Mr. Romney goes to Britain and undermines his hosts and Ato Seye traveled to Seattle to insult the sensibilities of his fellow Ethiopian citizens in exile.
by yilma bekele
Mr. Charles Krauthammer is an American syndicated columnist, political commentator and is considered a highly
influential conservative voice. He is critical of President Obama’s policies and supports the election of Mr. Romney to be President. As a tradition if a candidate for the presidency does not have a thick resume when it comes to foreign policy issues they normally travel to friendly European countries to shake hands with the leaders for what is called a ‘photo opportunity’.
It is with this in mind that Mr. Romney flew over to Great Britain to rub shoulders with British Conservative Party leaders and attend the opening of the Summer Olympic Games. Unfortunately the trip did not go as intended. Mr. Romney got the British all pissed off by doubting their security plans and furthermore questioning if they were enthusiastic about the games being held there. It is fair to say all of Britain wanted nothing more than for Mr. Romney to pack and leave.
His ill manners in Britain were a source of unbearable anguish to his friends and supporters in the conservative camp. I very much enjoyed Mr. Krauthammer’s analysis of the unfortunate situation. He wrote “What Romney answered in that question, it’s unbelievable, it’s beyond human understanding, it’s incomprehensible. I’m out of adjectives,” Krauthammer said. ‘All Romney has to do is say nothing. It’s like a guy in the 100-meter dash. All he has to do is to finish, he doesn’t have to win. And instead, he tackles the guy in the lane next to him and ends up disqualified. I don’t get it.”
I brought this up because that is how his friends and supporters must have felt when they heard Ato Seye Abraha’s speech in Seattle a few days back. Fresh from his two years course at Harvard all Ato Seye got to do was utter a few smart sounding phrases and reintroduce himself into our politics. Just like Mr. Romney Ato Seye ended up putting his foot in his mouth. Mistakes like this occur not because the individuals are uninformed but rather they just happen to be clueless about their surroundings and lack common sense to fully understand what is expected of them to achieve the goal they set for themselves.
Mr. Romney goes to Britain and undermines his hosts and Ato Seye traveled to Seattle to insult the sensibilities of his fellow Ethiopian citizens in exile. Their action is what is called self inflicted wound. The fact that Ato Seye was invited by the same poor immigrants that left their homeland due to the policies put in place while he was part of the leadership is what makes the situation a little difficult to comprehend. I always say we Ethiopians are a marvel to watch and Seattle is the epicenter of that phenomenon. I do not know how to put it in English but in Amharic we say ‘teteketo asteki.
At Seye is not an ordinary Ethiopian. He is one of the founders of the Tigrai Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF) and was member of the Central Committee or Politburo of that infamous organization. Upon the defeat of the Derg and TPLF takeover of power Ato Seye has served his party as Defense Minister, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigrai (EFFORT) and Chairman of Ethiopian Airlines.
After the war between Shabia and Woyane in 1998-2000 Ato Seye was accused by his friend Meles Zenawi of leaning towards Bonapartism and extreme corruption. He was expelled from the TPLF, tried by Ato Meles’s kangaroo court and spent six years in prison. One can say he is lucky because normally in the TPLF dissent can cost you your life. It is also good to note that unlike other prisoners taken by TPLF he did not have to ask for pardon to get his freedom.
Upon his release Ato Seye formed Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) with the aim of bringing opposition activists together. Around this time Judge Bertukan Mideksa Chairman of Andenet Party was again accused of fabricated charges by Ato Meles and taken to Kalit prison. In her absence Dr. Negasso Gidada another former member of EPRDF assumed the Chairmanship. Ato Seye joined Andenet Party. Please note his admission to the party caused such an upheaval that a few of the founding members such as Professor Mesfin and Ato Debebe Eshetu including quite a few young activists were driven away from the party.
This was also the time Ato Meles and his TPLF Party were holding elections. This was also the main reason Chairman Bertukan was removed from the scene. Our beloved leader was held in solitary confinement and subjected to psychological abuse and inhuman treatment with the knowledge of Meles Zenawi and his security department.
Despite the fact that their Chairman was in jail for no crime other than being highly popular and a proven leader, despite the fact that the so called ‘Election Board’’ was still under the TPLF, despite the fact that foreign observers were put on short leash and despite the fact that plenty Ethiopians advocated boycotting this election charade Andenet choose to give Meles Zenawi a cover of legitimacy by showing up to be humiliated. While the TPLF was holding election circus Andenet candidates were in North America holding ‘Town Hall’ meetings with the Diaspora that cannot vote.
It was not long after the 99% Meles victory Ato Seye came to the US to go to school. For two years he stayed out of Ethiopian politics. He did not involve himself in Diaspora politics either. Seattle is the first instance we hear from Ato Seye. He was representing Medrek with fellow politician Dr. Merera Gudina.
As far as I am concerned the timing is a little difficult to comprehend. Our country is on the verge of change after over twenty years of TPLF dictatorship. The Woyane kingpin has died unexpectedly and his Party is moving heaven and earth to find a formula to continue the misrule. Why in the world would an Ethiopian opposition leader hold a meeting in faraway USA is a good question to ask? On the other hand it fits the pattern. When there is vital burning issue at home the leaders travel outside to hold discussion with the non stake holders. It is definitely not to explain the situation to us. We have more unfettered discussion in the Diaspora. We enjoy free press. We have more Radio and television service. Our Web sites are unblocked and independent. What in the world can they tell us that we don’t know?
Ato Seye’s short speech in Seattle was a little short on facts and completely void of vision and historical accuracy. It can also be said that Ato Seye has Chutzpah or Cojones or in simple English balls to show up among the Diaspora and read eulogy for the person that caused so much hurt and agony to our people. Dr. Merera as usual served as a sidekick the role he has played the last eight years or so.
I am hundred percent sure he(Seye) is aware of the fact that our people were ordered to line up in the rain and forced to show grief but choose to tell us it was a voluntary action why? He is knowledgeable of the workings of the Woyane system he helped set up that practiced the art of control and coercion starting in Tigrai, why is he pretending otherwise?
I am one hundred percent sure he did not chastise his American friends when they celebrated the death of Osama Bin Laden whereas we are lectured to be ashamed of showing pleasure at the death of the tyrant why is that? Don’t we feel pain? Don’t we grief for the many thousands that were killed by TPLF army and security?
I am really surprised by his lecture regarding our lack of ‘diplomatic skills’. He brought the example of Armenians in the US that play a strong and vital role lobbying to steer American foreign policy to help their homeland. He also thinks our vehement opposition to Ambassador Susan Rice’s speech at the dictator’s funeral to be misguided and false. I beg to disagree on both points.
The first analogy is way off mark. Armenians migrated to the US a long time ago. About three generations back. In fact about twenty years ago the Governor of California was of Armenian descent. Ethiopians are still on the first generation. The fact of the matter is we are the most successful and vibrant group among the new immigrants. Our New Year events are attended by Governors, Congressmen and Mayors all across America. We have managed to schedule hearings in the US Congress regarding our country and even managed to present a bill to help assure Human Rights in dear old Ethiopia. No new immigrant has scaled such heights. We got work to do but we have not been idle. I do not recall Ato Seye giving us a hand the last two years he has resided in the US.
As for Ambassador Rice she was wrong. She made mockery of our people’s quest for freedom and dignity. She insulted us. We will not trade our honor to curry favor from no one. We vented our frustrations. Sometimes it is necessary to stand for what we believe to be right and she has to be told in no uncertain words that heaping praise to a human right abuser, denier of democracy and murder of our family and friends is never acceptable.
The Seattle speech was geared to lay a conciliatory tone to a certain wing of TPLF and also advise the rest of us not to look back. I don’t care about the TPLF part but I do agree it is a good idea to move forward. On the other hand there is this little thing called history. We learn from the past so we avoid certain mistakes. South Africans have managed to do that. They just did not gloss over past mistakes but brought it up in the open and dealt with it. That is what ‘Truth and Reconciliation’ is about. Air your dirty laundry for all to see and punish those that crossed the line and reform those that show remorse. Moving forward without doing that is like putting dirty cloth after a shower. The murder of Assefa Maru, the death of Professor Asrat the shooting of Shibre and others have to be laid to rest in a proper way.
I am not being uncharitable towards Ato Seye. As I said before he is not an ordinary Ethiopian. He was invited to Seattle because he is a political figure. He was one of the leaders of TPLF Party. He was present when Eritrea gained its independence a decision made behind closed doors, he was there when the current constitution was imposed on us, he facilitated the formation of Kilil Bantustans, he was aware that the so called EPDRF was nothing but a cover up for TPLF domination, he was the CEO of EFFORT which got its start by using the law to steal important businesses and properties that belonged to all Ethiopians to be controlled by a party and a family and today he is one of the leaders of the biggest and important legally recognized opposition party. This is the reason we should hold him to a higher standard.
Leadership is not an easy matter. That is why all the advanced democracies hold competition on a level playing field to pick the best among many. The leader can make or break the country. For every Nelson Mandela there is an Adolf Hitler. It is obvious we do not have the skills to choose a good leader. We haven’t had the experience. Our people have not yet chosen a leader thru the ballot. We must be among the very few in the world that have not enjoyed the luxury of deciding who the leader should be. Throughout our history leadership has been usurped by the strong and cunning.
Why is it so? Is it because we don’t question authority? Do we differ to other due to wealth, education, age or linage? Why are we so meek? When is this behavior going to stop? When are we going to stop being cheer leaders and start the real work of leading by example? The Diaspora has to stop serving as an ATM machine to those that use our kind heart to further their failed policies. The Diaspora has to stop being a door mat and learn how to say no. There is nothing wrong with that. Ato Seye has to stop treating us like imbeciles and go join his old party if that is what he wants since his nemesis is gone. One cannot be a supporter of a narrow ethnic based party while at the same time sitting as a leader of a multi-national organization. This idea of telling us there has been twenty years of peace and progress in Ethiopia should be laid to rest. It might have been so for certain groups but the majority cannot say that. This idea of lecturing us on how to mind our business sitting on top or the sideline is not acceptable. We got plenty of that what we are lacking is bold leadership that listens to our heart beat.
kejela
September 25, 2012 at 12:49 pm
seye learnt some lesson from kinijit, he thought kinijit was accepeted b ethiopian because of their educational background therefore to be acceptable there were only to option either he has to go back to dedebit or go to school. he went to school ,going back to dedebit is not fun cause he used to high life while he was in power .
we all remember how he was treating EAL ethiopian air lines stuff while he was a board memeber he even went to the extent of forcing them to fly to tigray canceling international flights … Guys !” this baord meeting was transmitted in etv “to the general public
Kinijit failed because they were educated bad boys ! if there is any ??
the party who accepted Siye is doomed to fail cause seye already see’s red card for afoul play
Saba
September 24, 2012 at 9:49 am
NO PUNISHMENT NOTHING TO BE AFRAID OF CONSEQUENCES……
One thing for sure how can they TPLF be afraid of Ethiopians. No, consequences for their action, they still, kill, torture, sell land, no press freedom, speach and assembly….etc.
Culprit Charge Action Taken
Mengistu Hailemariam Murder/torture still alive and kicking
Meles Zenawi Ethiopias Idi Amin Dada – Uganda Thank God he’s dead….
But the following are still alive and no action being taken and continue the atrocity for how long?
TPLF robbery/Murder/Torture/selling land No worries
Berket Simon Murderer/Thief/Humanright violation… No action taken
Azeb Mesfin Murderer/Thief/Human Right Violation No action Still going
Sebhat Nega Murderer/Thief/Torturer/HRight violation No action taken
Aboy Tsehaye Same as above need to be brought to justice b4 he die
Samoray… mass murderer……………………….need to be brought to justice
many….. ………………….woyane security forces and collaborators…………….
seyee….killed many Ethiopians what happened to him. Oh he’s walking freely and laugh at you and while your children are burried he’s taking class on the blood money of your brother and sisters, children, fathers and mothers…..nothing to be afraid Ethiopian life is cheap, just kill them and live happily ever after in U.S.A and Europe. So why should they yield to your peaceful movement. That’s rediculous to them and they continue killing & dismantling our country to the bone.
woyane junta………………… If we are afraid to take back our freedom they are not going to hand it for us. They are getting used to the good life in Addis why should they….so we need to take action, sometimes peacefull movement has it limit. If you don’t take action they are not going to start negotiating.
Boycott, and dismantle their business in Addis and any where in Ethiopia. It should be declared loud & clear THE GAME IS OVER! AND TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!
yibaAnbesaw
September 24, 2012 at 4:52 am
Did he denounce TPLF deeds ? No and he will never. Did he ask pardon to the Ethiopian people ? No and he will never. My friend, if you wake up just now, ur very naive.
mt
September 22, 2012 at 10:22 am
. It was astonishing to hear such kind of ideas proposed by this guy. I hate his ideas where we are treated by this guy. If he wants to join his old friends he doesn’t need to be wishy-washy. He doesn’t have a principle difference with those arrogant members of TPLF. Seye has to swallow his flamboyant and arrogant words .
mt
Mt
September 22, 2012 at 6:38 am
the comment. It was asstonishing to her such king of ideas proposed by this guy. I hate his ideas wher we are treaten by this guy . If he want to join his old friends he does’t need to be wishiwishi . He doesn’t have a principle difference with those arrogant member of TPLF . Seye has to swallow his flamoboyant and arogant words .
mt
sero11
September 21, 2012 at 6:44 pm
I am not angry with seye to be frank with all of you, I am so mad at the UDJ, Medrek…
do they really know what they are doing? or they are just lost in the wilderness with no idea what to do next? It is sad to see once a party with the likes of Birtu/Can is reduced to this.
Sewmamen
September 21, 2012 at 4:26 pm
Seeye ” tatbo chika” malt new.
Prison stay gave him the Time and the opportunity to think about his past actiion.
He did Not learn from that.
He got again a chance for Living and studying in a democratic Country. He should have now
at the latest, see and understand the Situation
of the poor and unlucky Ethiopian people!
He still could not see. Because he does not
want to see. I have given him a trust for sometime, now I felt pain.
Lela min yibalal ” tatbo chika”
Kindu
September 21, 2012 at 11:29 am
Very funny and amazing. I have the impression that, with his dirt mouth, Meles is resurrecting from where he is now. Even Harvard couldn’t train him to the level of an average human being as observer, let alone make reasonable political analysis.
How many times Ethiopians are being betrayed. Believe it or not, this guy was either spying the so called opposition parties or preparing himself the moment Meles is out of the criminal helm.
I agree with masterx when he said “Most of these tigres ……They can not be integrated. they are tribalist, narrow minded bigots , no body would trust a dead tigre”.. Sadly, this is true. The only moment I saw them integrating was when they were spying under the pretext of daily laborer during the Mengistu era. I remember that very well. At some moment, they were engulfing the city I was living. Daily laborer marketplace was mostly filled with Tigrigna speaking people and we had no idea what they were doing at that time as we were kids as well. Then, when woyane took Addis, some of the people we saw them as daily laborer turned suddenly overnight to dress and look established business man, even some didn’t wait to go fast and deal any kind of administrative arbitration. I still remember that my father used to hire some of them, they looked a sort of “innocent” people that no one was suspecting what they were doing at that time. Yes, once they achieved their mission, they stopped even greeting us. Because, once mission accomplished, integration was not their business. So, that was the reality.
Back to Seye, he is a sorry man. He missed the best opportunity as was for his late friend. Meles missed most of the golden opportunities to bring a positive change. But lived all his live with everything is evil in this world. He went with that be remembered as the most evil face of Ethiopian politics. The tambourine and propaganda of woyane to make him what has never been in him and take garbage out like the snake foreign enablers spearheaded by US wont change the real stamp of history.
an evil has gone, and another evil mouth is trying to replace him. God Listens Mr. Seye. Nobody has signed a long-term contract to live in this world. Like anybody, you will perish. What is sad is that your name will perish like a spoiled fish as well.
To say one more thing: don’t be diverted with the new replacement of Meles. Believe me, this guy won’t bring what Ethiopians are expecting to happen. If you listened his speech, he was reading that was drafted by his masters. He was affirming at several occasions he won’t get out of line from the line of the late dictator. I believe that all this face change is to divert attention until TPLF shops some time to get back in full force. How can a leader of country serve if all important security and defenses are at the hands of those people who have been perpetrating crimes for over 30 years???
Dilla
September 21, 2012 at 9:08 am
Well if becoming a gurilla fighter by acquiring how to handle weapon and killing arbitrarly anyone that’s not your ethnic group make you a qualified leader and expert…..I guess it’s a no brainer,
As for ato siye abraha, you have never apologize for mass murdering Ethiopian, never openly disredited what tplf stands for and what it does. He been the founding father of tplf, been a head of EFFORT have been the attrocity that was committed against Ethiopian. He’s today trying to down play his former parties responsibility of killing and torturing and selling of our land, and making Ethiopia land locked by giving including Assab. We don’t disagree eritrean independence but Assab is historically Ethiopian, and never criticise the looting strategy behind EFFORT organized crime.
I don’t think being in the bush make anyone expert, and the fight against the Derg regime was solely done only by tigray eventhough they try to deny many thousands of Ethiopian young died. All we are saying is if tigray can’t see itself being a part of Ethiopia there’s no need for the rest of Ethiopia to disintegrate you have the right to your independence.
We can’t keep to continue to allow the destruction of our country to keep one worthless tigray region.
Seweyew
September 21, 2012 at 8:03 am
We all know who Seye is. I do not think Seye is struggling to bring peace and democracy for this country. Let us avoid and do what tevr he can for himself. My advise to other fellow Ethiopians is give him deaf ear and do not give him place and time. I think he is trying to cover the crimes he did during the woyane regime where he spent most of his productive time only doing killing innocents and struggling only to practice his rubbish idea of the greater Tigray. We all know very much who Seye was and is. He is the second woyane whose head is looks like a TANK. So , his mind is working not based on the objectives and based on which approach helps to protect him self not to be questioned one day in front of the Ethiopian people about the crime he comited during his bandit time and defense minister positions and others.
Saba
September 21, 2012 at 5:42 am
I admire Ato Yilma Bekele’s article, he has put it very clear and rightly so. Ato seye, a guy who had believed on the liberation of tigray (tplf) and on giving Assab away with out do process today he’s the audacity to come and tell us not to criticize Amb. Susan Rice when Ethiopians been wronged. In addition to that he is trying to ignore all the killing and torture of our people by the very party he was founder and part of the leader was. Why is he quiet or failed to explain or criticise the establishment of EFFORT stealing from all other regions to help his own ethnic group tigray.
I believe he’s lucky to be embraced by the diaspora without apolegizing for what he have done in the past, and explaining openly to the Ethiopian community including the diaspora tigray how his parties initial plan was and how it has taken a wrong path or whatever the case might be. I feel it’s add insult to injury he want us to go with the flow and not to criticize or demand when we been wronged.
I’m no expert by any measure but he and his party consider themselves as a qualified politician and dismiss all others who have sacrificed themselves to Ethiopia. Their sacrifice is not counted, whether they are EPRP,ONLF,…several who died and not in power today as tplf is erased and everything is only achieved as a result of tplf. I’m not surprised if they don’t start teaching kidds soon Ethiopia been established by the tplf since they lie about everything under the sky.
One thing they need to be reminded is they have never been elected in a democratic process by the majority of the people. All they are doing is forcing people against their will as here, ato seye’s qualification is being in the bush for 17 years or more my friends you’re automatically qualified you don’t need any kind of leadership skill acquired just know how to handle the gun and kill arbitrarly anyone that doesn’t belong to your ethnic group. It’s like saying a woman that has run a household over ten years with kidds, she’s qualified to be a finance minister. Well she manage the household why does she need to get education she’s proved to her husband and children. From the kitchen to politics. woyane is not different without any knowledge or expertise, if you proof to be “tegaday” well you’re PM, foreign minister, communication minister, …….oh, like w/o azeb I can hardly understand what she says she sits in the parliament. What a sham
I don’t think we owe ato seye anything he’s rather an enemby who bleed our people and with his 2 year harvard he think he know whole a lot, that’s what I thought when I was first year student. Don’t get big headed you’re like most of us a work in process, you should understand our suspicion more than anyone else and it’s a legitmate feeling.
Why and what will he bring even that would be useful to the table, we fought this people 21 years it’s been long. Our people in Ethiopia has to do a peacful protest to not to collaborate with the government to a total shut down.
God help us to remove tplf they are the worst parasite than ertreans
masterx
September 21, 2012 at 5:41 am
Most of these tigres smell like fish.They can not be integrated. they are tribalist, narrow minded bigots , no body would trust a dead tigre.
misrak
September 21, 2012 at 2:53 am
Seye showed the audacity to criticize diaspora among whom he lived with now for about 2 years without uttering a word. He has no conscience at all! The difficulty of cleansing the old guard from ethnic politics is so obvious. Merara sheepishly following him as if joined by the hip. Seye should go where he belongs!!
best conclusion ever
“Ato Seye has to stop treating us like imbeciles and go join his old party now his nemesis is gone. This idea of telling us there has been twenty years of peace and progress in Ethiopia should be laid to rest. This idea of lecturing us on how to mind our business sitting on top or the sideline is not acceptable. We got plenty of that what we are lacking is bold leadership that listens to our heart beat.”
Tesafa Group
September 21, 2012 at 12:36 am
…in a nutshell…Siye is TPLF OR WOYIN to the blood!!!
miskir
September 20, 2012 at 11:44 pm
It is great! realy great! Mister Seye has testified his own reputation. He was not and can not be ethiopian national patriot. He was Seye,he is Seye and he will surely remaind Seye: the narrow minded,separetist,arogant,liar Seye. Thank you! Mr. Yilma