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On
the Eve of Ethiopia's 2005 Elections
In
a few days, elections for the House of Peoples’ Representatives and
Regional State Councils are planned to be conducted in Ethiopia. Whether
these elections will be free and fair is bound to be seen. However, the
fact that this election is a pivotal point for the future direction of the
Oromo people, in particular, and Ethiopia, in general, is well acknowledged
by all those who have been closely following political developments in
Ethiopia.
The
alignment of political forces in the politically-troubled Ethiopia can be
seen in the smokescreen of their rhetoric. In some aspects, the political
atmosphere in Ethiopia today seems to be similar to what it was in the
aftermath of the fall of the Haile Selassie regime. In addition, many of
the political actors of today include those who were active back then.
Their incriminations and recriminations, already in the air, as well as
some show of a semblance of democracy in the form of public demonstrations
are reminiscent of the early days of the Derg. Their smokescreens seem to
be in four different kinds ... Read
the Full Article @ Voice Finfinne
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