Ethiopia's double-digit growth dubious, election pre-ordained (FT)

Perfidious donors betray Africa’s democrats

By William Wallis | Financial Times Editor

There are plenty of reasons to be hopeful about sub-Saharan Africa. Progress towards more democratic rule, however, is no longer among them.

No doubt in Rwanda, where counting is under way, the process will be hailed as orderly even though there was no competition. Mr Kagame’s real opponents have either fled, been barred from standing or are lying low. The results of earlier elections in Ethiopia, in which the opposition were evicted from all but two seats in the 545-seat parliament, were no less pre-ordained.

In both countries, as in much of Africa, western donors justify continued support on the basis of their development record. In Rwanda this is exemplary. The question is whether it will be sustainable as popular frustration at the closed political environment grows. In Ethiopia, the same is almost true but with a disturbing caveat. It is an open secret that the double-digit growth of recent years is supported by dubious statistics.

That sounds worryingly familiar to the case used to justify western support for cold war clients. Are African desires for more accountable leadership becoming subordinate again to the opinion of western donors and the commercial and strategic interests of foreign businesses and powers?

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Added: August 11, 2010. 11:49 AM GMT

"using Oromo name will never change that you sir is KHADI!!"

gonde,

You are absolutely right in pointing out the fact that desperate divisive tigres are constantly stealing not only Oromo material and human resources but also Oromo names and identities for making their self serving cheap propaganda.

After robbing the Ethiopian voices in broad day light in connection with the recent FAKE election the cadres of the barbaric dictatorship are now turning their attention towards identity robbery and dividing and weakening Oromos, Amharas and other opposition groups.

"Make yourself an honest person, and then you may be sure there is ONE less RASCAL in the world." ~Thomas Carlyle

hunde

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Added: August 11, 2010. 04:48 AM GMT

using Oromo name will never change that you sir is a KHADI!!

someone here call himself Regass! I know a person by that name, a true Ethiopian languishing in your Kaliti jail. You are a tplf supporter using an Oromo name.
What is going on in Columbus OH? Is TPLf open a branch Office in that city? (see expose TPLF supporters)

gonde

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Added: August 10, 2010. 09:28 PM GMT

Double-digit growth? Qiqiqiqiq...

"Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it."~Adolf Hitler has to say. :)

Why are the 80 million Ethiopians increasingly getting poorer and poorer with each passing days and years and depending on the shameless handouts and miserable leftover crumbs thrown at them by the international community while the TPLF minority dictatorship is faking more and more "double-digit" propaganda figures with each passing days and years, just to cover up the utter misery of the population it has enslaved and milking financial and material resources from domestic and the outside world in their name as well?

"We tell LIES when we are afraid ...of what we don't know, afraid of what others will think, afraid of what will be found out. But every time we tell a LIE, the thing that we FEAR GROWS STRONGER." ~Tad Williams :)

Anonymous

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