ETHIOPIA: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH SENIOR ADVISOR

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 001558

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

AF FOR A/DAS REDDICK

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/05/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM ET
SUBJECT: ETHIOPIA: TOUR D'HORIZON WITH SENIOR ADVISOR
BEREKET

REF: ADDIS ABABA 1483

Classified By: DCM Janet Wilgus for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Prime Minister Meles' public relations and
political advisor Bereket Simon engaged in a relaxed tour
d'horizon with Charge May 30. Bereket told the Charge that
the GOE was focusing on economic development in the Somali
region and winning the support of the local population in a
military campaign against the ONLF. He said that political
dialogue with leaders from the UEDF and OFDM would soon turn
to revision of controversial rules of Parliamentary
procedure, and claimed that dialogue would soon begin with
parliamentarians from the reorganized CUDP. He also
discussed confrontations in the Oromiya region. Bereket
indicated that most regions would likely hold (delayed) local
elections in May 2007; he stated that the GOE was interested
in inviting Afrobarometer, a respected regional polling
organization, to conduct surveys in Ethiopia. Concerning the
ongoing trial of CUD leaders, Bereket said that the GOE
prosecution was trying to move quickly in presenting
evidence, but that judges were independent and decided, with
input from the defendants, how rapidly the proceedings could
move. Charge replied that the GOE's treason case so far
appeared weak and urged bail or parole for at least some
defendants. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Charge, accompanied by Pol/Econ Counselor, met May
30 with EPRDF spokesman and Meles advisor Bereket Simon to
discuss a range of political issues. The former Minister of
Information serves now as a public relations advisor with the
Minister. Among his duties is to represent the ruling party
in its ongoing dialogues with opposition parties.

SOMALI REGION: DESPERATE ONLF RESPONSIBLE FOR BOMBINGS
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3. (C) Bereket blamed recent bombings in Jijiga, capital of
Ethiopia's Somali Region, on the Ogaden National Liberation
Front (ONLF),which he claimed received support from the
Eritrean Government. He told the Charge that the bombings
reflect the current desperation of the ONLF, which is being
squeezed by more intensive political and development efforts
by the GOE in the Somali region, as well as the GOE's current
military campaign against the insurgents. Bereket alluded to
the difficult situation the GOE faced in the area, with some
local government officials failing to do their jobs well,
while the ONLF continued attacking humanitarian relief
convoys to drought-stricken regions. He explained that the
GOE had decided to take decisive military steps to get the
ONLF under control and to make room for constructive
politics. Bereket claimed that the swathe of territory
controlled by the ONLF was shrinking steadily, and that the
local population had been helpful of late in combating both
the ONLF and Al-Itihad (AIAI). He argued that while the ONLF
was more active and aggressive than AIAI, that organization
and the ONLF worked in similar ways, including the
infiltration of traditional, moderate religious institutions.


4. (C) The Charge reminded Bereket that the USG had pulled
back most of CJTF-HOA's civil affairs teams in response to
the latest GOE offensive against the ONLF. She said the
teams were eager to get back to work as soon as it was
possible to do so. She also recalled recent conversations
with ENDF Chief of Staff General Samora in which the latter
had revived old complaints about how CJTF-HOA operated in an
uncoordinated fashion in the Somali region. Bereket replied
that the U.S.-Ethiopian relationship was growing by the day,
and that such issues could surely be worked out. The Charge
reiterated that the USG wanted not only to enhance its own
image in the Ogaden region, but to help the GOE improve its
image as well through better addressing the needs of
communities. Progress in this direction would reduce the
space available for the ONLF.

CUDP TO JOIN POLITICAL DIALOGUES; RULES OF PARLIAMENT NEXT
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5. (C) Bereket volunteered that the GOE planned on starting a
dialogue with the re-established Coalition for Unity and
Democracy Party (CUDP) soon. He praised their statement
distancing themselves from the recently-formed Alliance for
Freedom and Democracy (AFD),a collection of Diaspora-based
opposition movements (septel). Bereket, the ruling party's
spokesman, added that the EPRDF had "learned a lot from this
election. Why go for 100 percent all the time?" He said

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that the CUDP's public statement had satisfied the EPRDF's
basic criteria in demonstrating that the CUDP was committed
to the constitution and to the peaceful democratic process.


6. (C) Concerning ongoing political dialogues themselves,
Bereket indicated that the next phase of talks would focus on
revisions to the Parliamentary rules of procedure. He
reiterated that the GOE found the comparative studies funded
by donors very useful and constructive, and planned to
implement many recommendations regardless of what opposition
parties said. Nonetheless, he hoped that the EPRDF and
opposition parties could reach consensus using the
comparative studies as a basis.


7. (C) Bereket said the ruling party wished that it could
engage in a single dialogue with all opposition parties so as
to reach a single agreement on upcoming issues, like the
rules of procedure as well as the media and the National
Electoral Board (NEB). It was unfortunate, he added, that
opposition leaders were in some cases focused on issues of
status, each wanting to take the lead in negotiations with
the EPRDF. He noted that UEDF Chairman Beyene Petros
remained reluctant to join with the CUDP in a common
dialogue. Bereket asked the Charge to speak with party
leaders about unifying the distinct dialogues -- one of which
had also begun with UEDP-Medhin leader Lidetu Ayalew -- so
facilitate more rapid progress. The Charge agreed to take
the matter up with opposition leaders.


8. (C) The Charge raised the issue of political funding,
including potential capacity-building assistance from donors
to parties. She underscored the parties' need to
re-establish offices, since some, like the CUDP and Merera
Gudina's Oromo National Congress, had not been able to use
their offices since November. Bereket pointed out the direct
foreign contributions to political parties were illegal under
the Constitution, but said there were ways to channel
assistance legally, such as through the NEB. He recommended
training and office equipment over cash. The Charge
emphasized the potential benefits of providing state funding
for political parties as a way to limit the influence of the
Diaspora in domestic politics.

LOCAL ELECTIONS LIKELY IN MAY 2007; POLLING WELCOME
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9. (C) Bereket said that the EPRDF was thinking in terms of
scheduling local elections in most regions for May 2007. He
also mentioned a recent Afrobarometer poll conducted in a
range of African countries. The results had shown that
citizens were disappointed and frustrated by democracy in
many places because it had not effectively addressed their
basic concerns. He also said the results demonstrated that
their was no "cookie-cutter approach" to economic reform;
countries had to adapt successful policies from other places
to their own local realities. Bereket added that the EPRDF
was very comfortable with the work that Afrobarometer did and
was open to the inclusion of Ethiopia in the firm's periodic
surveys, which currently covered around 20 African countries.
(Comment: Post also met with Afrobarometer during the
firm's recent visit to Addis Ababa and intends to work with
other donors to support the establishment of sound, reliable
political polling in Ethiopia.)

MANAGING CONFLICT IN OROMIYA
--------------


10. (C) The Charge briefed Bereket on her recent trip to Ambo
in Oromiya region (reftel). She noted the tensions that had
been created by the fact that local officials continued to be
appointed by the EPRDF despite the ONC's resounding victory
around Ambo. Bereket replied that the EPRDF had lost in Ambo
but had won a clear majority at the regional level, giving
the ruling party the right to appoint all zone-level
officials. He noted that different regions had different
constitutional provisions in this regard due to differing
ethnic compositions and political realities.


11. (C) The Charge raised the case of 6 Oromiya regional MPs
elected by the ONC who had been imprisoned in connection with
violent protests. Bereket countered that the GOE had
evidence that some of the ONC MPs had visited Eritrea, had
used Eritrean media for propaganda and were suspected of
participation in a terrorist network. The Charge pointed out
that GOE prosecutors had apparently gone "judicial shopping"
with these cases, taking them to a new judge when a previous

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judge dismissed the charges.


12. (C) When pressed by Pol/Econ Counselor on the courts'
removal of legal recognition from Merera Gudina's ONC party,
Bereket replied that the EPRDF continued to deal
constructively with Merera in Parliament as the head of the
"largest faction" of the ONC. Nonetheless, he said, it was
up to the ONC's disparate factions, not the GOE, to solve the
party's current legal troubles.

TRIAL: CHARGE POINTS TO WEAK CASE SO FAR, NEED FOR PAROLE
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13. (C) Pol/Econ Counselor asked Bereket about prospects for
concluding rapidly the ongoing trial of CUD leaders,
including Chairman Hailu Shawel. The EPRDF spokesman claimed
that GOE prosecutors had indeed been trying to move more
quickly through the state's evidence, but that judges and
defendants had insisted on moving more slowly in some cases.
When asked about the potential for a three-month recess
during Ethiopia's rainy season, as per the usual judicial
calendar, Bereket suggested that perhaps the GOE would pay
judges and prosecutors supplemental wages to continue the
trial through the usual recess period.


14. (C) The Charge reiterated her appeal for humanitarian
parole for individual defendants, such as a pregnant woman in
the group. She also again suggested reducing charges to
allow for bail for the broader group. The Charge and
Pol/Econ Counselor both argued that international observers
had so far been unimpressed with the GOE's evidence of a
violent conspiracy organized by the defendants. Bereket took
the remarks on board but offered no substantive reply. The
Charge asked for continued, periodic access to CUD detainees
for herself and other key ambassadors, including the
Ambassadors' Donors Group Chair, French Ambassador Gompertz,
as well as EU Ambassador Clarke. Bereket agreed to
facilitate such access.
HUDDLESTON