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Ethiopia's UDJ opposition leader faces fresh challenges
Judge Birtukan Mideksa. who is from the country's largest Oromo ethnic group, is the first woman political party leader in Ethiopian history

Ethiopia's UDJ opposition leader faces fresh challenges

Jimma Times

The leadership of Ethiopia's biggest opposition party, the Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), faces fresh threats from the Ethiopian government after the party made statements that angered Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party. UDJ's chairperson Judge Birtukan Mideksa told her supporters in Europe that her party never asked for pardon to the government to be released from jail last year.

The Meles government wants her to renounce her statements or face life imprisonment.

UDJ-Andenet is a party born out of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) party which won the most number of opposition seats in parliament after the disputed 2005 election in Ethiopia. The post-election violence killed almost 200 protestors, with police shooting bullets in the head of civilians, while some bystanders were also gunned down. This election crisis, and the following imprisonment of the CUD leadership, tarnished the image of the Ethiopian government worldwide but Birtukan and her colleagues were later released after allegedly signing an apology letter to the government.

According to local media, the federal police has warned Birtukan Mideksa's party and gave a three-day ultimatum to rectify her statements. Jimma Times sources state that she had organized a meeting to discuss this new problem with the leadership committee and supporters, but the final decision from this meeting is unknown.

One UDJ official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told a Jimma Times correspondant in Ethiopia that Birtukan should apologize for her statement because it would not make a difference. "The world already knows who killed the 200 civilians in 2005 and the world knows the rationale for this apology letter drama, so Birtukan should rectify her words in Sweden to avoid going to jail for the regime's crimes the second time," he added.

Many opposition supporters in Ethiopia still want to see the policemen who shot the civilians to be held accountable but they are concerned such pursuit will lead to opposition leaders being put back in prison. According to sources in the capital, various pro-government private newspapers in Ethiopia are taking advantage of this crisis by connecting the unrelated resignation interests of UDJ officials to the police ultimatum in order to portray an internal division inside the UDJ.

Next national elections in Ethiopia are scheduled for 2010 but it is unknown whether opposition parties will participate.

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Comments 16 comments for this article
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Added: February 04, 2009. 04:48 PM GMT
thats weird
okay but i really would like to know who is the leader and what position is it called
vp
Added: January 03, 2009. 04:59 PM GMT
About the Relion is not about Colour of the Flag of Ethiopia
Dear Jemmas
You posted the religion of Berti can is not Protestant or The you said "Cult" pent. first
1.Don't disregard or make havoc in the country this is some ones religion and as if you you yourself are pure and ratios you called the innocent pent es. But ask her I was In the Addi's Abba University we were worshiping together. But to be a leader of a country, Unless you have some false agendas behind, You can be a religious person as the Americans and the Mideastern did. But to Deny Jesus And Depend on Perishable Human being is the most Dialectical thing. If Mr. Tamrat Repented from Communism why don't she learn from those Guys .May be her Group are still communists. But Burtacan you are not Miss you are Ms. Don't be lied with this thing too.
Repent. Repent and Repent
Anonymous
Added: January 03, 2009. 05:22 AM GMT
Don't Incourage Liers
Dear Jimmas
always it is good to speak the truth because the Truth makes you free. Infront of your people you speak the truth but Inforont of the White people you speak the untruth. Do you want such Kind of Leader of your contry. Shame on Bertukan she Better followed Jesus as she was a university student. But now She is laying and reaping the Harvest because She Left the Truth-Jesus Christ.
Anonymous
Added: December 31, 2008. 02:47 PM GMT
Better Than Cinii
"I can believe why everyone claiming Woyane this or that. She (Birtukan)want to be famous over nonsense. She disrespected the governement by denying the paper she signed. She is playing hide and seek with the government and I hope that they put her back to Kalati prison when she belongs.











"If you want to be a part of anything in Ethiopia, you must be respectful of everyone involved. You can not just disrespect the governmet and the people so that you can hope on to a Minilik palace."

"I rather have Islam rule Ethiopia than this Kahadi protestestant. She denied her culture and country by accepting foreing religion."Anonymous"

DearMr, Anonymous,
your comments indirectly favours the Cinii politics of archaic Axumite and gondariane era, which has been overtaken by Meles Zenawi since 17 years. The current ruliny system under this obnoxious man is not a government. It is a trannical rule lead by Cinii politicians originated from the non-prolific rocky minds of Tigray.

As to Aaddee Birtukaan Midhaksaa, she might have been mis-socialised by her Midhaksaa father about Ethiopia. Or, mis guided by her peers groups from Feresegnaw Sefer or Doro Maneqiya or whatever it is. However, she is from Xaayitu Buxul's Addis Ababa not from Ateetee "Finfinnee". Ormtittii.











As to her religious affliation, she has no any other religion other than Arenguwade, Bictha and Qayi Abbyssinian Orthodox flag. To call her a protestant is wrong. Protestants are not like her or others Ethiopians who pretend like protestants in that country. She could be a Pente. Pentes are not porotestant. They are the most demean parts of all cult-faths you find in this world. I do not think that she belongs to this demean cult group too. Believe it or not, Bitukan's religion is the Trinity colour, Arenguade, Bitcha and ayi.Those well experienced Neftenya sons and dautheters surrounding her have prepared "the best place" for her for the second time in collaboration with Meles himsef.
Finally nothing is wrong with Islam as a religion. If a Muslim rules get rid of yo bias about Musmlims they are even byfar better than the Cinii Orthodox Abyssinians.





Odaa
Added: December 27, 2008. 09:15 PM GMT
Wzro Birtukan,
We now live in the 21st century where every act/conversation is on camera and recorder. You can not say anything anymore. You are accountable to what comes from your mouth. You can only blame government so much. You need to grow up and learn to control your emotions. When the diaspora claps, don't just blabber words.... predict the consequences.....
dawit
Added: December 27, 2008. 11:07 AM GMT
be Neutrual
I read Your news About Birtukan Mediksa, two words in one mind, you see those UDJ, members asked pardon to the gov't before then she denied during her tour to Europe, so this bad behaviour, we all Ethiopian know they asked pardon but she spoke lie.so The investigation by federal police, based upon the rule of law, so she have to answer the truth, otherwise everybody have to know Nobody is beyound the law of the country what ever it's orgin. also Jimma Times I couldn't understand you why you mentioned in this issue about the orgin of Mediksa, you wrote she is from oromo ethinc, we now her wel, she is but your direction is dangour.
Kassa.
Added: December 27, 2008. 10:14 AM GMT
For UDJ to survive, it should have clear position on Oromo's right to Self-determination!
For UDJ to survive, it is not enough to put an Oromo lady in a leading position, but it should articulate clear position on the right of Oromos to self-determination. Not only talking about change, but the direction of change they want to bring must be clear.

I hope we will see a change in the coming new year. Change is not bad, but the question is to what or which direction? I know Abeshas need a change towards forging a UNITARY Ethiopia, with no respect for rights of different nations in the empire. But to their Merdo, the change needed by Oromos is otherwise.

Here is the suggestion from Oromos on the issue regarding how to live in Unity with Abyssinians. The whole message sounds: good GURBITINNAA is better than bad GAABICHAA!

Whenever we read Abeshas crying for unity, we need to ask them: before or after liberty? (the mode of question patients ask their doctors). For us Oromos, Unity at the cost of our national Liberty is unthinkable. But after being liberated, we can discuss on the issue, wether we think the benefit of unity is more than its challenge!

Till now we had two relations, which failed to unite us:

- Bad Gaabichaa (symbol for unitary system till 1991), where Oromos suffered under domination of amharas, and

- Bad Debbalinnet (symbol for federalism from 1991 till now), where Oromos suffered under domination of Tigarus.

Just learning from these two bad experience, here is the priority set up we Oromos want that Abeshas should understand. I think, to put things in priority, we need to live in the future together as follows:

1) in good GAABICHAA, if the marriage is really based on love. As far as I understand, our “marriage” was based on XELEFAA (forced marriage), not on love. That is why the hitherto marriage is rather bad marriage, which definetly will lead to divorce!

2) in good DEBBAALINET, if the “unity” we need is based on free will. As far as I know our hitherto “unity” is a forced unity at gun point, so that it will be lost at gun point!

3) in good GURBITINNAA (symbol for independence longed by oppressed nations), which is better than bad GAABICHAA and bad DEBBAALINET! It is better to live in peace as GOREBET than to fight each other to death by living in one home!

4) If the above three good options fail, the only alternative will be the last: MEGEDAADEL (be devided in clans and kill each other).

It is our all responsibility to avoid this last option and to try to forge one of the first three. I believe the marriage based on love is utopia. Yet optimal solution is UNION based on free will. If these two good options fails, good neighbourhood is better than the bad alternative aka killing each other whereas living in one common home! Can you people crying about YE IMIYE ANDINET agree on this??”
Fayyis
Added: December 26, 2008. 06:11 PM GMT
let us be patient, weyane's days are numbered
Anonymous
Added: December 26, 2008. 03:26 PM GMT
let`s stand
we have to be rational to judge both paries.ok what is wrong with TPLF?
ethiopia is better than ever with TPLF.i dan`t mean that it is best with TPLF.
let`s open our eyes
Anonymous
Added: December 26, 2008. 02:29 PM GMT
hell or heaven
Dear birituke,



you missed your compass first when you made your unprecedented political marriage with old abyssinians and second when you played games with criminal wayane. 'WEDESH KETEDEFASH, BIREGTUSH AYIKIFASH'. BEAR THE CONSEQUENCE OR REPENT AND SAVE YOURSELF FROM QALITI. you guys act as mature politicians, and use 'the end justify the means' if you want to stay in politics. otherwise all of you will go bak to your cells down there. sorry for that, but that is the fate awaiting for you.



cibsaa dhogasa
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