Ethiopia’s Opposition alliance gears up for election

June 22nd, 2009 | EthioPolitics.com |

By Kirubel Tadesse, Capital

The growing new opposition alliance, Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD), has finalized preparing an outline strategy for election 2010 and members are expected to endorse it shortly.

The forum was first initiated by United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), Somali Democratic Alliance Forces (SDAF), Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty (Arena) groups.

Also members are former ruling party senior officials, ex-president MP Dr. Negaso Gidada and former defence minister Seye Aberha.

The newest, high profile addition to the forum, Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ) secretary Asrat Tasie, said the 60 page strategy was finished after 28 exhaustive meetings.

The document is being scrutinised by UDJ’s three person technical team, who will check UDJ’s program against the forum’s platform, which is expected to be announced soon.

Speaking last Thursday, the first anniversary of UDJ’s establishment, party vice president Gizachew Shiferaw said it will participate fully in the upcoming election: “UDJ is an electoral party and we will participate since the establishment of a democratic and just system that will only come through free and fair elections is our ultimate goal.”

UDJ, founded primarily by former CUDP leadership, held its first founding congress on June 18, 2008 to elect the now jailed Birtukan Medksa as the first female chair of a political party. A year on, the party has opened 58 offices across the country and has approximately 40, 000 members.

“Our target was to open 117 offices, but we could only open 58 as the ruling’s party oppression, which started early at the founding congress, has worsened,” Gizachew explained.

The founding congress, scheduled for Saturday June 14 last year at Imperial Hotel, was banned after the police requested a licence. UDJ officials argued they did not need one since no indoor meetings are requested to do so by law. However, the congress was postponed to the following Wednesday. The party elected its officials and endorsed the strategy in a small gathering at its office.

The party had set an ambitious annual target of raising 7.8 million birr to execute various operations. However, now they believe they have only managed to realise 23 per cent of the target.

“Despite serious financial setbacks, mainly we suffered due to ever narrowing political sphere, the overall performance is 59 per cent, which shows that our members are mobilising with a higher commitment than ever,” Gizachew added.

In an effort to demonstrate the harassment UDJ says it is enduring throughout the country, MP Mekin Seid, a member of the party, spoke at the UDJ party’s press conference.

He explained four people from his constituency were harassed by the woreda leader after they were seen conferring with him. A member of the human rights council and a UDJ representative who went to report the issue are now behind bars serving sentences. According to them, it is a result of a dramatic fabrication of charges.

UDJ, which is marking the anniversary through various events today, says despite all of this it will continue the peaceful struggle.