OPPOSITION LEADERS TELL A/S CARSON OF ETHIOPIA'S

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001611

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/08/2019
TAGS: PGOV PHUM KDEM PREL ET
SUBJECT: OPPOSITION LEADERS TELL A/S CARSON OF ETHIOPIA'S
DOWNWARD DEMOCRATIC TRAJECTORY

REF: A. 2008 ADDIS 1154

B. ADDIS 898

Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto. Reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).

Summary
--------------


1. (C) During his July 6-7 visit to Ethiopia, Assistant
Secretary for Africa Johnnie Carson met with opposition
leaders and Members of Parliament (MPs) to discuss the
current state of democracy in Ethiopia, the role of
opposition MPs, and the direction the democratization
trajectory has taken in the past 15 years. Opposition MPs
said that they feel "reduced to irrelevance" in Parliament
because of procedural laws that do not allow for substantive
minority representation. They reported that they are barred
from meeting with their constituents, and that their
constituents are penalized for electing opposition party
candidates by being denied their fair share of
relief/development aid and promotional opportunities.
Several opposition leaders said there has been a regression
of democracy in Ethiopia in the past decade as the ruling
party pursues its agenda of "revolutionary democracy," which
is not aimed at consensus but rather at creating a one-party
developmental state. Opposition leaders requested that the
USG urge the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary
Democratic Front (EPRDF) to engage in dialogue with
opposition parties to negotiate terms for the upcoming 2010
national elections. End Summary.


2. (SBU) On July 7, Ambassadors Carson and Yamamoto and
EmbOffs met with the following political opposition leaders:
Seeye Abraha (independent),Gebru Asrat (Arena Tigray),
Bulcha Demeksa (OFDM),Tilahun Endashaw (SEPDU),Negasso
Gidada (independent),Merera Gudina (OPC),Beyene Petros
(UEDF),and Gizachew Shiferaw (UDJ).

Opposition MPs Feel "Reduced to Irrelevance" in Parliament
-------------- --------------


3. (C) Opposition MPs complained that because of new
procedural laws introduced following the 2005 elections, they
are "reduced to irrelevance" in a "de-facto one-party
Parliament." According to Beyene Petros, who has served in
the past three Parliaments, opposition MPs cannot operate
effectively in Parliament because they have no power to set
the agenda and the reduced time rationing makes it difficult
to convey their concerns. In the past few years, the amount
of time an MP can speak was reduced from three minutes to one
minute. While serving on committees, opposition MPs are in
the extreme minority and do not have the power to influence
the ruling party's decisions. Chairman of Oromo Federalist
Democratic Movement and MP Bulcha Demeksa said that there is
personal animosity between the ruling EPRDF MPs and
opposition MPs, and that they do not discuss issues openly.


4. (C) Asked whether they are able to effectively lobby for
their constituents as MPs, independent opposition leader
Seeye Abraha said that the reality was quite the opposite.
He reported that constituents are penalized for electing an
opposition candidate, and are often denied access to
government services, relief, and development aid. Several of
the MPs reported encountering major difficulties when trying
to meet with their constituents in their respective
constituencies, as government officials insist that the
federal MPs have no business meddling in local affairs.

Democratic Regression
--------------


5. (C) Several opposition leaders expressed that there has
been a major backtracking of democracy in the recent past.
According to Negasso Gidada, former President of Ethiopia and
independent Member of Parliament, the situation began to
deteriorate after the 1998-2000 Eritrean war, and further
regressed following the 2005 elections. Opposition leaders
reported that they are prevented from holding meetings with
their members, even in the capital of Addis Ababa. Beyene
Petros, chairman of the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces,
said that the EPRDF's "revolutionary democracy" (Ref. A) is
not based on consensus, but rather aims to create a
developmental state run by one party. He requested that the
USG try to persuade the EPRDF to sit with the opposition

ADDIS ABAB 00001611 002 OF 002


parties and negotiate election terms for the upcoming 2010
national elections. He added that currently, the Forum for
Democratic Dialogue (a coalition of major opposition parties)
has "no reason to believe that the 2010 elections are
accessible."


6. (C) Acting Chairman of the Unity for Democracy and Justice
(UDJ) party Gizachew Shiferaw said that the most egregious
violation of the rule of law in Ethiopia is the re-arrest of
his party's Chairperson Birtukan Mideksa (Ref. B) and the
prison administration's refusal to implement the court's
ruling to release her from solitary confinement and allow
visitation access to friends and family. Ambassador Carson
said that he raised the issue of Birtukan with the Prime
Minister and encouraged him to find a way to fairly resolve
the issue. Ambassador Carson closed by emphasizing the
importance of moving the democratization process forward
following a transition of power, and not repeating the same
mistakes as the ruling party.


7. (U) Ambassador Carson has cleared this cable.
YAMAMOTO