Editor�s Note: 

Editor�s Note: The Article by Getachew Mequanent �My Turn on the Ethiopian Election Debate in the Diaspora� has several errors of fact and misrepresentation of views expressed by me in connection with the landlocking of Ethiopia. For example, the incident I wrote about Menilik II was offered by me as historical evidence how Ethiopian leaders have been selfish in their pursuit of power even to the determent of the national interest and not as a justification for the activities of Meles Zenawi in signing international agreements giving away Ethiopian territories and territorial waters. Nevertheless, the Peace Treaty of Paris of 1947 had rectified the mistake of Menilik II long ago. Menilik�s activity has nothing to do with what Meles Zenawi has done in alienating Ethiopian territory by writing to the United Nations in support of Eritrean independence without any precondition in 1993, and later signing the Algiers Agreement of 2000 whereby all of Ethiopia�s historic legitimate rights were preempted by long dead colonial treaties of 1900, 1902, and 1908. He has continued in his acceptance of the occupation by the government of �Eritrea,� Ethiopia�s historic territories in the Coastal Ethiopian Afar, Irob, and Kunama.

Meles Zenawi has done more harm to Ethiopia�s territorial integrity and sovereignty than all the Kings and Emperors of Ethiopia combined have ever done from the time this franchise we call Ethiopia came into being some three thousand years ago. Meles Zenawi has continued to compromise Ethiopia�s national security and national interest not only on questions of Ethiopian Afar Coastal territory and territorial waters on the Red Sea, but also in other Ethiopian interests in the waters of the Blue Nile River, Lake Tana, and other international rivers where Ethiopia is the originating nation.

I also disagree on Getachew Mequanent�s assessment of the role played by Professor Getatchew Haile in the struggle for democratic Ethiopia as part of the Diaspora. As far as I am concerned, Professor Getatchew Haile is one of Ethiopia�s greatest scholars and a fully committed patriot to a fault. There can be no comparison with Meles Zenawi and his deviousness in betraying Ethiopia�s vital national interest and the patriotism of Getatchew Haile. Even though Professor Getatchew in his last speech, as the voice of the Diaspora, should have been careful with a couple of lines that could be interpreted as divisive, no one should question his patriotism and love for Ethiopia. Yes, he did make references in statements, which is old history after almost ten years, about some allusion to �colonialist� occupation by the TPLF of the rest of Ethiopia in 1991. Since then, we all have come a long way, where issues are far clearer now than the murky and confusing period of the Transitional Ethiopian Government of the early 1990s.

We need be careful when we criticize individuals whether in the Diaspora or in the neck-to-neck struggle with a brutal regime in Addis Ababa, that we do not go overboard and end up defending a treasonous and violent leader like Meles Zenawi. We need not search far for examples to see how callous and brutal Meles is: consider how he butchered no less than forty innocent individuals, some of whom bystanders who had nothing to do with the peaceful demonstration underway, who were attacked by his military and security thugs June 6-7 of 2005, and the detention and brutalization of thousands of individuals including University students. With such dismal record, who could, in all honesty, defend the actions of Meles Zenawi. My criticism and statements against some Opposition members does not mean support for Meles Zenawi. When I offer my criticism, it should be read in context and limited to the issue under discussion. There is a sad tendency of a number of Ethiopian readers and website visitors to jump onto a generalized conclusions based on specific incidents. We must be careful not to read more in a statement that is of limited scope.

 The best thing for Ethiopia is for the EPRDF to expel Meles Zenawi from its ranks and start working with the Opposition. As long as Meles Zenawi is in the picture, Ethiopia will never see peace, security, nor economic development. On the Opposition side, it too should purge individuals like Negede Gobeze and others who were in high profile leadership position in their respective political parties and who had directly or indirectly caused the murder and torture, or extended detention of Ethiopians during the period starting in September of 1976 to date. The same standard should be used also concerning Mengistu�s military commanders, high-ranking government officials, and WPE party high-ranking leaders et cetera. My advice to all involved in shaping the political future of Ethiopia is to stop looking at each other as enemies who to be liquidated and marginalized. We are at a historic point in our political development; thus, we ought to use this opportunity for great changes in both attitude and belief. To paraphrase the great parable of the Christ, we should not put new wine in old bottles. TH