Ethiopia’s PM, opposition MPs in row over Oromia
Feb 4, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and MPs of Oromo opposition parties had a row over the political situation in the Oromia state. The disagreement took place at the 14th regular session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives on Thursday 2 February when Meles presented a half-year performance report.
According to The Reporter, Oromo MPs heavily criticized the report saying that it presented no remedies to the situation in Oromia other than blaming the opposition Oromo Liberation Front (OLF).
“The Prime Minister’s report has belittled the recent instability in Oromia region just as it had understated the issue last month,” remarked Gebru Gebre-Mariam of the Oromo National Congress (ONC).
The British secretary of state for international development, Hilary Benn announced during a visit to Ethiopiaon 21 January that Ethiopia Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has accepted to probe the alleged human rights violations in Oromia region.
Several other MPs, including Bulcha Demeksa of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM), and Tesfaye Chala of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) indicated that Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) — member of ruling coalition — assaults had resulted in the torture, jailing and persecution of hundreds of citizens suspected of being opposition sympathizers.
Reaffirming the previous stance of his party, Meles insisted that the situation currently prevailing in the Oromia state was the concern of the region, and the federal government would not intervene unless the regional government asked for it. “I have been given detailed information regarding the situation but the president of Oromia himself has assured me that the situation has been put under control and that no federal intervention was need,” he told the House.
Some OPDO MPs took the opportunity to lay the bulk of the blame on OFDM and ONC saying that human rights violations, including rape and torture, were committed in some constituencies by these parties.
The Ethiopian government on Wednesday 1 February denied an Amnesty International report that it has detained thousands of members of the country’s Oromo ethnic group in a crackdown on dissent.
(The Reporter/ST)