Today in Parliament Meles said:
Parliament can not decide on how to go into war and how and when to get out. It doesn't happen in any country.The same day the American Senate passed a legislation that set deadline for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. See the New York Times report here. What a great student of comparative politics is Meles!
15 comments:
Actually, it is you who is WRONG. Not the P.M. See EthioZagol, if the deadline set by Congress passes, the only thing Congress can do cease the funding. But the president is the commander in chief. He can still keep the troops as long as he feels there is enough or can get alternate sources of funding. So Congress CANNOT pull the troops out. Only the Commander in Chief can. LESSON IN COMPARATIVE POLITICS?
we don't even have the so called "parliament" in our situation. we only have a bunch of "sleepy" incompetent guys gathered at the hall.that's it.so don't even compare us by any means.It's a joke.
Muse B.
Melles is a street smart. What amazes me most is his eagerness to look like his masters at the White House. He always uses famous words used in Washington in his speech. "hot bed of terrorism" "smoke them out" "either with us or against us"
"Parliament can not decide on how to go into war and how and when to get out. It doesn't happen in any country."
If he is talking about Ethiopian parliment, He is right on this one.
The Ethiopian parliment needs permision even to clap.
The first anonymous:
Take a look at the wording of the legislation by the house.
SEC. 1904. (a) The President shall make and transmit to Congress the following determinations, along with reports in classified and unclassified form detailing the basis for each determination, on or before July 1, 2007—
(1) whether the Government of Iraq has given United States Armed Forces and Iraqi Security Forces the authority to pursue all extremists, including Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias, and is making substantial progress in delivering necessary Iraqi Security Forces for Baghdad and protecting such Forces from political interference; intensifying efforts to build balanced security forces throughout Iraq that provide even-handed security for all Iraqis; ensuring that Iraq’s political authorities are not undermining or making false accusations against members of the Iraqi Security Forces; eliminating militia control of local security; establishing a strong militia disarmament program; ensuring fair and just enforcement of laws; establishing political, media, economic, and service committees in support of the Baghdad Security Plan; and eradicating safe havens;
(2) whether the Government of Iraq is making substantial progress in meeting its commitment to pursue reconciliation initiatives, including enactment of a hydro-carbon law; adoption of legislation necessary for the conduct of provincial and local elections; reform of current laws governing the deBaathification process; amendment of the Constitution of Iraq; and allocation of Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects; and
(3) whether the Government of Iraq and United States Armed Forces are making substantial progress in reducing the level of sectarian violence in Iraq.
(b) On or before October 1, 2007, the President-
(1) shall certify to the Congress that the Government of Iraq has enacted a broadly accepted hydro-carbon law that equitably shares oil revenues among all Iraqis; adopted legislation necessary for the conduct of provincial and local elections, taken steps to implement such legislation, and set a schedule to conduct provincial and local elections; reformed current laws governing the de-Baathification process to allow for more equitable treatment of individuals affected by such laws; amended the Constitution of Iraq consistent with the principles contained in article 137 of such constitution; and allocated and begun expenditure of $10 billion in Iraqi revenues for reconstruction projects, including delivery of essential services, on an equitable basis; or
(2) shall report to the Congress that he is unable to make such certification.
(c) If in the transmissions to Congress required by
subsection (a) the President determines that any of the
conditions specified in such subsection have not been met, or if the President is unable to make the certification specified in subsection (b) by the required date, the secretary of Defense shall commence the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq and complete such redeployment within 180 days.
(d) If the President makes the certification specified in subsection (b), the Secretary of Defense shall commence the redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq not later than March 1, 2008, and complete such redeployment within 180 days.
(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, funds appropriated or otherwise made available in this or any other Act are immediately available for obligation and expenditure to plan and execute a safe and orderly redeployment of the Armed Forces from Iraq, as specified in sub-sections (c) and (d).
(f) After the conclusion of the 180-day period for redeployment specified in subsections (c) and (d), the Secretary of Defense may not deploy or maintain members of the Armed Forces in Iraq for any purpose other than the following:
(1) Protecting American diplomatic facilities and American citizens, including members of the U.S. Armed Forces.
(2) Serving in roles consistent with customary diplomatic positions.
(3) Engaging in targeted special actions limited in duration and scope to killing or capturing members of al-Qaeda and other terrorist organizations with global reach.
(4) Training members of the Iraqi Security Forces.
It is pretty clear that the US congress is ordering a withdrawal without any relationship to the fund. Even if we take you argument is right, it is the same. The president doesn't have alternate sources of funding.
Yeah, in principle congress has the right to fix time line for withdrawal of troops. The only problem is it can only enforce its decision via funding and budgetary options. Meles was dead wrong.
yha ya
There was one joke on the so called parliament members
they[all the weyanes]are in deep sleep during the session with their hand raised.And meles asked the then Dawit Y. why these people raised their hands while sleeping?
And he replied that "they even with us whether they hibernate or not [thats good thing for them].
Muse B.
The president may not have an alternate source of funding. But that is exactly the point. THE ONLY WAY ALL THE CONDITIONS ARE ENFORCED IS VIA ITS ABILITY TO CONTROL SPEDING. Of course, the U.S.A. is not cut and dry. Both sides can fight it out in court. But that doesn't change the picture. That is, there is a reason why the President is the Commander in Chief and not congress. That is to give the President the ability to act quickly in the interest of the nation. No matter how you spin it, Ethio-zagol's conclusion and criticism were both wrong. As to the commentary about copmarison with the U.S. congress, well, I believe it was Ethio=zagol who did. I believe it is all semantics. In Ethiopia there lies one Supreme Power. The Prime Minister.
Hi EZ,
Good thing you have done. Now we can give our comments freely. Just to say that thank you for what you're doing. The new look of the blog is really good.
And about Meles: he tries to act smart to a parliament full of non-criticl-thinking members.
He's fallacy impersonated....don't you think his jibes would be a good case of informal fallacies in any standard philo textbooks?
Meles is funny. Hetalks about Ethiopian parliament, how come he mentions parliament while he does not even respect his own judges decision that told him he used excessive force when killing innocent protesters.
This is really funny, Meles has to give the parliament to clap. It was funny to see Ethiopian parliament was being dectated by Meles as if he is the only one who knows how it should be conducted. I laughed when I saw the clip on youtube, you can view it for yourself just type Ethiopian parliament. It has 5 clips and each and everything is funny. You can also find Lidetu (Kihdetu) Ayalew as opposition leader giving Meles the support. You wonder what is being transpired before your eyes. As far as many of us know opposition means to oppose the regime when it does something drastic like conduct an illegal war. Well I was astonished to see Kihdetu Ayalew expressing his joy for going to the war, even Meles was unable to contain himself with laughter. How can you tell Aljazeera, you would like to be remembered as some one who started democracy in Ethiopia? I was laughing when I heard that interview. I am also laughing right now Meles telling 'Parliamment cannot decide whether or not a country has to go to war' Well then who approves a war? who funds the war? where is the consultation held at? at meles' dinning table like deciding how many years opposition member should be imprisoned? I am flabergasted to read such statements comeing out of a supposedly a renaissance leader?
shame shame shame!
I am proud to be born in the same country where you were, thank you for the all services you provide. As for the parliament, it is a bunch of useless people, who are there to ride on the back of poor people.
Anonymous said "As to the commentary about comparison with the U.S. congress, well, I believe it was Ethio-Zagol who did. I believe it is all semantics. In Ethiopia there lies one Supreme Power-The Prime Minister."
"The House of Peoples' representatives is the highest authority the federal government. The house is responsible to the people." Article 50/3/ of the Ethiopian Constitution.
The constitution of Ethiopia is open on the issue Ethio-zagol raised. It is also silent on the powers of the PM except stating that the PM is the commander-in-chief. There is no doubt that commander-in-chief can decide when and how the troops may be withdrawn from war. The question is if Parliament wants the withdrawal of the troops, can the PM refuse? Putting it in another way, is the power of deciding on the withdrawal of troops exclusive to the PM? If Parliament has the exclusive power to declare war(Art 55/9/), isn't it logical to assume that it also has the right to end the state of affairs it has started?
Ethio-Zagol's point is more on comparative constitutional law than Ethiopian law. In US, the debate lingers on. The Supreme Court has yet to decide on the powers of congress on this matter. If congress doesn't have the power to order for the withdrawal of troops, it can't de-fund the troops as it gets the power it is denied by stealth. The Supreme court has time and time again made decisions prohibiting the usurpation or restriction of rights by stealth(practically) in other cases including civil liberties and states' rights. Whether this bill will be tested in the courts is to be seen. I don't think the democrats will go as far as denying funds if Bush vetoes the bill.
This or that way, what the PM categorically said wasn't accurate. There is enormous latitude for debate here.
Meles zenawi will get buried soon for his misgiving and repression on the people of ETHIOPIA. All this tragedy will not keep him in power and his time has runout.
Zenawi will get buried soon.
the comments are beside the point raised by ethio-zagol. it is a river of emotions running among ethiopians and that is sad. regarding the issue raised the PM isI guess correct-making and unmaking war is largely the domain of the executive (president or PM as the case may be). In the US Congress has to fund or de-fund the war--withdrawal is only a string attached to the budgetary allocation to be made-- but at the end of the day it is only the President that can order the withdrawal of the troops. Besides,as he made a series of threats the president may choose to veto the bill thereby killing it there and then. Anyway since the issue is debatable it is unfair to characterize the PM as stupid which he is not. We may say many things about him, but stupidity is a charge that we cannot substantiate in the court of opinion. I guess blind hatred clouds our judgment and we have to stop such politics. Ethio-zagol should stop such cheap remarks which backfire and put the blog unreadable.
To the above anonymous. I could not agree more. See the typical Ethiopian must ALWAYS say something NEGATIVE about some one he DISAGREES with. Note the key word being ALAWYS no matter what the issue is. EZ is a typical Ethiopian. Part of the problem. With good intentions I might add. In fact, great intentions. BUT FAILS TO REALIZE THAT SHE IS PART OF THE PROBLEM. NOT THE SOLUTION.
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