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For critics of this administration last Wednesday,
September 26, was their field day at the United
States (US) House of People’s Representatives. To
its supporters, nothing is alarming, but it is the
start of a diplomatic battle yet to be fought for
the years to come.
Nevertheless, the “Ethiopia Democracy and
Accountability Act of 2007”, popularly known as “HR
2003”, has entered a momentous phase last week,
after being unanimously voted for by 50 congressmen
and women in the Foreign Affairs Committee of the
House. It took four years to reach to where it was
last week, after Congressman Donald Payne (D-NJ)
first authored it four years ago. Congressman Payne
is also chair of the Africa and Global Health
Subcommittee of the House, where the “HR 2003” bill
languished for the first two years.
“It has just been frustrating time after time that
every time we come up with this bill there is some
technical thing that just does not suit an
individual,” Payne said, responding to congressmen
who unsuccessfully had wanted an amendment to
include the reinstitution of properties to
Ethiopian-Americans. He was also defending criticism
that the Ethiopian government’s lobbying effort has
succeeded in “watering down” the bill.
Payne authored the bill following the May 2005
electoral violence that led to the deaths of at
least 190 people and seven policemen as well as the
arrest of tens of thousands, including leaders of
the CUD.
"I was dismayed to learn of the hundreds of people
killed and the thousands arrested as they attempted
to exercise their right to protest the outcome of
the May 2005 elections in Ethiopia," he said at a
hearing on the bill in July 2007.
The bill calls for “the release of political
prisoners and prisoners of conscience, ensuring an
independent judiciary and free print and broadcast
media”, while it urges for the “punishment of
security personnel involved in unlawful killings”.
It was introduced to suspend American aid to
Ethiopia and would restrict the US’s security and
other assistances. It also imposes a visa ban on
Ethiopian officials allegedly involved in
authorising lethal force or accused of human rights
violations.
Great discretion, however, would be given to the US
President to gauge progress by the Ethiopian
government. If passed, the Bill will authorise 40
million dollars for the next two years to promote
human rights, democracy and economic development in
Ethiopia.
“I would point out to my colleagues that this
legislation attempts to free those political
prisoners and bring at least some measure, some
modicum of democracy, transparency and
accountability to the Ethiopian government,” said
Republican Congressman Chris Smith.
Shelia Jackson Lee (D-TX), one of the 85 House
members who cosponsored the Bill, is positive about
the assistance to local rights groups, development
of a support network for alleged torture victims as
well as training of private media outlets.
“We are going to assist the judiciary in Ethiopia by
exchanges between Ethiopian and US jurists, law
professors, law schools and students,” she was
quoted by VOA as saying.
After passing the Subcommittee last April 2007, a
scheduled mark-up in the full Foreign Affairs
Committee of the House in June 2007 was delayed
after the release of CUD leaders sentenced to life
in prison.
The sense of accomplishment felt by critics of the
EPRDF-led government and supporters of the bill
followed recent consultations by these released
opposition leaders in the US that met with
presidential hopeful Senator Barrack Obama (D-Ill.),
Representative Chris Smith (R-NJ) and Mr. Payne.
Their delight is not shared by all parties.
Ethiopia’s Ambassador to the US, Samuel Assefa
(PhD), chides the actions being taken by Congress.
“This legislation goes against the positive
relationship built-up between our two countries,”
Samuel told Fortune, on a telephone
interview. “It represents intermeddling by
misinformed members of Congress . . . in support of
a partisan Ethiopian political agenda.”
His office put out a press release immediately after
the passing of the bill by the House Foreign Affairs
Committee last Wednesday. It described the
Committee’s actions employing harsh words such as
“reckless”, “unconscionable” and “irresponsible”.
“The legislation would put in place sanctions
consistent with measures taken by the US only
against dictatorships it has identified as its worst
enemies around the world,” said the statement.
It recounted what it called recent positive
developments in Ethiopia “in creating a competitive,
pluralistic system of government and a more open
civil society”. It sees the bill as a partisan
agenda that would embolden those who seek
confrontation over dialogue and encourages politics
of extremism.
There is still a long road ahead for the legislation
to take effect. Last week’s development will send
the bill on to the full 435-member House before it
reaches the Senate members who must also debate,
approve it and send the legislation on to the
President for his signature. Only a two-thirds
majority could overrule the Executive’s rejection,
if the President maintains opposition to the Bill,
according to the customs of lawmaking in the US.
Ambassador Samuel is optimistic that last week’s
advance will be the last progress for “HR 2003”,
considering the heightened diplomatic relations
pursued by the Bush Administration which sees
Ethiopia as a crucial ally in the volatile Horn of
Africa.
“The legislation will not proceed any further,”
Ambassador Samuel told Fortune.
He seems to be banking on what he claims is the
support of the current administration in office that
“carefully considered opposition to the
legislation”.
The White House is not very enthusiastic about the
bill, according to a report by VOA, despite a
“provision giving the president authority to ignore
the ban on security assistances in the interest of
US national security”.
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