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They came to North America hoping to resolve the
bitter division among their supporters; Kinijit
International Leadership (KIL), led by Brehane Mewa,
and Kinijit International Council (KIC), led by Taye
W. Semayat (PhD), have been engaged in a political
dogfight over the past years, provoked mainly as a
result of the questionable spending of 1.2 million
dollars reportedly collected from CUD’s supporters
here.
Just a few weeks after their arrival in the United
States, the released leaders of the CUD are already
embroiled in the very dispute that has splintered
their support base in North America. What has caused
the schism is still unclear; and supporters in
Washington D.C. are still arguing over who among the
CUD’s fractured leadership is a power monger or a
visionary, a patriot or a thief.
The intensity of the intra-party fight was
underscored last Sunday, October 14 when the group
led by Hailu Shawel (Eng.) called a public meeting
at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington D.C., the
first such gathering to be held by his group since
he arrived here in September. His opponents, led by
Brehanu Nega (PhD), have had several town hall
meetings since then, and raised an estimated half a
million dollars.
Supporters in Washington D.C. have been the most
generous by far, contributing one-fifth of all the
funds that Brehanu’s group has raised in 10 cities.
This may explain Shawel’s group dedicated so much
time at the public meeting to fund raising.
Indeed, KIC wanted to muster its muscle, and tried
to bring as large crowd as it could. Not more than
half of the 1,800 seats inside the hotel meeting
hall down the basement were taken up, although those
who came were zealous supporters, demonstrating
their enthusiasm with songs, chants and slogans.
Witnesses told Fortune, however, that the
group in attendance was not half the size of the
crowd that turned up to listen to Brehanu and
comrades in mid-September.
The meeting in Renaissance Hotel began two hours
late from the originally scheduled time of 2:00p.m.,
while those gathered early were treated to a video
clip of Hailu’s speech from 2004. The tone of the
speech was confrontational, portraying the political
struggle as no different than a fight for freedom.
Several of those in the room wore T-shirts,
depicting Hailu’s portrait and a phrase, “You’re Our
Leader!”
Hailu was accompanied by politicians whose mere
presence was indicative of the intra-party conflict.
Bedru Adem and Nigist G. Hiwot, who were once
members of the Rainbow Coalition of Brehanu Nega,
flew from Addis Abeba a couple of days before the
meeting. Bezabeh Demissie (PhD) and Admassu Melaku
(Major) were also on the stage, although they
remained silent during the session. These two
individuals were sent by the jailed opposition
leaders to mediate among the troubled support base
in North America.
They were not alone: a revered bishop from
California, Aba Melketsadik, was brought to the
stage, while the influential businessman, Solomon
Bekele, tried hard to clutch as much money as he
could get from the gathering. Organisers reported
raising 121,000 dollars and 2,701 pounds from a
meeting that was, according to Taye, intended to
thank members of the Diaspora for their material and
moral support during the time the opposition leaders
were detained. It was also called to evaluate the
path the CUD has travelled in the past two years and
to discuss the future course of the party, according
to Taye.
Hailu, however, said very little with respect to
charting the future course of the CUD, the unity of
which remains so much in question, despite the
repeated declarations from the chairs that it will
remain undivided. If there was anything remarkable,
it was Hailu’s declared interest to work with the
United Ethiopian Democratic Party (UEDP) and his
desire to see the eight points his party had
demanded two years ago answered by the government.
Much of his speech was dedicated to the infighting
within his party, although he called it “in-house
fighting.” He described the move taken by his
adversaries within the party a “whistle and
selective” democracy, for it allegedly fails to be
inclusive and participatory. Only 19 of the 60 upper
council members voted on whether the released
leaders should travel to the U.S., for example.
“I bet this is not a democracy that come from
America,” he told a crowd that was chanting
non-stop, making the gathering seem more like an
evangelical mass. “Has it come from China? I don’t
know.”
Ironically, Hailu echoed Meles Zenawi’s comments
from back in the 1980s when the TPLF had a major
internal division during its armed struggle against
the Derg, which saw the departure of its military
commander, Aregawi Berhie.
“If there are those blocking the road, one choice is
to carry them on and move,” Hailu told his
supporters. “The other choice is to push them aside.
Which is better? We’re tired; we can no longer carry
anyone. When I say anyone, I mean anyone.”
He accused his adversaries of suffering from
martyr-syndrome, a voice earlier echoed by Bedru
Adem, who blamed the other group for its tendency in
using their time in prison like “a credit card.”
Nevertheless, the spending of huge amounts of funds
collected from the Diaspora is at the heart of the
dispute, according to some. It appears that that is
the reason behind the disclosure of an audit report,
detailing how a 310,017.15 dollars was spent
beginning August 2006. Those who presented the
report claimed financial documents about fundraising
and spending prior to that month are kept with
leaders of KIL, who they claimed have refused to
surrender.
Part of the accounted spending was, however,
reported to have been wired (73,000 dollars) back
home in order to support detainees’ families and
support CUD members who are now in exile. There is a
reported 12,713.82 dollars remaining in the account
of KIC, according to the audit report.
It hardly cleared up the suspicion and confusion
many in Washington D.C. area are into, a state of
mind shared by those at home. The more the leaders
from both sides of the divide talk about the source
of the infighting within the CUD leadership, the
more confused the crisis becomes.
Nonetheless, Hailu Shawel seems to be certain on
what he wants, echoing what he had said four years
ago that was replayed in the Sunday meeting.
“I can’t tell you when exactly,” Hailu told the
animated crowd. “But I assure you we shall be free.”
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