or a loyal servant of the ruling party.

2.1.10 While it engages in negotiations with organizations it labels, by law, as "warmongering and terrorists", it, however, is being intransigent and refusing to negotiate with peaceful and legal parties to ameliorate the suffocating political space currently prevailing in the country and, hence, clearly revealing its reverence for armed rebellion.

2.2. On the Economic Sector

The fundamental problem in the economic development of our country is EPRDF's dogma of Revolutionary Democracy that claims: "There is no connection between democracy and economic development". The following situations can be cited to demonstrate broadly the problems resulting from this fundamental mistake.

2.2.1 Although we are told, for propaganda purposes, that our economy has been growing by two digits, the alarming increase in inflation seen in successive years had reached up to 49% annually. As a result, the price of basic consumer goods is skyrocketing far beyond the citizens' ability to buy, with the standard of living of the people declining dramatically. While it is well known that poverty has become rampant, we are being preached on the farcical theory that the inflation is brought about by the economic growth and that it would be resolved by the growth itself. The real and major causes of the inflation are the misguided political and economic directions being pursued by the ruling regime, the change in the exchange rate of the birr, as well as the comparative increase of the amount of money printed and pumped into the market by the National Bank of Ethiopia by 42%. Hence, as indicated by the IMF report of 2011, the inflation seen in Ethiopia, when compared with that seen in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, is four times higher.

2.2.2 EPRDF has pushed aside and stunted the private sector of the economy and put it under its control, while on the other hand it is in the process of building an economy only for the benefit of its members and supporters driven by political partisanship. Hence, EPRDF and its member

organizations are engaged in big business activities and own huge factories, construction firms, finance institutions, transport and other companies in a blatant violation of the constitutional provision that decrees: "Political parties cannot engage in business activities directly or indirectly". This illegal involvement of the ruling party in the economy has created a disturbing imbalance in the economic life of the country that is supposed to be free.

2.2.3 As admitted by the government itself and made public, "government thieves" have become abundant. Because the legal measures taken against such "thieves" are so lenient, being a thief has now come to be fashionable and respectable. And because EPRDF does not take any measures at all if the thieves happen to be no threat to its power, big thieving fish have continued to swim with ease, confidence and impunity.

2.2.4 The EPRDF government is expending huge sums of money to support its massively repressive administrative system. For example, the administrative expense that was 11.8 billion birr in 2005 had reached 40 billion birr in 2010. Because dictatorship and huge administrative expenses are two sides of the same coin, the huge expenses specially allocated for its massive propaganda, cadre and security support, etc are draining the country's economy.

2.2.5 Vast expanses of forested and fertile lands that belong to the Ethiopian people are being leased away to foreign and domestic investors at throw away rates for up to 90 years in a manner that does not protect the interests of the Ethiopian people. As a result, numerous farmers and semi-pastoralists are being evicted from their land by force and exposed to extreme hardship that threatens their survival. This is one of the outcomes of EPRDF's maladministration.

2.2.6 Because the distribution of agricultural inputs is held in monopoly by business enterprises of the ruling party, farmers are unable to obtain such commodities at fair and competitive prices. According to the information provided by one research institution, out of 110 countries assessed on the basis of a prosperity index, Ethiopia was listed as 104th. In addition, from the 163 countries that were assessed on the basis of food security index, Ethiopia was among the last 10 countries and from among these last 10, it stood 6th. This is an indication of the mistaken policies of EPRDF.

2.2.7 The EPRDF proclamation that transfers old urban land holdings to a lease system not only violates the people's right to earn and own property but also goes against the Constitution.

2.2.8 The government's policy of Agricultural Development-Led Industrialization (ADLI) is now 21 years old, but the country has not yet registered adequate economic growth so as to guarantee food security for its people. As a result of the inadequate food production at the national level, the country has been forced to import edible oil, wheat and sugar from abroad in a futile attempt to bring down the high cost of living and the huge inflation. As it has been made evident by the prevailing reality, ADLI has not been a solution. When viewed within the context of the general condition of the farmer, ADLI continues to be a weak policy that has failed to free the farmer from the use of an antiquated method of plowing and from being dependent on seasonal rain. In addition, fertile farm land is being taken away from farmers without adequate compensation in

the name of development. As a result, farmers are displaced from their land and forced into unemployment and even into beggary.

2.2.9 The infrastructure sector that is considered to have shown comparatively progress is plagued by a serious lack of quality and by corruption. Road construction, condominium construction, higher education institutions construction and hydro-electric power dams construction are project areas where huge public wealth is plundered, in addition to being entangled in a host of other major problems.
2.2.10 Even the electric power and telecommunications services, areas considered to be modern economic sectors, are plagued by problems. Without even mentioning the serious communication problems faced by the people in the regions, communication service in Addis Ababa, the nation's capital, is beset by disruptions. Often, one could hardly finish a conversation without the line of communication being abruptly disrupted. Sometimes there could be no line of communication at all for days. Such problems caused by poor professional capacity and poor quality of equipment, together with poor administration, have been causes of frequent and costly disruptions in the life of the people.

2.3 On Matters of Social Affairs

2.3.1 General Aspects

2.3.1.1 Unemployment has penetrated the rural settings as well and it has now become very common to see unemployed youth who have completed 10th and 12th grades, as well as those who have university education. This is one more clear indicator that the policy of ADLI has failed. Attention given to job creating sectors of the economy, particularly the industry and the services, has been minimal. It has now become official that the fate of youths that have been educated for 15 to 20 years has become being employed in cutting and laying cobble stone. This has dashed the hope of parents, broken the morale of the youth and created a sad phenomenon that has in turn resulted in the people’s lack of trust in the country's educational system.

2.3.1.2 Despite EPRDF's profuse pronouncement that it is battling poverty, the sad outcome of its policy has been the creation of very few millionaires and billionaires that squander the resources of the country on the one hand and millions of impoverished citizens on the other. As in all of its other activities, EPRDF says, at the propaganda level, it is fighting poverty. But what we actually see on the ground is more and more people being condemned to live in grinding poverty.

2.3.1.3 Because EPRDF has no adequate social security system, people are forced to live a life of subhuman degradation due to lack of daily food, shelter and bodily cover. They are even denied a decent grave when they die. All this is a clear indication of the obvious failure of EPRDF's social policy.

2.3.2 On Matters of Education

2.3.2.1 Because the constructive recommendations put forward by MEDREK and its member parties on the solution to clearly identified problems inherent in the direction of the county's education policy were ignored from the very start, the ruling party's focus has been on producing large numbers of youth without adequate knowledge, skills or the right attitude as citizens. Therefore, the education and training policy of the country is unable to produce adequate manpower capable of solving the country's problems.

2.3.2.2 After completing higher education and training, getting being employed now requires being a member of the ruling party.

2.3.2.3 Educational opportunities made available by the government or by aid organizations are offered to citizens not on the basis of merit but on political affiliation. As a result, instead of producing capable professionals, these educational opportunities are serving as a means of recruiting cadres for the EPRDF.

2.3.2.4 It is a public secret now that teachers are under tremendous political pressure. As a result, they could not form a teachers union freely and thereby strengthen their profession and contribute to the effort being made to improve the quality of education. This has harmed the country's educational system.

2.3.3 On Public Health Matters

2.3.3.1 Because of the inherent problems of the education and training policy, it has not been possible to produce health professionals with the necessary quality and professional ethics. The few with professional quality leave the country because proper working conditions are not created for them and they are not adequately paid. There are no adequate health centers in proportion to the number of the population. Those that are said to be available have become, due to lack of ownership and proper follow up, places where people contract diseases instead of being cured of them, thus exacerbating their suffering. In contrast, the rulers of the country and their cronies go to America, Europe, Asia, South Africa, etc, for expensive medical treatments. This reality is a stark indicator of the wide gap between the life of the newly rich and powerful and that of the vast majority of the population.

2.3.3.3 Because health centers are overburdened by the overwhelming demand for service and in the absence of leadership that is capable of providing lasting solutions to chronic problems, a vast number of citizens, including child-bearing mothers, have become victims of much suffering and of preventable deaths.

2.3.3.4 Although there are a limited number of private health centers in Addis Ababa and other major cities, the payment they require is prohibitive and obviously far beyond the paying ability of the vast majority of the people. The situation is by far worse for the people in the rural regions.

2.4 On Matters of Good Governance

2.4.1 The magnitude of maladministration and corruption now evident at every level of the administration has assumed a proportion that has never been seen before in the history of this country. For the last 21 years, the slogan has been: "The problem is not in our policy, but in the implementation." However, when this slogan is tested in practice, its hollowness becomes obvious. Since the policy formulator as well as the implementer is the same ruling party in power, it has become obvious that the attempt to separate the two is a futile exercise.

2.4.2 The 1-to-5 bonding scheme adopted under the cover of creating a "development force", as well as the "community police" scheme are designed and operate to make one citizen spy over another and are in clear contradiction with the idea of good governance.

2.4.3 The chaotic administration and the messy manner in which it operates have enabled a few to amass wealth through corrupt means while the majority of the citizens are condemned to massive unemployment and poverty. In the urban setting, the magnitude of poverty has forced both the employed and the unemployed to live a life of depravation, while in the countryside the majority population is forced to live, on petty and demeaning favors handed out from the ruling party even then on the basis of political favoritism.

2.4.4 The lack of good governance in the country has created a situation where people become dependent on government employment; where those employees work in conditions of “modern slavery”; whereby EPRDF cadre officials are labeled as "owners" of government offices and other public enterprises and act as absolute dictators enjoying absolute power without accountability.
Part 3: Proposed Solutions

3.1 General

The limited, but complex, problems pointed out in Part Two above are of grave concern for our country. Hence, at present, Ethiopia finds itself at a crossroads. If there is one thing that is clear, it is that there is a grave danger ahead of us. According to a study report by an international research institution that surveyed 177 countries, Ethiopia is one of those countries that are threatened by the danger of being unable to continue existing as nations because the government in power:

a) "could not create peace, stability and mutual understanding among the people;
b) "has lost acceptability, trust and respect of the people;
c) "could not bring justice and good governance for the people;
d) "has created a situation in which the majority of the population suffer from lack of respect for their human and democratic rights and have become more and more embittered while the few wallow in wealth and comfort"; and because
e) "the feeling of oppression and bitterness of the majority of the social sectors and groups has been steadily increasing."

This shows that instead of sitting in dialogue with opposition parties and civic organizations to seek common solutions to the pressing problems facing our country, EPRDF seems to be dangerously bent on pushing the people into concluding that: "In Ethiopia, the only method of expressing opposition is through the use of force." If the present dictatorial condition continues and the people become desperate and resort to civil disobedience, this would create instability in the country. MEDREK believes that such a situation should be avoided and this could only be done through the ruling party sitting in dialogue with all political forces that have popular bases among the people and seeking common solutions to our common problems.

3.2 Proposed solutions in detail

3.2.1 Concerning Political Matters

3.2.1.1 To make a multi-party, democratic system a reality in our country, the establishment of a Forum for National Consultation and Dialogue is imperative. Therefore, the first step would be preparing this forum where forces willing to resolve the problems of our country through peaceful means could willingly come together, deliberate and come to agreement on core issues of national concern.

3.2.1.2 Concrete measures must be taken to create a situation where the rule of law and the independence of the judicial system would be a reality and necessary changes and improvements could be effected.

3.2.1.3 Treaties and agreements, especially the Algiers Agreement, that surrender the nation's vital interests and rights to other parties must be renegotiated.

3.2.1.4 A situation must be created where the religious freedom of citizens, the right to free expression, the right to organize and oppose, as well as respect for human and democratic rights would be protected by law.

To this end:

3.2.1.5 A system must be established whereby the government media would be non-partisan institution and would serve all legitimate political parties in an equitable manner.

3.2.1.6 A system must be created whereby the electronics media would be open to the private sector.
3.2.1.7 The harassment and the banning campaign waged against the private press and the acts of repression on other media, which serve as sources of information, must be stopped immediately and the constitutional right of the people to obtain information must be respected.

3.2.1.8 Legal, institutional and administrative conditions that serve as obstacles to the realization of free, democratic and fair elections must be removed. The election execution structure ranging from the Election Board down to the lowest level must be improved in a manner that would

guarantee the institution's independence; laws that need improvement must be amended; citizens must be free from the harassment and repression of T'ernafis (1-to-5 Bonders) and enabled to cast their votes in a free atmosphere; independent domestic, as well as international election observers must be allowed to observe elections freely.

3.2.1.9 The repressive and stunting measures being taken against genuine opposition parties must be stopped.

3.2.1.10 EPRDF membership and membership of EPRDF-organized youth and women's associations as well as "1-to-5 bonding" (Ternafi) structures that have been set as pre-conditions that prevents citizens from enjoying their rights as free citizens must be lifted immediately. Government positions and services must be equally open to all citizens based only on merit and without political partisanship.

3.2.1.11 Government practices that repress human, democratic and constitutional rights in particular, and that are obstacles to the establishment of a multi-party democratic system, and that narrow the political space must be stopped.

3.2.1.12 Civic organizations’ being able to organize freely is an essential pre-condition for the building of genuine democracy. The practice of restricting the people to organizing only under civic structures that serve as EPRDF's tools of repression and do not work for the respect of the rights of the people must be stopped.

3.2.1.13 Problems pertaining to religions, nations, nationalities and peoples that are prevalent in our country today, must be handled only in a manner that ensures the government's neutrality and according to the provisions of the Constitution. Caution must prevail, for forceful intervention would only exacerbate the problems.

3.2.1.14 The current political space in our country is very repressive and debilitating. Conditions must be created wherein EPRDF would be willing to sit at a roundtable with all genuine political parties for a dialogue and negotiations aimed at widening the political space through rescinding or improving the electoral law, political party registration law, etc. When it comes to repressive laws, proclamations like the anti-terrorism law, the civic society law, the press law, the dangerous vagrancy law would be given special attention.

3.2.1.15 To fully restore the political space, namely: the right to organize and promote one's views freely, the right to good governance on the basis of equality, the right to free assembly, the right to petition and to conduct peaceful opposition, the right of workers to negotiate freely with management on the basis of equality the constitutional, human and democratic rights of political parties and of the whole population of Ethiopia must be guaranteed.

3.2.1.16 To make it possible to conduct a free and fair election that would empower the Ethiopian people, a condition must be created in which the government and political parties can sit together to discuss and negotiate a non-fragmented, but, holistic Code of Conduct that they would observe in the process of executing elections.

3.2.1.17 The illegal manner in which government budget allocated in the name of supporting a multi-party system in our country and being distributed by EPRDF as charity, in collusion with

the election Board, must stop immediately. A way must be found in which the said resource would be distributed in an equitable manner that would meaningfully support opposition parties in carrying out their activities.

3.2.1.18 A system must be put in place wherein the supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law would prevail rather than authoritarianism; and all those who violate this, be they government officials or political parties, would be held accountable.

3.2.1.19 A favorable condition must be created wherein political forces that, for various reasons, pursue a means of struggle other than a peaceful one, should be invited and encouraged to come closer and to be engaged in a discussion aimed at convincing them that they could further their objectives in a legal and peaceful manner.

3.2.1.20 We, genuine opposition parties, must be able to discuss openly and freely among ourselves how, together, we can create the proper multi-party system in our county, defend ourselves against the illegal pressures of the ruling party and create and enhance the spirit of readiness in everyone of us to contribute our share.

3.2.1.21 To resolve the current political problems in our country, a condition of trust and a spirit of working together must be created among genuine political parties. Democratic political culture must be created through tolerating differences and accepting the fact that cooperation is indeed possible in the context of differences.

3.2.1.22 All political parties (the ruling party and opposition parties) must be ready to carry out their struggle through peaceful and democratic means and to resolve the political, economic and social problems in our country through the alternative programs that they present to the people. They must also be ready to respect the internationally recognized human and democratic rights included in the Constitution and commit themselves to bringing about possible amendments in the constitution through the democratic process that involves active participation of the whole population.

3.2.1.23 All genuine opposition political parties must demonstrate, in practice that they are capable of conducting civilized politics on matters which they all agree upon. This would include, depending on their ideological closeness, forming a coalition, a front, etc, and even going further into merger.

3.2.2 On Economic Matters

3.2.2.1 There is no concrete evidence that our people have been able to extricate themselves from the agonies of poverty and become the beneficiaries of the alleged economic development without being subjected to political partisanship. Therefore, the economic development would be pursued in such a manner that would make citizens beneficiaries without any political partisanship, lessen their burden brought about upon them by the high cost of living and practically change their life.

3.2.2.2 The industrial and agricultural sectors, that are the major producers of material goods, must be led by a balanced economic development scheme that would enable them to be mutually

supportive of each other. The main objective of producing the material goods must focus on reducing the high cost of living, on making food items and other basic consumption goods readily available to the people, as well as on increasing the country's capacity to produce goods in variety, quantity and quality for foreign markets.

3.2..2.3 The economic development policy must be made to focus on creating employment opportunities for citizens and a condition must be created that is conducive to enabling citizens that train in various professions to use their knowledge for the development of their country without any political partisanship.

3.2.2.4 Rapid and concrete measures must be taken to arrest corruption that is rampant in the country and that is threatening the quality, sustainability and success of development activities in the country.

3.2.2.5 The finance policy that has gripped the financial sector and obstructed the activities of banks and insurance institutions must be replaced by a system that is conducive for the expansion of market economy.

3.2.2.6 The right of farmers and urban residents to own the land that they use for residence and for development purposes must be respected and their illegal and forceful displacement from their land possessions must cease immediately. Furthermore, the current trend of covering the city space with buildings alone must be checked and public parks and other green areas must be expanded in urban as well as in rural areas.

3.2.2.7 A systematic process must be formulated, through dialogue with relevant bodies, by which EPRDF’s investment enterprises (EFFORT, T'iret, Tumsa, Wondo and others) that have been the cause of serious imbalance in the life of the country's economy, in violation of the country's Constitution, would be made part of the market economy.

3.2.3 On Social Matters

3.2.3.1 In order to save the youth, and particularly the young women of our country, who are migrating in search of work and who, as a result, are exposed to grave dangers and suffering, our economic activities must be made to focus on the creation of job opportunities.

3.2.3.2 The opportunity to be employed and job to creation opportunities must be equally accessible to all citizens in a manner that is based on merit and without political partisanship or bias.

3.2.3.3 All possible efforts must be made to formulate and implement the education policy with emphasis on quality that would enable it to generate competent, creative and productive citizens and to create an environment in which the educated people could put their knowledge to useful purpose.

3.2.3.4 A situation must be created wherein access to education and opportunities for training would be open to all citizens without bias and the political partisanship that is currently prevalent in our country would be immediately stopped.

3.2.3.5 In the area of training health professionals and the expansion of health institutions, instead of the campaign to inflate numbers, much emphasis must be given to quality and to ways of providing the public with basic services based on sound professional ethics.

3.2.3.6 The urban dwelling citizen must be ensured of owning or renting a home within his/her means. A condition must particularly be created in which urban dwelling citizens could, individually or in groups, obtain land freely or in an affordable way on which to build homes in accordance with their means.

3.2.3.6 Appropriate plans must be drawn by which members of the society that need special attention, namely women, youths, persons living with disability, the elderly, etc could practically be assisted so that they could live a life with dignity.

Part 4: A call from the Federal Democratic Unity Forum (MEDREK)

4.1 MEDREK hereby issues a call to all concerned genuine opposition political parties to forge good relations and cooperate among themselves to make concrete efforts towards resolving the major political, economic and social problems currently plaguing our country, and it will contribute its share to achieving such goal. Furthermore, it calls upon those forces that have chosen alternative modes of struggle outside the peaceful path to join the camp of peaceful alternative. Equally, it calls upon the Government of EPRDF to discharge its responsibility of creating a favorable condition to encourage and enable these organizations to embrace the peaceful alternative.

4.2 MEDREK affirms its readiness to sit down with the ruling party for a dialogue and negotiations aimed at expanding the political space and making it accessible to all democratic forces and to the people as a whole.

4.3 MEDREK hereby expresses to all, its belief that in an environment where the political space is broadened through the active participation of all patriotic and democratic forces and is accessible to all parties, and whereby an election that is fair, free and equitable is conducted, Government of National Unity must be formed either by winning a clear majority or through negotiations with other political parties.

4.4 MEDREK wishes to point out to all genuine political parties that the principal task of the Government of National Unity would be, in addition to extricating the country from the prevailing chaotic living condition of the people, to create an environment in the country where a multi-party democracy would be firmly rooted and where the people would be able to use their sovereign power to decide for themselves on major national issues, including the right to an

outlet to the sea. It must be stressed that accomplishing this task demands active engagement of the people in the affairs of their nation.

4.5 Donor governments and international financial institutions must realize that, for the last 21 years, EPRDF has been feeding them with contradictory and confusing information, claiming to be what it is not and declaring a vision that it does not have, etc, thus performing a public relations stunt before their eyes. They must also realize that there has been no policy change as a result of the passing away of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and that there will not be one in the future as long as EPRDF is in power. Fundamental changes will come in our country only when free, fair and credible elections are possible. Therefore, we call upon the International Community to appreciate this reality and to provide its diplomatic support to the peaceful and democratic struggle being waged by MEDRED and other genuine opposition parties in the country.

4.6 You, the People, recall that, for the last 21 years, EPRDF has been promising that it would respect elections, democracy, the equality of nations, nationalities and peoples, etc. This drama, repressive and devoid of honesty as it is, was staged in order to help it stay in power. All those who dared to stand for their constitutional rights were punished by severe measures that included death. Now you are being told that, even after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, repression will follow the same course. You know full well that you can change this anti-people and anti-country system of EPRDF through the struggle that you have been waging in a peaceful manner. You know this truth not only from your own past experience of struggle for freedom, equality, justice and democracy, but also from the similarly just struggles of other peoples in the world and from the victories they have scored.
Therefore, MEDREK wishes to state that it is ready to stand on your side and to lead your noble struggle that would enable you to reclaim your sovereign power that you have been denied for so long. We call upon you with full respect and full confidence that we have upon you to take up this call and give MEDREK your unreserved support

Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (MEDREK) March 26, 2013
Addis Ababa

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