Of recent, when all the tail wagging to lure the Obama administration and the western democracies did not buy him any sympathy from them, dictator Meles is now openly expressing his contempt for democracy and multiparty election, as the subsequent writings of Adal Isaw of Aiga Forum (non other than Meles himself) reveal. In his most recent statement, “A Challenge to Election Observers”, Meles is questioning election observers why should they focus on freeness and fairness of an election and presenting China as a country that did not hold an election for 60 years but has become a world economic power as a success case study.
Mind you, it is this mad dog who is pretending to hold an election, but at the same time who is advocating that focus should not be made on freeness and fairness of the election process. From his statements the election outcome is already determined and Meles’ TPLF is presumed the winner and there will not be transfer of power. In this scenario, why in the hell should “election observers” be invited to Ethiopia in the first place? It is reported that close to 150 million Ethiopian Birr is allocated for the “2010 election”. In a country where more than 14 million people are starving, why should the mad dog be allowed to waste this sum of money for a fake “election”?
Meles is suggesting to the US and the West that he will shift his wagon to China and Russia, if in anyway they try to influence the democratic process in Ethiopia, in the pretext of sovereignty. He is also trying to warn the US and the West that the Horn of Africa will descend into havoc without him being recognized as the regional police.
The US and the West have intervened in the aftermath of rigged elections and subsequent mass detentions and killings in Kenya and Zimbabwe, and recently condemned the brutal killings of civilians in Gineau-Conakry, and asked the military dictator to step down. The blood of Ethiopians is no thinner than any other African, and Ethiopians also deserve an equal treatment from the US and the West in the face of brutal dictatorship that is undermining their future.
It is time for the US and the West to give an ultimatum to Meles to make the upcoming “2010 election” real using their leverage. The US and the West are the major financiers of development aid in Ethiopia and have real power to influence the democratic process for the benefit of the Ethiopian people and the stability of the Horn of Africa region.
Meles is just moving into Somalia in full force to distract international attention away from the election issues. Inciting conflict within and without is his best strategy to cling on power. He should be stopped by all concerned!!! And the time is now!!!
