This week news program has focused on Ethiopian Election 2010 that includes short briefing from AEUP foreign relations head, Ato Yiacob Lieke, on the upcoming political parties debate. Next is a short commentary on ethical journalism that is followed by the weekly Weyeyet (Dialog) with featured guest, KAIAB Chairman, Dr. Taye W/Semayat. Discussion with KAIAB chairman started with emphasis on the momentous defamation campaign against AEUP right after the Party signed the recent political parties’ code of conduct (Senemegbar). Dialog continued on why some members of the diaspora lost the focus on the core principles of the struggle resorting to "junk politics," as the KAIAB chairman described it. Dr. Taye provided detailed elaboration on the matter relating it to current situation in Ethiopia and pointing to the danger these behaviours & actions create. The KAIAB chairman wrapped his interview with a message to the Diaspora.
ADDIS ABABA, Feb 6, 2010 (IPS) - Ethiopia is building a 240-metre high dam on the Omo River that is intended to end the country's electricity shortage and supply power to neighbouring countries. Not everyone's happy. The Gilgel Gibe III dam will hold back 14.7 million cubic metres of water. Its 1,870 MW generating capacity will be a significant boost for the Ethiopian Electric Power Company (EEPCO) which has plans to extend electricity supply within the country and export power to other countries in East Africa. A 1.7 billion dollar contract to build the dam has been awarded to Italian multinational Salini Costruttori SPA. But the project's critics have assembled a damning dossier of problems with it. Full Text
The US ambassador-designate to Ethiopia, Donald Booth, has said that his main priorities would be to push for free and fair elections in Ethiopia, to avoid a repeat of the 2005 post-election violence. The US ambassador-designate made a passionate plea for his confirmation to the position before a US Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, PANA reported here quoting a media advisory from the US Embassy in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. Ethiopian analysts feared that the absence of a top American diplomat ahead of the 23 May parliamentary elections, means the US would miss a chance to shape the future of elections in Ethiopia. Ethiopia's National Electoral Board says it has registered 22 million eligible voters for the elections. Full Text
Peter Bosshard, International Rivers, Policy Director - On Jan. 13, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Meles Zenawi inaugurated the Gilgel Gibe 2 scheme, the country's biggest hydropower project. "It is possible to speed up development without polluting the environment," Zenawi proudly declared as he cut the ceremonial ribbon. Yet this was wishful thinking. Due to shoddy preparation, the project had already been delayed by more than two years. And less than two weeks after the inauguration, the project's core component, a 26 kilometer-long tunnel, collapsed partly. Power generation had to be stopped for several months. Ethiopia's hydro sector demonstrates that there are not shortcuts to sound infrastructure development. Cutting corners does not "speed up development," but produces costly mistakes.Full Text
An estimated 400 Chinese employees on strike for the past two weeks at the Mesebo cement factory in Mekelle charge some have suffered physical injuries in clashes with company officials over wages. Ethiopian federal police have now placed tight security around Mesebo cement factory expansion being operated by Hafie Cement Research and Design Institute and the subcontractor, Jention. Full Text
The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee held a confirmation hearing on Feb. 2. Booth expressed strong support for democracy, human rights and economic development in Ethiopia. He said that at ambassador he will press the Ethiopian government to create the conditions that are necessary for free and fair elections, including giving opposition politicians access to the media, and allowing international observers to monitor the campaign as well as the election process. He specifically called for the release of all political prisoners, including Birtukan Mideksa. Booth indicated a longstanding understanding of Ethiopia -- he has spent half his career working on Africa issues at the State Department.
Scientists and farmers are urging Ethiopia to reconsider a new biodiversity law they say restricts agricultural research and could hamper delivery of urgently needed food aid. The law has prompted foreign donors to cut off funding to Ethiopian scientific research institutions. Full Text
Program starts with News focused on AEUP activities and election 2010 that includes briefing from two AEUP executives, Ato Mamushet Amare and Ato Yiacob Lieke. It is followed by the weekly Weyeyet (Dialog) with featured guest, AEUP secretary and youth leader, Ato Mamushet Amare. Discussion started with Ato Mamushet answering to a question on his background on AEUP's struggle towards democracy that included his many years of imprisonment. The dialog then focused on the relation of the Ethiopian Youth with AEUP and in the formation process of AEUP Youth Council throughout Ethiopia. Next, Ato Mamushet elaborated in detail on the education provided at AEUP’s open air college to empower the youth in Ethiopia’s future. The dialog continued in which the party secretary went in depth to answer the question on the recently signed political parties’ election Code of Conduct (Senemegbar) also addressing in the process the issue with political prisoners. The program concluded with Ato Mamushet disclosing how many candidates the party will register for the parliamentary and local council sits, and AEUP’s expectation on the outcome. .
The key problem of the past as well as today’s is the lack of critical analysis the opposition leadership were offering then and now during the Woyane leadership. As a result we have ended up repeatedly with a more brutal and deceitful dictatorship replacing another dictatorship and this trend is expected to continue unless addressed in time. Many Ethiopians blame the so-called arm-chair analysts of which this author may be accused of being one. My honest intention is to contribute to a wider discussion that we can all, as Ethiopians, towards what is freedom for EVERY Ethiopians. There are answers to galvanizing our people towards and united front, but these answers require unshakable principle that WE ALL have to subscribe and commit to.
The big news of the past ten days is about the speech by engineer Hailu Shawel, President of the All Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP) in Addis Ababa on January 24th in which he outlined his ideas for a new government of Ethiopia. This new government would reverse the failed policies of the present regime and restore faith in an Ethiopian government by the Ethiopian people. In the speech Hailu Shawel detailed his peaceful program of change in Ethiopia. In a very coherent and detailed way Hailu Shawel placed his program before his fellow Ethiopians
