The United States
Congress made history in its support for democracy in Ethiopia when on June 27, 2006 a
bipartisan House International Relations Committee unanimously recommended the
passage of H.R.5680 (Ethiopia Freedom, Democracy and Human Rights Advancement
Act of 2006) to the Full House.I am
writing to kindly request your enthusiastic blessing of the
recommendation when it comes to the Full House for your vote.
Ethiopiawas expected to enter a new era when the United States
facilitated the leftist
guerilla group to takeover the old Marxist government at the London
Peace Conference in May 1991.Mr. Herman
Cohen, the Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs at the time, after
stating democracy as a US foreign policy objective, hadwarned the new rulers with
his famous words “No Democracy, No Aid” and encouraged them to hold
free and fair elections.
Today,
after 15 years, the Ethiopian people are still suffering under the yoke of one
of most brutal regimes in the world.Last year, Parade Magazine named the Ethiopian prime minister as one of
the ten worst dictators on the planet on account of
the political repression and persecution of the opposition parties.
For the people of Ethiopia,
the May 15, 2005 elections were a form of a referendum on Prime Minister
Meles Zenawi’s15 years of misrule.Since the so-called elections, over 88
peaceful demonstrators were killed by government troops; scores wounded; over
5000 opposition supporters, journalists, human rights activists, and leaders of
the opposition parties rounded up and detained.Thousands went into exile.
Ethiopia and Africa will remain basket cases as long as governments
are corrupt and are not held accountable for their
misbehavior either by their own people or by the international community.In spite of the absence of democracy, Ethiopia received
over $21 billion in
international aid over 15 years, yet political
repression intensified, per capita income declined, and the number of starving
Ethiopians increased. If Ethiopia is to dig herself out of
the current quagmire, there is no substitute for democracy and good
governance.Furthermore, the West will
have a stronger and more reliable ally with a leadership in Ethiopia whose legitimacy derives
from the ballot rather than the bullet.
Meles Zenawi’s regime that took over
power with the help of the State Department in 1991 is now
being sustained with the support of the Department of Defense under the
pretext of an alliance on counter-terrorism, with complete disregard to the
election results of May 15, 2005 where the opposition was the clear
winner.Wouldthe Congress of the United States see to it that
justice is done this time around?
As a staunch advocate of democracy, I call upon you to help usher in democracy in Ethiopia
by supporting H.R.5680 when it come for your vote.
The Ethiopian people have for a long time been struggling
to bring about democratic governance to their country, but the struggle has
been frustrated by a brutal and oppressive regime.This is why I appeal to you and to the US
Congress to give the people of Ethiopia
a moral support by endorsing H.R.5680.May
God bless you and the United
States.