The Black Informant | African American Commentary, News and Community Building

E-mailed to blackinformant.com from the group Young Ethiopian Diasporans

Just when you thought things could not possibly get any more bizarre, the soap opera that is the Ethiopian Elections turned tragi-comical these past few weeks.

The EU, which was invited by the Ethiopian government to observe these elections, put out its preliminary statement and it did not look good for the government, which has been proud to say that these elections were free and fair, “not just by African standards, but by ANY standards.”Alrighty.

According to Voice of America, the EU issued a preliminary statement concluding that the May 15 Ethiopian elections “did not meet international standards.”

The EU’s report points out numerous irregularities in the May 15 election, including delays, ballots being sold in the black market, and vote-counting procedures that weren’t transparent. The report also says Ethiopian electoral officials failed to adequately investigate accusations of voter fraud.

Ouch!

So what does the Ethiopian government do? It blamed the EU for the June 8 massacre that led to government troops gunning down 42 unarmed people. Sure, why not? Guns don’t kill people, the EU does.

Then the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Mr. Meles, a Neo Marxist who makes Hugo Chaves proud, coughed out a now much ridiculed three-part 13,287 word letter to the editor of the government owned newspaper responding to the EU. In very Castro-esque language, he excoriated the report and Ana Gomes, the chief EU observer, in particular. (ethiopundit makes the Chaves-Castro-Meles connection in a brilliant essay.)

Repeatedly referring to Ms. Gomes as “the good lady”, Prime Minister Meles rips into her personally, culminating in calling her “a self-appointed colonial viceroy.” (We are counting the days until he uses the “imperialist” angle.)

Interesting. Did we mention that the Ethiopian government had

invited

the EU to observe the elections?( Weichegud picks apart Mr. Meles’ response.)

Okay, so why should the world care? Because this is a litmus test for President Bush and Dr. Rice. Democracy is at stake in Ethiopia, and if we let it perish there, it gives every-two bit dictator in Africa a pass card for faux elections. It also means that we will forever be sending out aid money to Africa because instead of democracy being the cornerstone of development, aid becomes the starting point. This is a zero sum game.

So far, only Congressman Chris Smith (R- New Jersey) has been the one to recognize this. He gave the sternest condemnation of the June 8 massacre by the government.

We Americans should care. Please help us spread the word.