Ethiopian Election Petition

Wednesday, May 18, 2005

Dear Honorable Senator,

First, I would like to congratulate you in becoming the United States Senator, and representing my family  of who voted for you.  I do know that you have a very busy schedule, but a matter of urgency convinced me to write you this letter.

I humbly request you  to read it with patience, and I would like to let you know that I can be available to provide you with more details, and your congressional staff can call me any time. 

As we speak, there is a democratic event unfolding in the Horn of Africa Country, Ethiopia.  The people of Ethiopia for the first time in their history participated in a nation wide election, where opposition parties have been granted access to the election and to the media after a lot of international pressure, and domestic demand.  I appreciated that the current ruling party, which came in to power as rebel group, allowed the opposition parties to compete. However, its pre-election and post election actions are un-democratic and a clear indication of clinging to power at any cost.

As it has been witnessed by international observers, and the international and local media, the May 15^th Ethiopian election was by far peaceful despite the ruling party�s intimidation, killing, sabotage, and distributing pre-marked ballots. In spite of all this, it is believed now, the coalition of the opposition parties does have the majority seats to form the next government. This has been reported in the local, and international media based on the pre-certification tallies from polling stations that the votes have been fully counted.  However, the ruling party, and self appointed Prime Minister Melesse Zenawi, declared a state of emergency on the day of the election, banning peace full demonstrations for a month, and consolidating the police and security forces into his hand, even before many of the polling stations closed.  It reminded me of the episode in the movie Head of State � you are a government you can do what ever you want�.

To make matters worse the ruling party on Monday May 16^th announced using its monopolized state television that it has secured the majority of the votes to form the next government.  It was an act of dictatorship against the modalities that has been signed by all competing parties including the ruling party EPRDF. Their announcement was made without votes being fully counted, and there are places even the election has not taken place due to the early closing of polling stations and public resistance of vote tampering in favor of the ruling party.

This stunned the opposition parties, and most of all the Ethiopian people, voiceless for centuries, who had hoped that in this election their vote may count. The Ethiopian Election Board is not neutral. The head of the board and the majority of its members are EPRDF members.  Despite tampering, favor of the opposition in the Capital of the country, Addis Ababa, has been so overwhelming that the coalition won all seats to the federal parliament and the regional government. The same is expected throughout the country if votes will be counted with out intrigue, and fair elections held where they haven�t.

While, the massive fraud and atrocities executed by the cadres of the ruling party is yet to be investigated, the ruling party on Wednesday May 17^th requested a vote recount where it has lost.  This is a strategy of Prime Minister Melesse Zenawi to cling to power at any cost, since observation by the opposition parties, international and local observers will be in short supply.

What is at stake here?

What is at stake is the voice of over 70 million people represented by the 26 million eligible voters that stood on May 15^th from dawn to dusk casting their vote for the first in Ethiopia�s more than 3000 years history.  If the government tampers with the ballots to take away the election, it is surely a disaster to democracy, and the people of Ethiopia may rise up for an African version of the orange revolution.  I am afraid that this pro-Eritrean government will use it to instigate ethnic clashes, and Ethiopia may turn into a blood bath not by the people, but by the government forces.  Melesse Zenawi�s government is known for its brutality when it comes to power.  For that matter, this is a government which used combat level heavy weapons on university students during their peace full demonstration at Addis Ababa University in 1994.  Sadly, when the massacre was underway, the former UN Secretary General Boutros Boutros Galli was in Addis Ababa, who turned a blind eye to the atrocities.  In the same way the US Embassy in Addis Ababa, is also accountable.  I am now asking we don�t repeat that mistake again.

We the people of the United States of America, with a special place in our heart for Ethiopia, always gave in abundance to help for relief and development.  Through the US government, and other private and religious organizations, Americans invested billions of dollars in the last 14 years hoping the young Melesse may bring national unity, democracy, and prosperity after the communist regime was overthrown.  His own ill-conceived ethnic-federalization system resulted in the secession of Eritrea, with which he has strong ethnic ties being born to an Eritrean mother, which made the major country of 70 million landlocked. Later he ended up in a bloody war of 1998-2000 that bankrupted the country�s reserve, and spent over 4b dollars for arm purchase and 70,000 lives lost in the combat.  Surely, much of this money was diverted from the development aid of the generous people of the United States.

Peace and the rule of law are critical for Ethiopia as it is needed elsewhere. Ethiopia is located in a very strategic geo-political zone, and it is in the interest of the United Sates and all peace-loving nations to make sure Ethiopia will not become another Somalia.  Prime Minister Melesse Zenawi threatened in his pre-election hate speech that Ethiopia will become another Rwanda if EPRDF is not elected. His hate speech was condemned by EU observers.

Dear Senator,

I urge you to look into this matter very seriously, as Ethiopia may become a failed state if the ruling party tries to cling to power against the will of the people.  It is not an exaggeration.  The opposition parties notified the Ethiopian people to reverse their election if the government proved to be tampering with the ballots in the name of re-counting, which may lead to confrontation.

The Ethiopian people, unfortunately, do not have a government at this time that they can trust, except the United States of America.  As an American citizen, who cares for the oldest  Christian nation of Ethiopian, I am deeply disturbed by the current developments of this week, and the Carter Center�s continuous applaud of the ruling party as fair and honest.  As your constituency, I am asking you to encourage our State Department to closely follow up the re-counting of the ballots and the discrepancies of using the public media while opposition parties are denied access.  I am asking our diplomatic and bilateral influence fully applied to make sure the will of the people is respected.  And whether former or active, when a high level US official gives any comments in these kinds of complex situation it may favor the wrong party.   Although, the Carter Center does not represent the United States Government, the fact that Mr. Carter is an ex-president means a lot. We must play our power fairly and carefully.  I believe you will agree with me that we don�t have the luxury of making mistakes any more in the world where we are fighting terrorism.  The stability of the Horn of Africa is a priority, and Ethiopia is the corner stone for that part of the world.

I thank you very much for your time, and I look forward to hear from you.

Yours Sincerely,

Instructions:

1. Highlight the petition text in the box below by placing the curser at the beginning of the text and scrolling down to the bottom while holding down your left mouse button.

2. Click the COPY command in your browser's toolbar.

3. Look up your U.S. Senator's email address by clicking HERE. Choose a state under "Find Your Senators" and then click on your senator's email address to open a new email message or  online message form.

4. Use the PASTE command in your email program or web browser to paste the petition text into the new email or message box.

5. Scroll down to the bottom of the text  and type your Name and Address at the bottom. 

6. In the Subject line type "Ethiopian Election". (If using a web form, choose a topic in the drop down box such as "International Human Rights") 

7. Click SEND or SUBMIT.