The decision of two ex-officials of the Zenawi regime to join the opposition party – Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) – has taken many by surprise. The surprise mainly arises from the implied total abandonment by the ex-officials of the right of nations to self-determination that UDJ does not accept as a matter of principle.
Here’s a news roundup …

Ethiopian ex-president, ex-minister join opposition
Barry Malone | Reuters

Dr. Negasso Gidada calls for unity of Ethiopia while Mr. Seye Abraha vows to make the release of political prisoners a top campaign priority.

The UDJ is part of an eight-party coalition called Medrek, or the Forum, that most Ethiopians view as the most significant threat to the government at the ballot box. The UDJ’s leader Birtukan Mideksa, 36, has been in prison since last December.

“Our joining the UDJ sends a signal that we have to work hard for the unity of the country and the Ethiopian people,” Negaso told Reuters, adding that if Ethiopian political parties were not ethnically diverse then the country could split … READ MORE.

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Ex-Ethiopia President Negasso Gidada joins opposition (BBC)

BBC reported that Dr. Gidada’s role as president was largely symbolic. Some may ask if Dr. Gidada’s role as a new member of UDJ is symbolic – all over again?

The BBC’s Uduak Amimo in Addis Ababa says the two defections are a significant symbol of opposition to the government.

But she says the UDJ and its allies are unlikely to overhaul the governing party in next year’s election.

Mr Negasso, whose role as president was largely symbolic, is said to be a popular politician … READ MORE.

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Former Top Ethiopian Officials Join Jailed Opposition Leader’s Party
Peter Heinlein | VOA News

Dr. Negasso Gidada apologized to the Ethiopian people for lying during his tenure as president; it is to be noted that in 2007 Dr. Gidada grabbed the headlines when he took the responsibility, individually and collectively as a government, for the abuses and executions of thousands of Oromo civilians during his presidency. Similarly, Zenawi’s strongman during the violent crackdown on Oromo during the 1990’s had been Mr. Seye Abraha, who served as the Minister of Defense in the early 1990’s; once he came out of prison in 2007, he regretfully declared that the “prison speaks Afan Oromo,” attesting that the overwhelming number of political prisoners languishing in Zenawi’s prisons belonged to the Oromo nation.

Ethiopia’s political balance shifted when the country’s former president, Negasso Gidada, and former defense minister, Siye Abraha, joined the Unity for Democracy and Justice, or UDJ. It is considered the main party to emerge from the breakup of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, or CUD, that won nearly 200 parliamentary seats in the disputed 2005 elections.

Both Siye and Mr. Negasso described Mr. Meles as an authoritarian ruler who is intent on establishing a one-party state. In a speech to the UDJ leadership on Thursday, Mr. Negasso apologized to the Ethiopian people for his actions as president, saying he had lied in speeches in which he claimed the process of drafting the country’s constitution had been democratic … READ MORE.

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Ato Seye and Dr Negasso Joins UDJ! Shuns ARENA and ONC/OFDM (AigaForum)

The ruling party website, AigaForum, criticized the Ex-officials for not joining ARENA and ONC/OFDM. However, both ARENA and ONC/OFDM, together with UDJ, are members of the major opposition coalition in Ethiopia – the Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD)/Medrek. What’s interesting here is that AigaForum reminds its readers of the link between Mr. Seye Abraha and EFFORT, the ruling party conglomerate once headed by Mr. Abraha. EFFORT is owned by the ruling party (TPLF) and dominates almost every sector of Ethiopia’s economy using TPLF’s political and military powers in the country. Who would have thought AigaForum would call out Mr. Abraha’s link to EFFORT as a political liability? AigaForum’s desperate attempt to deflect the blows from the Ex-officials’ move has been weak; however, Prime Minister Machiavelli’s next move is never to be underestimated; after all, he is in power by executing his opponents – from Shewit in the mid-1980’s during his rebel years to the thousands during his reign since 1991 – the use of deadly force to secure his grip on power is not excluded from the Prime Minister’s next move.

MEDREK, the coalition, is formed to fill the gap the now defunct coalition “kinjit” used to hold. Kinjit was hailed and promoted as “biggest opposition” in Ethiopia by many western newspapers during election 2005. Similarly Medrek is being touted as the next “big opposition” by their handlers. Out of the blue Ato Seye and Dr Negasso joining UDJ is considered a big blow to the Governing party EPRDF!This after Seye and Negasso left the party some eight years ago! … READ MORE.

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Seye Abraha, Negasso Gidada join UDJ (Ethiopian Review)
Before joining UDJ, Seye had already become an influencial figure behind the party. He has brought with him his supporters and disgruntled members of the ruling Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) to UDJ. Now that he is officially a member, he is the de facto leader of the party. Thus the stage is set for a face off between Woyanne + AEUP vs. Woyanne + UDJ/Medrek. This is not a real choice for the people of Ethiopia.

No one takes former fake president Negasso Gidada seriously, despite BBC’s report that he is a popular figure. He is popular only among comedians … READ MORE.

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A Brilliant Move By Siye, Negasso, And Ethiopia’s UDJ
Dessalegn Asfaw | EthioPolitics.com

EthioPolitics.com also asked ‘Groundbreaking move in Ethiopian Politics?’

What Siye, Negasso, and the UDJ have demonstrated by their actions is that they not only understand this reality, but that they are really committed to unity for democracy. Remember that they will all be criticized for their move – Siye and Negasso for joining a party that believes in reforming federalism away from being purely ethnic-based, and the UDJ for accepted former members of the ruling regime and former die-hard ethnic federalists. All three may lose some of their constituents as a result. But they are showing that they are ready lose a little in the short run in exchange for future gain. They are showing a farsightedness much needed in Ethiopian politics … READ MORE.