MAKING A POINT ON DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001280

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2019
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL ET
SUBJECT: MAKING A POINT ON DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA

REF: ADDIS 677

Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D).

SUMMARY
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1. (S/NF) During a series of meetings with Ethiopia's senior
leadership, the Ambassador stressed the importance of
inter-party talks between the opposition and ruling parties,
and the critical necessity for the ruling party and
government entities to investigate transparently and
expeditiously any and all charges of election problems from
harassment to inability to register candidates. The
Ambassador and Embassy staff have made these points
consistently, but particularly in the past week with Prime
Minister Meles, Foreign Minister Seyoum, State Minister Dr.
Tekeda, ruling party stalwart in charge of the 2010 national
elections Minister Bereket and the National Electoral Board
(NEB) leadership. The U.S. Embassy chairs the Ambassadors
and Donors group and has made the 2010 elections one of the
key priorities for coordination and advocacy. The senior
Ethiopian leadership has criticized foreign diplomats for not
being neutral and pressing the opposition agenda. While we
have stressed the importance of the 2010 national elections,
it is clear that we will need more dialogue and better
coordination within the U.S. interagency process and with our
European and Asian donor colleagues to press the interests we
all share in conducting open and transparent elections. End
Summary.

MAKING A POINT
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2. (S/NF) The U.S. Embassy has taken the lead in advocating
for transparent and open national elections in 2010 which
build on the 2005 national elections. 2005 saw the
opposition take 170 seats in the 547 seat national
parliament, a dramatic increase over the 15 seats they held
for the previous decade. Since 2005, the government has
enacted laws which limit and restrict party politics, the
media, and civil society. While the ruling Ethiopian
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition can
overcome the barriers, the fragmented and under-funded
opposition parties have found their operations restricted.
Laws have been passed regulating political financing, access
to the press, and ability of civil society organizations
(NGOs) to receive funding from foreign sources and
participate in the political process. The April 2008 local
elections saw the ruling party take over all but three of
over three million seats. While many opposition parties
boycotted the local elections due to incomplete
implementation of the electoral law, their inability to field
and register candidates, difficulties in gaining access to
press coverage and finances, and local law enforcement
officials failing to investigate the opposition's charges of
harassment make efforts to correct these problems and push
forward for a more open electoral process in 2010 ever more
critical.


3. (S/NF) In this context the U.S. Embassy has advocated for
two essential conditions to which the ruling party and
national government has agreed but never implemented.
Interparty talks between the opposition and ruling parties
have been the pillar of our discussions with the government
since the 2005 elections and the violent aftermath which left
193 dead. Such talks have yet to take place but the NEB says
a session is being planned for June. While the ruling party
has met with some opposition parties, we have stressed that
all credible parties, not just selected parties viewed as
cooperative, must meet. A second condition that we have
called for is the commitment by the government to investigate
any and all charges of harassment and general problems faced
by any prospective candidate or political party. We have
stressed the importance of this condition to give confidence
to the opposition parties to participate and not boycott the
2010 elections.


4. (S/NF) Ambassador spoke separately with Prime Minister
Meles and Foreign Minister Seyoum on this topic on May 22,
and at greater length with ruling party coordinator for the
elections, Communications Minister Bereket Simon, on May 25,
and National Elections Board chiefs Dr. Merga Bekana and Dr.
Addisu Gebreizabhier on May 21. Embassy staff also raised

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these issues with MFA State Minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu and his
staff at a private luncheon with U.S. Embassy staff on May

29. In all these recent meetings, the intent of the U.S.
Embassy has been to focus the government and ruling party, in
private discussions, on the importance of preparing for the
2010 elections and building on positive elements in the 2005
elections. While our discussions with the government
leadership have been positive and cordial, it is clear that
the ruling party will make every effort to make the electoral
process favor the ruling party. It is not clear that they
truly accept either of the conditions noted above.


5. (S/NF) The American Embassy holds the Chair for the
Ambassadors and donors group. With the push by the U.S.
side, the 2010 elections is one of the top priorities for
these two groups. USAID is cobbling together funding for
international observers. The European countries have not
allocated funding and may not send observers. The African
Union hopes to send observers, but the government of Ethiopia
needs to request observers. The U.S. Embassy has strongly
recommended the importance of observers.

THE OPPOSITION
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6. (S/NF) Since 2005, the parliament has passed a series of
laws which regulate and make it difficult for political
parties to operate. It is easier for the ruling party to
collect finances through its main economic support
organization, the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of
Tigray (EFFORT, reftel),a conglomerate of businesses which
raises funds for the party. Conversely, the opposition does
not have in place such a structured financial support element
and recent laws bar political parties from receiving
contributions from businesses. Further, the opposition is
highly fragmented, despite the December 29 re-arrest of
Birtukan Midekssa, who leads one of the largest opposition
parties. The opposition parties are making an effort to
coordinate through the formation of the "Forum for Democratic
Dialogue" to develop a common position on Ethiopia's
political future. Ethnic divisions and personal rivalries
are making the unity of the opposition parties difficult.
The U.S. Embassy meets regularly with Forum members and plans
to meet the Forum during one of its meetings.

GOVERNMENT CRITICISM
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7. (S/NF) Prime Minister Meles has been firm in explaining to
the Ambassador that the government feels that foreign
missions are pro-opposition and not neutral on domestic
politics of Ethiopia. The Prime Minister stressed that the
opposition cannot complain to foreign embassies to secure
better conditions for the electoral process. All parties
must submit to the same regulations and there can be no
favoritism or added advantage that provides opposition
parties with better treatment than the ruling party.

FINAL NOTE
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8. (S/NF) After the ruling party lost Addis Ababa's city hall
to the opposition in 2005 (though the opposition refused to
take its seats),it has systematically focused on reversing
the inroads made by the opposition in time for the 2010
elections. While both opposition and ruling parties have
agreed that the two conditions laid out by the U.S. Embassy
are appropriate, we will need better coordination within the
Washington interagency process and closer cooperation from
European and Asian donors in effectively advocating for the
ruling party and government to observe and implement
interparty dialogue and investigation of any problems leading
up to the 2010 elections. It is in the interests of both of
our countries for the conduct of transparent and open
elections to minimize the growing frustration by the
electorate and to avoid boycotts by the opposition parties.
MALAC