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Dear Editors,
In your editorial of last week, “Why Rule of Law is
More Important than Fighting Poverty” [Volume 8,
Number 386, September 23, 2007], you said that the
present government has started “uncharacteristically
preaching inclusiveness and togetherness” on key
national issues.
I
welcome the move provided that it goes beyond
rhetoric.
Nevertheless, I find it hard to believe this
government would walk the talk. My observation of
the Revolutionary Democrats, as your newspaper would
like to refer to Meles and company, does not
convince me that there will be a change in
direction. All the talk by the ruling party of a new
initiative is meant to create a facade and hoodwink
public opinion.
Just refer to recent human rights violations
reported by the Ethiopian Human Rights Council (EHRCO).
These reports are replete with extra judicial
killings, illegal detentions, imprisonments,
property destructions and seizures by government
cadres. The judicial system is far from independent.
When it attempts to be neutral, it is crippled by
the executive branch.
Young Ethiopians have certainly enjoyed the
Millennium festivities; food and drinks served free
of charge by the government. The EPRDF may therefore
believe that they would give in to its propaganda.
They would not. I make this assertion based on the
outcome of the election campaign directed at young
people in the run-up to the 2007 national elections.
The city government built thousands of kiosks and
distributed them to young city dwellers to win their
hearts and minds. But they turned out voting for the
Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), and not to
their benefactors.
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