OIN News
June 30, 2001

Ethiopia's President Negasso Gidada had wanted to give up his symbolic title months ago but was persuaded by the German ambassador to Ethiopia to stay till the end of his term, the Indian Ocean Newsletter (ION) reported today.

Negasso Gidada complained of a lack of freedom of speech and objected the labeling of OPDO leaders as "narrow nationalists" by their counterparts in the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) as soon as the former denounced the repression of Oromos, the newsletter said.

A heated confrontation between OPDO and TPLF leaders took place at a meeting held on June 4, 2001 in Adama, (Nazareth), said ION in its report. The purpose of the meeting was said to be to debate on Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's document castigating TPLF dissidents. Other sources say the document also accuses Oromos of being narrow-minded nationalists and calls for state-sponsored repression against them in order to force them to accept TPLF's dictatorial policies. Meles Zenawi had hoped that the meeting would endorse such policies.

But as soon as the meeting opened, Negasso Gidada and Shiferaw Jarso protested against the presence of Sebhat Nega, a TPLF leader sent by the Prime Minister to supervise the meeting. "Shiferaw Jarso told Sebhat Nega to his face that he would rather die than continue being his puppet", said ION. Sebhat Nega was thus forced to leave the premises and return to Addis Ababa humiliated.

During the meeting, Negasso Gidada reiterated his criticisms towards the TPLF, adding that most of the decrees with his signature had not even been shown to him before their promulgation, the newsletter reported.

At the meeting several OPDO leaders suggested that their organization leave the EPRDF coalition and become an independent party, but no consensus was reached on this point, said ION.

After the OPDO leaders refused to endorse his document, Meles Zenawi had no other option but to instigate the indictment of Negasso Gidada in order to lead him to tender his resignation.

Unless they agree to follow the Prime Minister's line, three other OPDO leaders - Shiferaw Jarso, Kuma Demeksa, and Chala Hordofa - risk expulsion from both the OPDO and the EPRDF, concluded ION.