Forum for Democratic Dialogue:

New collection or coalition?

The months old former Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUDP) was the best thing that happened for the Ethiopian opposition camp that were too weak even to win more than a dozen parliament seats in two elections. The former CUDP had swept all but one seats of the Addis Ababa City Council and won significant parliament seats to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s government shock. However, the turmoil witnessed inside CUDP, in a time the coalition needed it most, led not only the Electoral Board to deny the accreditation but also the public, who turned back on the opposition ever since then . Worst than the aftermath of the 2005 May national elections, the inability of the party top officials [now found in a number of political groups and means of struggle] to work together told the nation that the opposition needs another decade to change the story of Ethiopian politics that has more political parties than any other nation in the globe. However, among comeback efforts, one is an initiative taken by prominent politicians that has two top ex officials of the ruling party [former president and ex defense minister] in its list. Capital’s Kirubel Tadesse introduces the newly established Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) and questions if the Forum would be any different with that of the former CUDP.

Forum for Democratic Dialogue (FDD) was first initiated by the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) chiefs, Professor Beyene Petors (MP) and Dr. Merara Gudina (MP, both prominent opposition politicians who worked as a close ally of the former CUDP. Somali Democratic Alliance forces (SDAF) and the Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty (Arena) groups were also announced to be participating in the Forum in the latest press conference the Forum held.
Among outspoken members of parliament who particularly questions every bill and decision in its adherence with the constitution, Dr. Negaso Gidada [Ethiopia’s former president and ex member of the ruling party] was viewed as independent politician. Now he is among top members that are calling the shoots for the FDD.
Seye Aberha, who was among the most influential members of the ruling party, had served as Ethiopian Minister of Defense before he served time on corruption charges. Seye is now back in politics and offers the Forum an appeal the opposition camp had never attracted before, such a senior member of the ruling Tigray’s People Liberation Front (TPLF) has never joined the opposition party despite some members’ withdraws. Seye didn’t only left the party that was victorious over the Derge regime after 17 years of arm struggle in which he participated but also is in Ethiopia to form a political group and now could be an architect to claim a strong front by the opposition.
Even if the Forum was launched, the level of cooperation between members’ parties and individuals is yet to be set. The talk for one party seems not be at the top of the list even Seye sees no Chinese wall among them. This has been seen as a plus for the Forum according to some observers as one of the shortcomings of the former CUDP was that it automatically gave in for the public pressure and decided to form one party forgetting first to entertained four individual parties’ interests, apparently power was one.
“If as stated, the Forum starts a dialogue and fails to result in a common platform, it would only mean only unsuccessful effort, not another failure for the ruling party to hammer the opposition by, “ comments one observer.
The ruling party’s revolutionary democratic agenda, individual rights and the question of the rights of nations, nationalities and peoples, the issue of unity among the opposition political organizations that are engaged in peaceful means of struggle, the issue of national security, and others are among agenda items the Forum members are scheduled to hold discussion on. “We have to see each others’ stance on every issue and see if we can come up with a common platform, “comments UEDF chief, Professor Beyene to Capital.
In its second phase, FDD plans to address on the issues of land ownership and electoral system, vital areas-the ruling party and opposition groups never agreed on.
In recent months-before the launch of the Forum, many prominent politicians were calling for a unity among opposition which one political analyst site to explain the Forum, like the CUDP and UEDF, is only after strengthening individual parties that fail to do so by their own. “When UEDF was formed-mostly ethnic based parties of which some only existed because they have members that abandoned their respective majority which favored to nationalize their party- it was thought to be a major opposition front. Later former CUPD came, which was fist treated by members of the UEDF and the private press as a cause that will weaken the opposition. The attitude changes as CUPD managed to gather a momentum unseen before and it had even closely worked with UEDF but the void that still exists is why was not the ethnic based groups could not work with national parties ?” asks this analysts.
So far, Unity for Democracy and Justice (UDJ), which is formed by the former CUDP majority, is yet to have any official contact with the Forum. UDJ was recently accredited and could automatically participate in the Forum but the analyst predicates that such cooperation might never come. “As seen in the case of UEDF and CUDP, the Forum and UDJ may choose to act together but anything more is impossible- the latter may fear of diminishing its brand and appeal-a politics of all Ethiopians. Others who says UEDF has been acting more of as a national party overpowering individual parties’ wish, argue that its practice over the last three years could led it work on a common platform with UDJ in the 2010 elections but what the impact Seye Aberha and Dr. Negaso Gidada would have the final say. “The question is success and consistent momentum especially during the election period. For now UDJ claims moral ownership of the former CUDP and if that is the case in coming years it many never the Forum more than the UEDF but if the Forum is the one with the impetus UDJ may reconsider,” comments the Analyst.
According to professor Beyene the forum will decide if the members can run for the coming election under one proposal and platform-government of national unity- which should come at the mid of next Ethiopian year. That time could be the decisive time to tell if the Forum is another collection of opposition groups frustrated in the face a strong ruling party or a new coalition that will let the nation to unlearn the failures and builds on the success of the former CUDP.