ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (APA) – Cybercafés in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia are using the picture of US presidential candidate, Barack Obama, on their adverts to encourage Ethiopians to register for the 2009 US Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery or Green Card Lottery.
APA noted that a good number of internet cafes are using Obama’s photo on their front door banners to “encourage” customers to fill the 2009 DV lottery.
“I am using his photo to attract customers to fill the 2009 DV lottery because I know that he has many supporters here in Ethiopia,” Emebet Tesema, an internet cafe owner in Addis Ababa told APA.
According to her, at least 30 people fill the DV lottery form in her cafe per day.
“I believe his picture helps attract many customers. I support Obama even though I am not an American citizen and I can’t vote,” said Tesema.
Tesema was however unable to explain why she is supporting Obama.
Internet cafe owner Bekelu Leul also told APA that he is using Obama’s picture to “attract” customers to his internet cafe.
“Yes, my business got better since I started using Obama’s photo for advertisement,” said Leul.
However, both Leul and Tesema do not have any legal knowledge on the use of an individual’s picture for advertisement.
“We are here-in Addis Ababa-who will legally challenge us for using his photo?” both of them asked.
Over 15 million Ethiopians are expected to fill the 2009 DV lottery.
Many people are also wearing Obama T-shirts in the Ethiopian capital.
Democratic candidate Obama is of Kenyan origin.
The DV program is a US congressionally mandated lottery program for receiving a United States Permanent Resident Card.
The Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) makes available 50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States.