Jan 1, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) - As student protests against the Prime
Minister Meles-led regime intensify, in Oromiya, opposition MPs who have
joined the 547-member parliament from the United Ethiopia Democratic
Forces (UEDF), the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), the
independent Dr Negaso Gidada [former president of Ethiopia] and those
from the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), tried in vain to table
an issue on the agenda of the house.
According to Gebru Gebremariam of ONC/UEDF, the MPs were forced to
present the request to the special government representative, Shiferaw
Jarso, as the Speaker of the House, Ambassador Teshome Toga, refused to
allow the subject to be discussed. "Nevertheless, we were met with the
same refusal from Ato Shiferaw," Gebru said.
The reason given by the government for disallowing the tabling of the
agenda on the situation in Oromiya was that the situation was handled by
the regional government.
"This is far from the truth. People are being arrested en masse, denied
access to basic services and schools turned into scenes of violent
clashes with the police," Gebru said.
In an urgent meeting it conducted on Monday 26 December, the ONC noted
that the situation in Oromiya needed prompt response if peace and
stability were to reign supreme. "It all shows that the OPDO's [Oromo
People's Democratic Organization, member of ruling coalition] handling
of the situation has led to a deterioration of good governance," the
deputy head of youth affairs with ONC, Olbana Lelisa, said.
Asked what the ONC would do if the situation continued deteriorating
while discussion on the issue was denied by ruling coalition EPRDF
[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front], Gebru said it was
meaningless to sit idle in a parliament which turned a deaf ear to cries
of people. He said the ONC, together with other Oromo opposition MPs,
were still pondering over what to do next.
Meanwhile, protests by high and elementary school students against the
EPRDF-led regime have continued in Oromiya as several students chanting
anti-EPRDF slogans clashed with the police in western Welega and western
Shewa. According to sources, the federal police used force to quell the
uprising while taking several hundreds to the Didesa and Senkele camps
in southern Ethiopia.
http://www.sudantribune.com/article.php3?id_article=13395
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