Oct 26, 2005
Ethiopian Review

The Coalition for Unity & Democracy (CUD) is preparing for major peaceful actions to pressure the Meles regime to accept its demands. The Meles regime is expected to react with brute force, as it did during the June 6 peaceful protests by university students. Under the direct command of Meles Zenawi, troops gunned down 42 unarmed civilians in Addis Ababa alone. Thousands have been rounded up and tortured. When CUD makes a call for action in a few days, it could face similar reaction from the brutal regime. Is CUD prepared to overcome Meles Zenawi's murderous violence?

The Melees regime is currently intensifying its attack and harassment on CUD rank and file members. Thousands are being arrested and tortured through out the country. Next, Meles will try to do divide and weaken the CUD leadership by arresting those who take strong stand while approaching, through the American and European ambassadors, weaker members of the leadership for negotiation. This is what happened last June.

In order for CUD to protect itself from such an attack on its leaders and derail the struggle, the CUD Council needs to give the party's chairman temporary emergency powers. With the emergency powers, Ato Hailu Shawel will be able to make necessary decisions by himself in the name of CUD in the event that the executive committee members are not able to meet. No negotiation should be conducted if he is imprisoned, and he alone can sign on any agreement with the Meles regime. He will also have a veto power over the Executive Committee's decisions–only the 60-member council can override his veto. This is necessary to avoid the danger that some of the Executive Committee members may sign an agreement in the name of CUD under duress.

Currently, Ato Hailu is the most trusted political leader in the country. He proved himself to be a consistent and unflinching leader who will keep the promise he made to the people of Ethiopia that the Meles regime will not rule over them for five more years. Ato Hailu can deliver this promise only and only if he gets the full support of his colleagues in the CUD. Currently, that is not the case currently. He is not leading a united party. Giving him emergency powers will solve this problem until victory is achieved.

Every successful political movement needs a strong leader who is allowed to lead with the full support of his colleagues, particularly at times of extreme hardship. Ato Hailu is a strong leader, but since CUD is a new party that has just been transformed from a coalition of four parties, he has not solidified his leadership yet. The current political crisis will not let him. That's why he must be given temporary emergency powers by the 60-member CUD Council. This must be done as soon as possible, or else all the struggle for democracy in our country will suffer a disastrous setback.

In the mean time, the heavy-handedness by some of the Executive Committee members against the younger leaders in the party such as Ato Lidetu Ayalew must stop for the sake of the struggle. They need to be able to voice their concerns without being called divisive and other names. But ultimately, every one should be governed by the decision of the majority.

The attack by Meles on any of the CUD leadership must trigger automatic worldwide revolt by Ethiopians. The people of Ethiopia need to come out in massive numbers and rescue the leaders. Ethiopians abroad must shutdown Ethiopian embassies, consulates and any establishment that is associated with the Meles dictatorship.

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