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VIEWPOINT
I was listening and being amused by the repeated false reports and virulent criticisms directed at the Ethiopians' Democratic Party (EDP) by EPRP's Hibret Radio and its accomplices, Netsanet Radio, as well as "Kokeb" and "Hawaria" newspapers. I'm not amused any more because now their campaign is endangering the lives of the EDP members and leaders.
By broadcasting false reports about division inside the EDP leadership, these EPRP-affiliated radio programs and newspapers are giving a political cover for the TPLF death squads to assassinate EDP leaders and blame the crime on the alleged division inside the EDP. The EPRP propaganda campaign has created an atmosphere for the TPLF to commit a perfect crime against the EDP leaders. That's why every EDP supporter, and any one who wants to see a positive political development in our country where politically motivated murder doesn't exist any more, should be deeply concerned by the assassination attempt on EDP's Head of Organizational Affairs, Ato Tamrat Tarekegn. There is no doubt that the attempted murder of Tamrat, a key individual inside the EDP leadership, is the work of TPLF agents. EPRP's propaganda undoubtely contributed to this crime by creating an atmosphere where the TPLF assassins would feel free to carry out their crime and blame it on the alleged friction inside EDP.
The EPRP propaganda arms are waging an all out campaign of disinformation with the aim of derailing EDP's effort to bring about a positive political change in our country by trying to create suspicions and doubts in the minds of potential supporters and members. One of their accusations was that EDP is unwilling to participate in the "all-party conference" that's currently being organized. Every city the EDP leaders were visiting, known EPRP members would make the same false accusations over and over again.
Finally, at a meeting in Washington DC with organizers of the "All-Party Conference" in early August, the EPRP representative, Ato Fasika Belete, who serves as secretary of the organizing committee, was forced to admit that proper invitation was not sent to EDP and that EDP at no time refused to participate in the conference. The strategy to portray EDP as anti-unity thus failed.
EDP went further than just expressing a willingness to participate in the "All Party Conference." Two weeks ago, the EDP chairman wrote a letter to the All Party Conference Organizing Committee asking if EDP representatives can participate in the Aug. 18 public meeting in Washington DC with Drs. Beyene Petros and Merera Gudina. Guess what the secretary of the Organizing Committee's response was. He said "NO." The secretary, who is the chief representative of EPRP in Washington DC, said that EDP cannot join SEPDC and ONC in the same forum. He made this decision without even consulting the other members of the committee, as I found out later. As the main sponsor of the All Party Conference, EPRP rejected the EDP chairman's request to join the leaders of SEPDC and ONC in a public forum in Washington DC this coming Sunday. What does this tell you? I now believe that the so-called "All-Party Conference" is an EPRP Trojan Horse intended to retard, if not attack and kill, EDP's movement.
Desperate that their tactic is not working, EPRP "strategists" are resorting to more lies and blatantly false stories, such as the report about the beating up and firing of EDP's executive secretary "for leaking information about power sharing negotiations between TPLF and EDP." I could not belive my ears when EPRP's Hibret Radio aired this completely false report a few weeks ago. They would not stop there! They then came up with another story about friction inside the EDP leadership. This time, to give credibility to their story, they reported as news the expulsion of a few rank and file EDP members, which happened several weeks ago.
Disciplining, and when necessary, expelling members who don't abide by an organization's rules is a routine administrative matter. EDP's vice chairman Dr Hailu Araya talked about this a while ago, so it's not news at all. Also note that none of those expelled is a member of the EDP leadership. The EPRP propaganda arms, now joined by the state-controlled TV and radio in Ethiopia, however, are reporting about this as if it was an earth-shaking story.
It is particularly laughable that the story is hyped by the EPRP, a political group with an unknown leadership. Can any body tell me who the chairman, the vice chairman, the secretary, the treasurer or other officials of EPRP are? It's a secretive, cult-like organization which should not qualify as a political party, to begin with, since it doesn't have a known leadership. It is members of this secretive organization with outdated political program who are trying to harass EDP leaders.
EDP is not the only target of EPRPites. They have negative emotional reaction towards any successful organization. Look how negatively they are reacting to AAPO's transformation into All Ethiopian Unity Organization, when most Ethiopians have welcomed the news as a very positive development and a defeat for the TPLF ethnic-apartheid system. One EPRPite called AAPO's decision, "self cannibalization." Where there is EPRP, there cannot be unity. Where ever there is EPRP, there cannot be progress. I believe that EPRP has done more than the TPLF did to hinder the struggle against the Meles anti-Ethiopia dictatorship.
(The article was written August 12 and posted today)
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