Google

Friday, September 07, 2007

No One is Indispensable says Kinijit Leader

Former Addis Ababa University Professor, Gizachew Shiferaw, Kinijit's Head of Organizational Affairs, is part of the party's delegation that will tour North America.  EZ Post has a revealing inteview with him.
 
EZ: Your upcoming tour has its critics. Why are you traveling abroad before all Kinijit prisoners are released?

Gizachew: The tour is part of the wider political activity we are undertaking now. We have to thank for the great effort and commitment Ethiopians living abroad showed both to the struggle for democracy and our release from prison. What Ethiopians abroad did when we were in prison was incredible. In 2006 and the beginning of 2007, there were massive demonstrations all over the world. They-children, the elderly, people with tremendous work and professional responsibilities- withstood the harsh weathers and made their points. They put pressures on host countries; made the media to pay attention. I haven't seen or heard the Diaspora of other countries showing such commitment.

The Ethiopian diaspora is a force to be reckoned with. This is not only because of what it has done in the past two years but also because its potential is immense. We have a lot of educated people, people with money, people with connections, people with vigor, enthusiasm and incredible love of the country living abroad. Any political force in Ethiopia should be able to mobilize our Diaspora for the benefit of the country. Kinijit will certainly do that.
 
But our tour doesn't exclude doing things at home. We have already established two committees which are entrusted with the task of getting the prisoners out. One is a data committee which gathers information about the prisoners all over Ethiopia. The other is a contact group which liaisons with the Shimagles. Part of our agreement when we were released was the release of all people who were imprisoned in connection to the election. The Shimagles are facilitating that and we are meeting them every two weeks. I think in our trip abroad we will also highlight their ordeals if they aren't released by then.
 

EZ: But why wouldn't you just wait here until they are released?

Gizachew: We can do a lot of things at a time. Our trip is short. The South African group stays for ten days. They will come and continue what we have started. We also have a lot of council members who won't go abroad. They will also do the task. I don't see any reason why we can't do two things at the same time. We are a political organization. Our tasks are vast. We should be able to do a lot of things at the same time.

EZ: There are divisions in the Diaspora.   Part of the reason for your trip is to solve that. How are you going to do it?

Gizachew: Our direction and vision regarding that is very clear.  There will be no more appointments from Addis Ababa. It is a cliché; but I have to say it: Power belongs to the people. Ethiopians abroad will choose their own representatives for the chapters and kinijit support groups – at city, state, national and continental basis. It is each constituency which determines what its leaders will be.

EZ: That is for the future. But what about the past?   There are serious allegations; allegations of embezzlement of incredible amounts of money collected in the name of Kinijit? Allegations of authoritarianism? Can you talk about the future without addressing the past?

Gizachew: We have started to address that. What we first did when we got out of prison was to take away the political powers of groups who were acting in the Diaspora on our behalf

EZ: Does it mean both KIC and KIL? Are they both disband?

Gizachew: Yes, both of them.  Our task now is to investigate the allegations you mentioned in the fairest, transparent and accountable manner. The investigation will have policy and technical issues. On the technical side, for example, we have allegations relating to finance. The investigation will be done based on accounting rules, the laws of that country and other relevant rules. We will see that. On the policy side we will see issues relating to the respect of Kinijit's democratic principles. People make mistakes when they do things. We will see both sides: The positive and the negative.

Finally, after the investigation, based on the democratic principles of Kinijit, the constituencies will decide what they will do with the people. So this is also part of what I said before. We are going to investigate the matter and send our results back to the constituencies.

EZ: Do you expect a fall out from this investigation?

Gizachew: I don't. But if the constituencies, based on the investigation, decide that they don't want the people, we accept that. The decision is that of the people.

EZ: Will KIC and KIL be formed again after the investigation?

Gizachew: No they won't. Former Members will have to go back to their constituencies and be elected.

EZ: Which are the constituencies? In some cities in North America, there are two chapters representing different groups.

Gizachew: There is no reason that two chapters in one city should represent Kinijit. One of our tasks will be to solidify these chapters. I think the problem is not with the Kinijit supporters living in those cities. The divisions were created because of the alignment of the leaders.   It is easy to bring the people together, and then they will elect their leaders. If one doesn't accept that, that is one's right. But one won't be part of Kinijit if one does that.

EZ: If the Diaspora is going to be organized in the way you suggest and if the rules of party discipline are not applied strictly, who is going to represent you in the corridors of power in North America and Europe? Will you appoint special representatives?

Gizachew: We won't appoint special representatives. The support groups can do it. The support groups may have party members and those who aren't party members. We will encourage our party members to be active in those groups, to seek election and so on. But more than that, I think even though I said party discipline isn't going to be strictly applied, it doesn't mean the support groups aren't kinijit. They are. They are Kinijit support groups and they will work with our foreign affairs committee in Addis Ababa. If they need expertise and political experience, they can hire professionals. But that is up to them.

EZ: There are civic groups who aren't Kinijit but share many of Kinijit's principles and objectives. They were doing a lot when you were in prison. There are some in the party who think that these civic groups should work under the coordinating umbrella of the party. There are others who think the party should completely be independent from them and vise versa. What do you think about your relationship with them?

Gizachew: They are different in nature from a political organization. They have issues which might overlap with ours. On those, I can't see any reason why we won't work together. We have to give them space. But that doesn't mean one should be a subordinate to the other.

EZ: You don't still have a legal recognition. What are you doing in that front?

Gizachew: We have agreed in principle that we should return to the status quo created after the merger. There are divided groups who were all part of Kinijit. We are trying to bring all of them together. Those who joined parliament have registered the name of Kinijit at the election board, but they didn't receive the certificate. They have a problem of calling the general assembly because there is a division in them. But both groups say they want to hand power to the kinijit leadership. We are talking with them. But we are concerned about the delay.

So we are thinking of another option. If you remember, after the merger, we have applied to the election board for registration. We had then elected the president, the vice-president, the secretary. We have followed the electoral laws of the country. We believe that we are legal. What remained was publication, acknowledgement by third parties. That is why we applied for registration. We have now asked the election board to give us a response. Based on that response, we will proceed to the other steps.

EZ: What if both options fail? Do you have a fall back plan? Changing name for example?

Gizachew: We believe we have a right to the name.   We will exhaust all legal possibilities before we think of other options.  It is premature to speculate about name change now.

EZ: Before the merger, Kinijit was a coalition of four parties. Is there a possibility that you will return to that status?

Gizachew: That is unthinkable. The four parties are dead. We don't think about them. Kinijit is the party of Ethiopian people. There is no way we are going back to the four party era.

EZ: Kinijit's support comes for its stated commitment to democracy, economic and political liberty and Ethiopian unity. Without internal democracy, it is impossible to say that Kinijit will fulfill its commitments if it gets to power. Is Kinijit's internal democracy reassuring? Rumors and gossips about the problem of democracy inside Kinijit are rampant.

Gizachew: Kinijit wouldn't have committed itself to democracy in Ethiopia without being democratic itself. Our decisions are made collectively, and the principle governing us is the principle of majority vote. There are different opinions in Kinijit. The one with the support of the majority wins. Without having full internal democracy, we won't even contemplate getting into power. If Kinijit doesn't respect internal democracy, I will be the first one to oppose its working rules.

EZ: Are you talking about principle in the normative sense? Or are you implying that at this moment, there is internal democracy in Kinijit?

Gizachew: We are implementing them. Our attempts during decision making deliberations to reach at a consensus or to convice a dissenter before a vote shouldn't be taken as a toleration of anti-democratic culture.   It is a way of making people feel that their views are seriously taken, and that even though they have dissented; they are part of the decision. In the end, if those attempts fail, we will make decisions based on the principle of majority vote.

EZ: Election 2005 has created stars in Kinijit. People have a lot of confidence in them. They are the faces of Kinijit.   When they play constructively, they have enormous positive impact. But there is a problem with stars. They have an equally enormous destructive capacity. Do you take them as threats to the internal democracy of Kinijit? Will the Lidetu phenomenon be repeated in Kinijit?

Gizachew:  Kinijit has many stars. I don't think it is only one. People may have different views about their role and status, but the truth is all of us in the leadership have one vote. As I said before, we try hard to accommodate different views, make people feel that they are part of a decision they even oppose. But if a person thinks his star shine brighter than other and tries to flout collective decision making principles, I think he is in a political football where he will certainly lose. In that sense, the Lidetu phenomenon will be repeated. No one is indispensable.

EZ: Two Shimagles were sent to America when you were in prison. There were a lot of people who were uncomfortable with the decision making then. Was that contrary to the principles of collective leadership?

Gizachew: That was decided under special circumstances. I was part of the decision. In addition to me, there was Hailu Shawl, Hailu Araya, Befekadu Degfe, Yacob Woldemariam and Tamarat Tarekegn in the decision making. All of us were in the same prison cell. I think we should have given it more time and included other people in other cells as well. Even though it was a special circumstance, we should have tried to get more views. The request for the shimagles came from the eight who were the majority then. So we thought if it wouldn't hurt. So the seven of us decided to send Shaleka Admassie and Dr. Bezabeh. It is partially a collective decision, but not fully.

EZ: Do you regret the decision?

Gizachew: What I regret is that we should have stopped their mission when they failed to mediate.

EZ: What do you think was the point of no-return during the mediation? At what point should you have stopped their mission?

Gizachew: The role of the Shimagles wasn't fruitful. We should have stopped them when we knew about it.

EZ: Did the Shimagles have clear objectives?

Gizachew: Yes, it was to mediate between the two groups (the eight and the four) in KIL.

EZ: Another group was formed after they arrived in Washington. Was forming it part of their objective?

Gizachew: No.  Their role wasn't to create a new forum. It was to mediate between the two groups I mentioned. They proposed that. But we clearly told that their role is different. We wrote a letter addressed to each of the twelve members requesting them to see the bigger picture.

EZ: Let's see the bigger picture. Kinijit offered itself as an alternative to EPRDF. Now you are consumed with internal issues.  What about your relationship with the EPRDF? What will the direction of your relationship be?

Gizachew: We have posed serious challenges for the EPRDF. When we debated about taking our parliamentary seats, we all wanted the seats. But we said what is the purpose of taking the seats if the questions of democracy, economic liberty and freedom aren't answered by the EPRDF. The eight principles are the results of that deliberation. Media freedom, independence of the judiciary, human rights etc… are still Kinijit's cardinal principles. So our relationship with EPRDF will be governed by our interest to see these principles reign supreme in the country.  

EZ: Will your approach change? Do you think you were confrontational after the election?

Gizachew: Tone changes with time. But that doesn't mean our tone will swing wildly from one end to another. In Ethiopian political culture, direct criticism is taken as confrontation. That has to change.  

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Informative interview! Keep on EZ! You're a real semina work.

Anonymous said...

ere, ere....

Dr Taye gudu fela !! Gudu fela!!!!

The mission of the Shimagles was ONLY to mediate...not to form KIC.

God have mercy....

Dr Taye'n ayadrgegn!!

AleQa Bru...

Anonymous said...

The time has come to a final blow to the so called Kinijit! It is unfortunate, but kinijit will not survive this storm!!! It is the final shown down b/n Keste damena & AEUP group! The two groups feel that the people is with them! However, the suspicions and allegations aired since 2006 have profoundly irritated most of the Diaspora! No one be victorious! The final outcome of the Kestedemena delegation US tour will be to exacerbate the existing division and to burry Kinijit for ever!!! Hands up, woyane will profit from the fall out!!!

Anonymous said...

Selam EZ

Yesterday you posted:

"US embassy sources have informed EZ Post that Kinijit's Chairman Ato Hailu Shawel has been cleared by the States Department to travel to the US. US entry visa will be issued to Ato Hailu tomorrow."

Today is that tomorrow. Where is the visa? Is that your continued effort of saving the face of woyane implanted official of KIL whom you say "Qudos" to him. I wonder if this blog is opreated by KIL groups and financed by their colaborators!!!

ZeYigerim

Anonymous said...

ZeYigerim,

Ato Hailu Shawel has got his visa. Listen to the Interview of Mr. Eyouel.
And No one is Indespansble. People live and go but the spirit is there,- this is the point.

Zigerim's natki/natka

Anonymous said...

EZ, you are doing a good job of informing the nuetrals. Don't be distructed by negetivists and distructors. Good job, EZ. John.

Anonymous said...

To anonymous @ 7:49 AM

You can bullsh** as much as you want. But, the truth remain the same. And, that truth is Eng. Hailu Shawel did not get the visa evev now. By the way even Muluneh Eyuel did not Ato Hailu get visa. I listened his interview and I recommand you to listen to the lengthy interview youself, in stead of spawing your false propoganda. More over, Eng. Shawel is not coming to the US not because of his medical problem, as stated by the aleqlaqiw Tamagn Beyene meglecha, but because he did not get the visa. Remeber, he was askking the visa to seek medical attention. Unfortunately, the so called "delegation", and the US embassy in collaboration with the evil woyane want to see Eng. Hailu to die of his sickness.
By the way please be informed that, no matter what, we will remain loyal to Mr. Shawel and Ethiopia always.

Anonymous said...

Great interview, Zagol.

Anonymous said...

what is the name of kinijit in oromiffa?

Anonymous said...

EZ aka Adenagrachew Tsige,

"No one is indispensible" is a code word for coup d'etat. It is the prelude to the removal of kinijit's elected leader, Kibur Ato Hailu Shawel.

Let me tell you one thing, the day Kestedemena carries out the coup is the day Kinijit takes its last breath. We are watching.

Anonymous said...

"Ye Amhara Tigil Keditu Wedematu"

Author, me, an upcoming ghost written book...I don't have time for this farce

Anonymous said...

The problem with both groups is that they have "I am more popular" mentality but the reality is one can not survive without the other and if indeed the split happenes it is going to be the end of kinijit. The Tplf regime will benefit from this greatly.

Anonymous said...

`
YOU GUYS NEVER BELIEVED ME WHEN I TOLD YOU ALL, EZ IS A JUNIOR TPLF INSIDER WHO WAS ASSIGNED TO MISLEAD US ALL AND GET HIS TPLF DIPLOMA. THERE IS NOT A SINGLE SHREAD OF DOUBT IN MY MIND. I KNOW HOW THESE PEOPLE OPERATE, I KNOW HOW THEY WALK AND HOW THEY TALK, THE TPLFites. EZ IS AS TPLF INSIDER AS MELES IS A TPLF LEADER. WHY WOULD EZ DO THE INTERVIEW WITH LOW RANKING CUDP MEMBER? HOW COME EZ DID NOT DO THIS KIND OF REVEALING INTERVIEW WITH Dr. B. NEGA? HOW ABOUT BIRTUKAN DEMEKSA? HOW ABOUT ADEM BEDRU?

THAT IS WHY WE ALL HAVE TO BE FULLY INFORMED THAT EZ IS AN INSIDER TPLF!!!

Anonymous said...

This is a great interview. Professor Gizachew’s candid response is a breath of fresh air. It takes a great leader to admit mistakes/poor judgement. The interview lays the groundwork for the conversations to follow with the leaders who will be amongst us soon. Last but not least, it goes a long way to put to rest the rumors propagated by Aiga Forumites.

Anonymous said...

The Truth in between lines of Ato Hailu's speech

He has based his decesion not to come to the US on several personal reasons. The VISA issue was never a reason. Please listen to his interview posted by Engr. Moges personal site. kinijit.org (Moges has not summitted the control of the site not even to KIC).

People should demand Moges Brook to post the whole message from Hailu Shawel, instead of a sliced section of a whole conversation.

Anonymous said...

If any disgrace comes to Ato Hailu, no one is as resposible as the woyane insider Shaleka Admassu. He has feed Hailu Shawel the wrong infos to expedite his fall within Kinijit.

It is not too late for the chairman to correct the mistakes and get back to the party mainsteam agenda.

Anonymous said...

BS!

Kinijit should never shape or change direction based on the rotten Diaspora view.

What ever decided by the CUD leaders - that is their decision. But I can live with a Tsige, Dawit Kebede, Abebe Belew and Elias Kiflie free organization.

If any of the above individuals implicated with a new support group then they will not see my penny and support. There are thousands of people like me.

If the situation persist to the point of hurting our country then the AEUP support group in the Diaspora will be formed to assist those in need of help in Ethiopia.

Anonymous said...

Thank you EZ for asking questions that matter the most. Your efforts to get to the bottom of the truth helps us develop a democratic system based on principles. Ethiopia's fate should not be determined by individuals. Our support to individuals should be as long as they stayed on the path of democracy.

This is it. The sky is getting brighter by the day.

Justice for Ethiopia

Anonymous said...

Hi all Ethiopian’s

According to Dr. Gizachew interview, I think it is a good structural working procedure for a democratically elects. In stead of worshiping individuals, we have to see the bigger picture, demand who is perform democratic values, human right and national integrity of the country . Moreover we all have to insist “no one is indispensable” if he or she disgruntle the need of the people. There might be obstacles and treachery conditions to come but they have to be subjected for conditions to show there loyalty for the people.

God bless Ethiopia!

Anonymous said...

በመሰረቱ ቃለ መጠይቁ አስደሳች ቢሆንም አንዳንድ ጥያቄዎችን እንድናነሳ ሳያስገድድ አይቀርም :

Quote:
EZ: Which are the constituencies? In some cities in North America, there are two chapters representing different groups.

Gizachew: There is no reason that two chapters in one city should represent Kinijit. One of our tasks will be to solidify these chapters. I think the problem is not with the Kinijit supporters living in those cities. The divisions were created because of the alignment of the leaders. It is easy to bring the people together, and then they will elect their leaders. If one doesn't accept that, that is one's right. But one won't be part of Kinijit if one does that.



የድጋፍ ድርጅቶች ስራ በፖለቲካ ፕሮግራሙና አመራሩ ላይ ጣልቃ እስካልገባ ድረስ ግለሰቦች በፈለጉት መልክ ተሰባስበዉ እርዳታ ማድረግና የድግፍ ስራ መስራት የማይችሉበት ሁኔታ አይታየኝም :: አለመተማመን በበዛበት ኮሚኒቲ ዉስጥ ሁሉንም ግለሰቦች በአንድ የድጋፍ ቡድን ጥላ ስር ማድረግ ብዙ ህዝብ አያሰባስብም ብዮ አምናለሁ :: የድጋፍ ድርጅቶች የስራ ድርሻ በግልጽ ከተቀመጠ ግለሰቦች በፈለጉት መልኩ ተሰባስበው ለ ቅንጅት እርዳታቸዉንና ድጋፋቸዉን ያደርጉ ዘንድ ሊበረታቱ ይገባል ባይ ነኝ :: ጥንቃቄ ሊሰጠው የሚገባ ነገር ቢኖር የድጋፍ ድርጅቶቹ የፖለቲካ አመራር ሊሰጡ እንደማይችሉ ማሳወቁ ላይ ነዉ ::

Quote:
EZ: Before the merger, Kinijit was a coalition of four parties. Is there a possibility that you will return to that status?


Gizachew: That is unthinkable. The four parties are dead. We don't think about them. Kinijit is the party of Ethiopian people. There is no way we are going back to the four party era.


አይሆንምን ትተሽ ይሆናልን አስቢ ... ይላሉ :: አቶ ልደቱና ድርጅታቸዉ ከቅንጅት ወጥቶ በግሉ እየተንቀሳቀሰ መሆኑን ልብ ሊባል ይገባል :: አሁንም ከሁለቱ ባላንጣ ቡድኖች የምናየዉ ታማኝነታቸዉ ለቀድሞው ድርጅቶቻቻዉ መሆኑን ነዉ :: አለመግባባቱ አሁን ባለዉ ሁኔታ ከቀጠለ ቅንጅት የሚባለዉ ድርጅት እረጅም አድሜ የሚኖረዉ አይመስልም :: ወደ ቀድሞ ድርጅቶች መከፋፈሉ ጎልቶ እየወጣ ነው ::

Quote:
EZ: Election 2005 has created stars in Kinijit. People have a lot of confidence in them. They are the faces of Kinijit. When they play constructively, they have enormous positive impact. But there is a problem with stars. They have an equally enormous destructive capacity. Do you take them as threats to the internal democracy of Kinijit? Will the Lidetu phenomenon be repeated in Kinijit?

Gizachew: Kinijit has many stars. I don't think it is only one. People may have different views about their role and status, but the truth is all of us in the leadership have one vote. As I said before, we try hard to accommodate different views, make people feel that they are part of a decision they even oppose. But if a person thinks his star shine brighter than other and tries to flout collective decision making principles, I think he is in a political football where he will certainly lose. In that sense, the Lidetu phenomenon will be repeated. No one is indispensable.


የኢትዮጵያ ፖለቲካ ታሪክ አለመተማመን የበዛበትና የግልሰቦች የፖለቲካ ትግል ታሪክ ከፈተኛ ቦታ የሚሰጠዉ ነዉ :: ከተማረዉ ያልተማረዉ በሚበልጥበት አገር የታወቁ ግለሰቦች ሚና ከፍተኛ ነዉ ::ለምሳሌ የፕሮፌሰር መስፍን ቦታ በኢንጅነር ግዛቸዉ ሊተካ አይችልም :: የኢንጅነር ሀይሉን ያክል የክልል 3 ገበሬዎች የሚያዉቁትና የሚያምኑት የቅንጅት አመራር የለም :: የዶ /ር ብርሀኑን የሙያ ብቃትና የማሳመን ችሎታ ደበበ እሸቱ አይተካዉም :: ባጠቃላይ ለቅንጅት ትግል ከፍተኛ አስተዋጾ ያደረጉና ሊያደርጉ የሚችሉ indispensable የሆኑ ግለሶቦች አሉ ባይ ነኝ ::: እነዚህ ግለሰቦች ዲሞክራሲያዊ በሆነ መልኩ ከአመራር ቦታዎች ሊለቁ ይችላሉ :: በቡድን ስራ የተነሳ እነዚህን ግለሰቦች ከትግሉ ለማራቅ መሞክር ግን ለቅንጅት አይጠቅመዉምና ጥንቃቄ ቢደርግ መልካም ነዉ ባይ ነኝ ::

Anonymous said...

Indeed Qinijit has mnany stars, and some of the starts outshine at some time than others, at this time, Gizachew, you are the apex star

Anonymous said...

Ok, in the absence of Ato Hailu Shawel, we were told that Wt. Birtukan Mideksa would lead the delegation to North America.

And yet, you EZ or any one else has not bothered to interview her? Why?

The other day, Reuters reported that Dr. Berhanu Nega is Deputy Chairman of CUD and that he leads the delegation to United States.

Does any one know if there was an official announcement about Dr. Berhanu being Deputy Chairman of CUD and that he also leads the delegation to US. I thought that person was Wt. Birtukan Mideksa on both counts.

What is going on? Would someone clarify this please?

Anonymous said...

To berhanu @ 12:12

Please see the video of the speach that Dr. Berhanu gave in NY. Dr. Behanu started by saying that he IS NOT the leader of the CUD nor the leader of the deligation.

here is the link.

http://operator11.com/shows/4089/episodes/18829

Anonymous said...

Dear Ethio Zagol,

It is a very nice interview over all and getting to know your skill in this area other than “semina Work's EZ ”. Dr. Gizachew's letter from Kality, however long was as substantial as well.

The confusion I have is on the following.

EZ: Another group was formed after they arrived in Washington. Was forming it part of their objective?
1. Gizachew: No. Their role wasn't to create a new forum. It was to mediate between the two groups I mentioned. They proposed that. But we clearly told that their role is different. We wrote a letter addressed to each of the twelve members requesting them to see the bigger picture.
----------------
They did manage to mediate and witnesses including Prof. Al Mariam observed the agreement as signed. There after, in less than a month, there was a directive from CUDP’s Chairman Hailu Shawel to form KIC and add the eleven people, which the six of KIL resisted and Andargachew Tsege labeled Eng Hailu Shawel as a dictator and turned down the arrangement..Soon, they were released from prison. To some people, the existence of KIC is legitimate until it is collectively asked to dissolve by the Executive committee including Engineer Hailu Shawel.
--------------------
Anonymous 11:28 a.m
From the brief exerpt,
A clear, matured and independent thinker. There are also different variations of Amharic. Some get so wordy and too much junk (“zibazinkay”), or too emotional more fitting to an artistic poetry, and other versions bend more in to geez that some of the vocabularies may be new to the average reader. Your Amharic is pleasantly readable and to the point. I am curious of your profession which definitely passes for a good journalist, a philosopher or a writer. Interested to read more of what ever other publications etc that you had. Can you give more information about your self. If you can?.
MGP

Anonymous said...

Correction

Comment refers to the ANONYMOUS who posted at 10:58
MGP

Anonymous said...

Original Message -----
From: girmamuziky
To: Ethiopians-Forum@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Friday, September 07, 2007 4:28 PM
Subject: [Ethiopians-Forum] ATO HAILU- INSERTING A POLITICAL SWORD ON HIMSELF ?



Dear all:

It is with great sadness that I am writing this. Also I am writing
this because I am a supporter of KINIJIT. KINIJIT gives me the right
to write against its leaders. So I am using my democratic excercise
here, per the KINIJIT MANIFESTO.

Ato Hailu Shawel, the chairman of KINIJIT, whome we admired and
respect has disappointed us big time. We were reluctant to come full
force against some of his actions and misteps he took. (out of his
respect). We were silent when he son Hailu Anteneh was talking
garbage. We complained only little when he associate himself with
those who undermined the struggle.

Now, I think everything came to its end.

Please refer below for a brief interview Ato Hailu gave to someone.
(No idea who the interviewee is) This interview is posted on the
renegade kinijit.org website.

http://www.kinijit.org/static/audio/HailuShawel_09062007.mp3

In this interview Ato Hailu stated that he is not coming to the US
because he has the obligation to get the release of many prisoners in
Ethiopia. "Why not wait one month? "He said.

The high level delegation of Kinijit is expected to arrive in
Washington DC this coming Monday. For Ato Hailu to give this
interview is clearly intended to undermine the work of his colleague.
It seems Ato Hailu is not willing to abide by democratic principles
and accept the decision of the majority. I think this is a high
point that is revealing the source of all the problems Kinijit has
been having the last two years.

Ato Hailu is chairman because he was elected by the council. The
council of Kinijit is the higher body of Kinijit. If Ato Hailu think
that he is the "emperor" of Kinijit, well he is mistaken big time.
Above anyone, he should have known that KINIJIT has many strong
leaders who paid the same sacrifice than he did.

I think the empty glamorization and "kentu wedasse: he has been
getting from some evil corner in the diaspora, may have given him the
impression that he has the disapora Kinijit Supporters on his side.
Well, he is gain misled big time. Kinijit Supporters in the diaspora
are supporting Kinijit because of its values not because of
individuals. For many Birtukan, Dr Berhanu and Ato Hailu are all the
same.

One thing is clear. Ato Hailu is not coming because of VISA. The
American embassy has given them a visa. So the game that was being
played by the shaleka folks that there is a conspiracy to block
the "LEADER" ato Hailu not to come to America is no more. So Mr
Yamamato is not the reason.

The reason Ato Hailu gave is that he must work hard to secure the
release of prisoners first. Saying this he will be going to Germany
for medical treatment. According to his lieutenant in chief shaleka
Getachew Mengistu, Eng Hailu was to plan accordingly with the other
delegation while in Germany. Shaleka Getachew said the date and time
will be arranged accordingly and when the other delegation leaves
from Addis Ababa, Ato Hailu will directly go to the US from Germany.

I see contradictions here. If the reason is to secure prisoners, then
why then fly directly from Germany to the US? Or does Shaleka
Getachew Mengistu know nothing when he goes public and gave
interviews to a pal talk room?

Also Ato Hailu and others agreed to come on August the 29th. That
date was postponed because none got a visa. (Except Dr Berhanu was
has a green card). So why did Ato Hailu agreed to come on August
29th? Weren't there prisoners then?

Ato Hailu said:" why not wait for one month? ". I do not understand
why he thinks that prisoners will be released in one month. Prisoners
will be released if we force the regime to take action. We force the
regime by our strength. The fact Ato Hailu is coming out public and
undermined the work of his colleagues, surely extend the time
prisoners will be in jail. He is doing nothing to help the cause of
freedom. He is undermining the struggle for his own ego.

The reason he gave does not make sense at all. It is not to secure
the release of prisoners. After all is he not going to Germany?????

I think the main reason is obvious and clear. He is trying to cover
up something. I will detail in my next e-mail.

According to Dr Befekadu, Kinijit Ethiopia needed money to start
basic Party stuff. More than 1.2 million dollar was moved to another
account by Shaleka Joseph. Shaleka Joseph was not willing to return
Kinijit's money to the Kinijit finance chief. They refuse to
cooperate with anyone except Ato Hailu. Ato Hailu while he knows
Kinijit is in need of money back home, declined to ask his friends to
send some money. So I have a big suspicion that the money is moved to
another account by the direction of Ato Hailu. Why would he want this
to be revealed? So he is not coming.

Eng Mogues has patented the name KINIJIT and the logo of Kinijit.
Many Kinijit chapters are receiving notices from lawyers asking them
not to use those names. Eng Hailu was asked to take actions against
this. Unfortunately he declined to order his friends Eng Mogues Brook
to stop this unkinijitawi action. I am suspect Eng Mogues may have
been doing this also by the direct order of Ato Hailu. Why would he
want this to be revealed? So he is not coming.

While the Kinijit council unanimously voted to taka back any
delegation from nay body, Ato Hailu continued endorsing KIC. If he
comes here, then he may be forced to say in public that KIC is no
more. How KIC is formed and all those intrigues will be known to the
public. Everything will be revealed. So Ato Hailu because he has been
all along the main player in this drama, he does not want to be
embarrassed. So he is not coming.

Had I been him, I would not come as well. However, it would have been
best if he does it honorably. Had he said:" I cannot come; because of
my medical conditions" and stayed away from the investigation, it
would have been much better. People would have forgiven him. Many of
us would have understood.

However, Ato Hailu blew it. By giving us silly and contradictory
reasons he exposed himself. I am sorry for him. I do not see him,
playing a major role anymore in an open, transparent, democratic
Kinijit.

Ato hailu has all the right to take whatever actions he took. He has
all the right. I have no problem with that. However, for him to have
a double personality is no more and unacceptable. The transparency of
KINIJIT is revealing everything. The truth will not be covered always
in Kinijit.

I finally wish all the best for Ato Hailu. Should he chooses to stick
with the Shaleka folks and Taye and form an Alliance with the EPRP,
he is welcome. These days the EPRP members and EPRP sympathizing
websites are his funs. (And also aiga also all of a sudden has become
Hailu Shawel's fun).

Anyway, KINIJIT will continue. KINIJIT WAS NOT, IS NOT AND WILL NOT
BE AN ORGANIZATION OF THE FEW. KINIJIT IS THE ASPIRATION FOR FREEDOM
AND DEMOCRACY OF THE ETHIOPIAN PEOPLE.

KINIJIT IS WINNING!

Girma Kassa




__._,_.___

Anonymous said...

I have heard Ato Hailu Shawel's interview from www.kinijit.org.He
looks unable to accept the majorities decision,and Shaleqa's shallow group acts irresposibly.It is time to save Ato Hailu from those shalequa's group conspiracy.

Shimekit

Anonymous said...

It is irony that Ato Hailu wrote the letter for the planned visit in the US and other parts of the world and decides not to come with the group he was supposed to lead. He told us that they have to celebrate the millennium with the people in Ethiopia. Then, he started to complain about his visa. Then he gave another reason for not joining the group: working to release the other prisoners and legalize the party. The last two reasons may not happen in one or two months. However, as Ato MUluneh Eyuel mentioned, they wrote letter for Electoral board to get their legal status and has formed two committees working for the release of the prisoners. I believe all the members of the delegate will not stay here in US or other countries for long period of time. So, they can do many things at a time as Enginer Shiferaw said in his interview with EZ.

So, there must be something he is also hiding. What I believe is that even though the motto in CUD is collective decision, he is the only one who decided the formation of KIC while he was taking the health care in the hospital. This is not a mistake by itself giving the circumstances, and he has made the corrections already when he was released by announcing that there will not be any international organization in the name of CUD except the support Chapters. So, what made him to ignore all these things and stay behind? Some thing must be cooking.

Let us have some patience and see whether the Shaleqa group will welcome the leaders with out Ato Hailu or not.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Shimekit above,

We need to fight the shaleqa group to save Eng. Hailu. We have to help him to know the truth about the shaleqa gangs.

We all know that he has enough money and he does not need any thing and will not participle in sabotaging the KINIJIT money collected from the people in the Diaspora. But these people got him in some way. Those people who have access to the Engineer has to inform him the other side of the story. He has to at least open his mind to listen the other side and know the truth for himself. Try to reach his relatives and children to pass the message. It is not too late to participate in the group at least to know the truth. We trusted and respected him this long and he has the responsibility to participate in the discussion and fact finding investigation to tell us the truth about the mess in KIC.

Anonymous said...

Why would the entire KIC be implicated?. Six of them are former KIL members and the Shaleka is no longer the chairman of KIL or has been KIC’s chairman. ER, Ethioforum, the most recent version of KIL’s (The six), their supporters all have gone after the Shaleka with vengence ever since he announced his doubts about these individuals., Andargachew T. and Birhane M.

In the best of circumstances members of KIC and support chapters would have been expected to work together. At this point, the future seems to look like the following:
-----------------------------------
EZ: Will KIC and KIL be formed again after the investigation?
1. Gizachew: No they won't. Former Members will have to go back to their constituencies and be elected.

EZ: Which are the constituencies? In some cities in North America, there are two chapters representing different groups.
Gizachew: There is no reason that two chapters in one city should represent Kinijit. One of our tasks will be to solidify these chapters. I think the problem is not with the Kinijit supporters living in those cities. The divisions were created because of the alignment of the leaders. It is easy to bring the people together, and then they will elect their leaders. If one doesn't accept that, that is one's right. But one won't be part of Kinijit if one does....
MGP

Anonymous said...

You don’t get it, do you? This interview has a clear massage to the so-called Kinijite support groups in US. You are dispensable, full stop.

“They are Kinijit support groups and they will work with our foreign affairs committee in Addis Ababa. If they need expertise and political experience, they can hire professionals. But that is up to them.” Gizachew

Kinijite leadership in Ethiopia did not have any problem, but you have. Please give us a break, grow up men, and don’t try to blame on Ato Hailu or any one else for you shortcoming, failing, limitation and weakness.

I think Ato Hailu is sick and tired and unable to come to USA to deal with you problems. He is polite and courteous and wouldn’t tell you the truth, and of coarse he doesn’t want to deflate your ego.

Judge Birtukan is the right person to deal with stubborn and disorderly, go girl!

SWDU

Anonymous said...

It is really sad to see an organization turned upside down by remanant thugs of Meles. All I have to say is once again you have created a half witted cadres just like your masters who regurgitate the garbage that you feed them without questioning or understanding. Way to go! What is your democray called we know your masters is revoultionary, which meant insult and degrade your populace. What is yours called can't wait to find out....

Anonymous said...

Some commentators on EZ’s blog seem to only check out sites they have allegiance to. They are not willing to have an overall view of all the facts, lest they should be well informed; others view sites which have a hidden agenda and deliberately distort facts to serve their opportunistic stance. If the negative commentators really want to know facts, they would listen to a very enlightening interview given by a Kinijit Council Member.

Listen to: Part One. Part Two

http://www.kinijit.com/static/audio/082607_Bedru_Adem.mp3

http://www.kinijit.com/static/audio/Bedru_Adem_part2_08262007.mp3

Anonymous said...

Correction to Part 2 Interview above.

http://www.kinijit.com/static/audio/Bedru_Adem_part2_08292007.mp3

Anonymous said...

Nefse teregaga, we respect Ato Bedru, more than you. But now that he seemed he finished 10 years of parliament seat and expected a leadership which according to kinijit belonged to the young, he seemed "too drunk with the applaud", "if not me then follow my shadow". We think calmer and he is none among the kinijit officials, even then what he said was the most disasterious interviews ever which he would be ashamed to order us whom to follow. Don't crowd the comment we want to hear more now how we give the right applause to our heros at Washington Dulles airport.

Anonymous said...

From Tessema

CONGRAGULATION

1.Andargachew

2.Mewa

3.Eliais

ETC and etal

Your long term agenda has come to the final stage we will see what your future plan and hidden agenda is.

To divide the struggle and weaken it on the basis of personal ego ,grab for power and hidden plan is seen for the last 2 yrs.

You have provided a cover and worked as agent for TPLF to keep it in power to prolong the suffering of Ethiopian people.

You have prolonged the dream of Ethiopians for democracy,freedom ,liberty and justice by dividing the stuggle.

Good luck

The struggle will continue and time will tell.

Anonymous said...

Good bye anon@7:25, time is now over for the eprp confusion, we have our leaders to lead the struggle, get back to your tej bet, sorry but KINIJIT is shining and may be you have to look some real job to sustain yourlow life.

Anonymous said...

Anon above at 1:57 do not be foolish, do not use EPRP as your whooping boys. Yes they seem to be your nightmare just as they are to Zenawai. What's up with that?

The truth is that alot of people who have no closeness to EPRP or any group are questioning INTENTIONS, no one is a fool all the hoopla sounds of key. Something does not seem OK on Kinijit's front. That breaks my heart and many an Ethiopia. for in a long time I truly belived that we where moving forward and a postive change was on the Horizon, it seems that new vultures have moved in . Oh Ethiopia why oh why have given birth to such a distructive generation?

Anonymous said...

dear all//so much was said and done to break the backbone of kinijit .the chief architect for all this misery, money laundering ,alignment with eprp and formation of kic and struggling to destroy kil and the elites serving it is for personal glamour and shumet at the expense of the ethiopian people ,our leaders and supporters .the heavy weight playing behind the scene is solomo bekele .he should go public as he owes the diaspora and the ethiopian people an appology .he should go into the histry books for all to look back and say who was who.he has been finacing the two wolewolda shimagiles and woyane agents to do what they were not supposed to do.shame on them too.hailu shawel is a victim of shaleka and solomon -one for few .what is the question .it was a cover up-the money issue and that was the problem .soloman is a strong man with a capacity to corrupt anyone for his own benfit .he has no religion and conviction and all we saw of him in the past has been a mirrage in a desert.hailu has made a plunder and wonder how he can manage the the future .he has become convining ly weak probably dubbed by these bad boys ,he writes what they want him to write and talks their language .i love him but hate himas he cannot be the the law and wishes of the ethiopian people .because he has done a lot in those hard days he can head to the podium and ask an appology for his mistakes and we are all ready to bless him to his rightful chair as long as he kills the kic and disbans these bad boys and return the money to ethiopia,s kinijit and our leaders.s.he should also believe that he is also indispensable .

Anonymous said...

We are all dipensable, THANKS GOD. No one is indispensable, AMEN.

SWDU

Anonymous said...

According to EMF, Hailu Shawel will be in DC Thursday.

Anonymous said...

To the above Annon at 7:25AM(NOT PM:

"Abo" go and f**k yourself. As far as I am concerned, Andargachew and Brehane Mewa have done their best to preserve the spirit of KINIJIT!

Anonymous said...

Some of the commentators on this blog seem to think they are all-powerful. They imagine that they are the movers and shakers of Kinijit. They seem to ignore the fact that it is the Ethiopian people who have the right to choose their leaders and the Ethiopian people have made their choice and their choice is certainly not the Andargachew group. Andargachew’s cadres are crowding the space on this blog. These cadres don’t even possess competency in the English language to enable them to write coherently and intelligently. Their message is similar to those put out by Meles’ cadres. No wonder they idolize him. My advice to them is to go to school instead of dabbling in something beyond their capacity.

Anonymous said...

Thanks EZ. Hailu doesn't have the moral competence to talk about securing the release of prisoners or getting the party registered. HE NEVER BOTHERED TO LIFT HIS FINGER TO GET THE PRISONERS RELEASED OR TO GET THE PARTY REGISTERED EVER SINCE HE CAME OUT OF JAIL. Now he tries to lecture us on these issues? In fact, all the time he was just obstructing the activities of the party, rather than doing anything worthwhile. He better get the message: nobody is indispensable. kinijit is not about individuals. IT is about principles and values of democracy. It is time to show zero tolerance for kinijit leaders who do not respect the decision of the majority.

Anonymous said...

Eng. Hailu amazes me. Why did he apply for visa if he didn't plan to travel to the States as he says? Isn't it funny that the Shaleqa group laments on the denial of visa to Hailu and at the same time blames the other leaders for going to the US? There is no need to cry over the delay of the visa. Afterall, Hailu plans to stay in Ethiopia ...kkkkk..what a farse!

Anonymous said...

I think it is about time we ask Kinijit to refund our donations or to give it to the Children's Heart Centre being built in Addis. Kinijit is finished.
Azmatch

Anonymous said...

AWAJ, AWAJ !!

A large majority of Ethiopians both in Ethiopia and the US are overjoyed by the release of the Kinijit leadership and are most grateful for the great sacrifices they have made on behalf of the Ethiopian people. The Kinijit leaders, their members and supporters have paid a high price to bring democracy to Ethiopia. During the 20 months of incarceration, the leaders had the time to reflect on the aspirations of the Ethiopian people and to prioritize their goals and principles accordingly. The Derg had decimated Ethiopia’s social and economic fabric, whereas EPRDF has denuded the Ethiopian national fabric. The task of bringing about unity, democracy and development to a deserving people cannot be attained by a divided Party and Leadership. The time has come to put aside minor misunderstandings, and take action making the Kinijit Manifesto a reality. We, the supporters of Kinijit, have waited for our leaders with great expectations. We have been moved by their speeches in appreciation of the Diaspora’s meager support activities, however, compared to the great sacrifices the Ethiopian people have paid, ours is of no consequence. The leaders of Kinijit have the responsibility to stay together at any cost to defeat Meles and to form a government of the people. If they are not able to do this, they will be condemning the country to the wiles of ruthless dictators and forfeit the future of succeeding generations. Prior to the May 2005 election, I heard one of the leaders say that he is in the struggle for his and his children’s freedom. This statement is a promise to his children and to all the children of Ethiopia. It is important for Kinijit leaders not to lose this historical opportunity to bring about democracy to a people who hunger for democracy and whose aspirations have been dashed time and again. The ANC of South Africa struggled for many years against all odds. Their success in overthrowing the Apartheid regime emanated from their ability to draw on the strength of each committee member. Division was out of the question for them. This writer does not claim to have more wisdom, than the leaders, however, those in the diaspora responsible for creating a division have muddied the waters and are ready to hand over the prize to Meles. The leaders of Kinijit should be aware that the Lidetu syndrome is not a rare phenomenon, it crops up often within a successful movement. It will be a sad day for all stake holders, if the leaders were to succumb to those who are working tirelessly to split the Party.
May God be on the side of Ethiopia and her Children!

Anonymous said...

Our leader are here

Welcome to the land of the free and home of the Brave. Where your rights are protected under the constitution.
This is the time to unite kinijit and establish a viable political party in Ethiopia. While there is still a lot to be done, we have come a long way.
Solving past problems and taking responsibility should be your priority among the many issues that will be discussed in the diaspora. I pray for your success.

God Bless Ethiopia.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Ez for the interview.
Eng Gizachew used to be a member of EDP, then joined AAPO. Now it seems he is in favor of the Kestedemena Group. Good for him. The only thing I didn't like in him was when he lied publicly that 75,000 signatures were collected from Lideta Woreda residents against Lidetu.

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:01 The sad thing is you are the farse my dear friend since you do not seem to understand the big picture and what is taking place, you are so caught in parochial politics that you have not allowed your tiny mind to think and see what is really taking place.

Why is all your stupidity blamed on the Shalequa - He seems to have ignored you guys and does not seem to be peturebed by you. Yet everything that you guys seem to fail in is blamed on him, some of us are wondering what is going on. Since I live in Europe I do not know much about the Shalequa but the more you pump him as evil and corupt you are exposing yourselves since you do not seem have the fact to back it out.

Please let us all enjoy the arrival of the delegates and await the coming of our Chairman. Lets us help them focus on what is needed to be done to save the country and its people and stop this foolishness of this group and that group.

Anonymous said...

To the Anon @1:56AM You say that Hailu does not have the moral competence - may I ask you what or who gave you the moral authority to question his competence? He has proven himself by building a grassroots organization that goes from north to south east to west. He was elected by his constituents, and then by the Party to lead them as the Chairman. Basically if you think his incompetant then you have to also belive the people who voted him in as incompetent. You cannot have it one way and not the other.
Could you tell us what you have done or what qualifies you to come up with such a statment? Or is that what Andy is saying and you as a lapdog are repeating. Democracy is about tolerance yet you talk about zero tolerance??? You seem to be talking about the same kind of Democracy as Melese's
I think he calls it revolutionary democracy and your buddy talks about collective leadership both terminologies seem to be coming from the same thinking, since both terminolgies do not exist in any other political theory oooh Watch Out....

Anonymous said...

WHAT ARE YOU GUYS(DIASPORADO) SHOUTING FOR???..THE CUD HAS NO LEGAL BASIS IN ETHIOPIA!!.."MIN TEYZO GUZO.."...OR ARE YOU GUYS GOING TO BEGIN ARMING STRUGGLE....KIKIKIKKIKIIKK......THIS WILL TAKE YOU CENTURIES.....JUST KIDDING!

Anonymous said...

Hailu Shawel need to step down to give way to younger more energetic leaders. He has done enough for struggle but with his health problem his age, it would be safer for the struggle if the party get a leader that the struggle demands. The struggle ahead is not goint to be easy.

Anonymous said...

I think I touched a chord in EZ's psyche, because he erased my comments and 5 other comments which were already posted on this site, as the comments were in support of Ato Hailu Shawel. Please don't erase this time.

EZ, why don’t you call a Spade a ‘Spade’, instead of going around in circles? You must be a TPLF supporter in disguise. We all know whose side you are on – the opportunist Andy who changes Parties like his shirt, and Mewa, the sly master of intrigues!

Gizachew’s interview with EZ appears to be delivering a veiled message from the recently arrived Kinijit delegation to the Diaspora. EZ’s slogan that “no one is indispensable” seems to be directed at Eng. Hailu Shawel and that the rest of the leaders are indispensable. Well, I have news for you. It will be the Ethiopian people’s prerogative to decide who goes and who stays and not individuals whether they be Party members or otherwise.

What a shame, many of us had such an admiration for Berhanu Nega, but now we have come to realize that it was him who was orchestrating the debacle among Kinijit supporters from Kality. When he was saying that he is in the struggle for the liberty of his children and for himself, we did not realize that he meant it literally. Berhanu’s principles have been compromised and one wonders if he really has the aspirations of the Ethiopian people at heart. He is trading the worthy sacrifices he paid for a power grab. Gizachew, the mouthpiece, also indicates that one of their principles is not to be confrontational towards TPLF. I presume he means that the 8 point preconditions presented to TPLF negotiators as a prerequisite to enter Parliament were confrontational. Apparently, Eng. Hailu Shawel’s transgression is that he carried out the will of the Ethiopian people and of the Diaspora, who asked the Leadership not to enter the fake Ethiopian Parliament. (Here, let me remind those with memory lapses that after the elections, in a meeting held in the Expo Hall, thousands of Kinijit supporters had asked the Leadership not to enter Parliament).

It is clear that the US does not want Kinijit to be confrontational towards TPLF.
The Ethiopian people do not need leaders that have been cloned by the CIA and TPLF or anyone imposed by a foreign government. Remember the last time that happened? NEVER, NEVER AGAIN !

Anonymous said...

Meles, in one of his interview this year, said that he had enough as far as power is concerned for himself. But, he stated that he would want his party? TPLF rule at least for the next 50 years.
Mind you! He has the most powerful military in the horn of Africa, he has the best security apparatus in Africa, he has the best spy network all over the World, he has the best political cadres all over the World, his DLA Piper- one of the giant lobbying firm in America- paid $50000 a month to do his bidding, and he has the US as an ally on war on terrorism.
Given those facts, Meles has very little incentive to share or relinquish power with what so ever group it may be. The only option the opposition has is to work in unison as one person in its struggle for democratization and the rule of law in the country. While such is the fact why are some people so ignorant to serve the wishes of TPLF by trying to play a destructive role such as dividing the opposition in general and the CUDP in particular. For the struggle to succeed not only can every body be included but also encouraged to contribute whatever one can in any shape or form. Let alone giving importance to differences between members of CUDP, we even should not focus on differences among the various political groups. The best policy to adopt is to struggle together to fight together to die together and eliminate tyranny from the land of Ethiopia once for all. After wards, all political groups can freely compete and promote their programs. They can show to the people how one’s program is different or better from the others and try to win the free will of the people. I can’t imagine that Ethiopians will accept any more tyrant after Meles/TPLF.
Never and Never talk about Hailu Shawel and Birhanu Nega. By doing so we will be serving Meles for free.