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FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4962
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
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RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
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RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 02 ADDIS ABABA 001280 
 
NOFORN 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/01/2019 
TAGS: KDEM PGOV PREL ET
SUBJECT: MAKING A POINT ON DEMOCRACY IN ETHIOPIA 
 
REF: ADDIS 677 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Donald Yamamoto for reasons 1.4 (B) and (D). 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (S/NF) During a series of meetings with Ethiopia's senior 
leadership, the Ambassador stressed the importance of 
inter-party talks between the opposition and ruling parties, 
and the critical necessity for the ruling party and 
government entities to investigate transparently and 
expeditiously any and all charges of election problems from 
harassment to inability to register candidates.  The 
Ambassador and Embassy staff have made these points 
consistently, but particularly in the past week with Prime 
Minister Meles, Foreign Minister Seyoum, State Minister Dr. 
Tekeda, ruling party stalwart in charge of the 2010 national 
elections Minister Bereket and the National Electoral Board 
(NEB) leadership.  The U.S. Embassy chairs the Ambassadors 
and Donors group and has made the 2010 elections one of the 
key priorities for coordination and advocacy.  The senior 
Ethiopian leadership has criticized foreign diplomats for not 
being neutral and pressing the opposition agenda.  While we 
have stressed the importance of the 2010 national elections, 
it is clear that we will need more dialogue and better 
coordination within the U.S. interagency process and with our 
European and Asian donor colleagues to press the interests we 
all share in conducting open and transparent elections.  End 
Summary. 
 
MAKING A POINT 
-------------- 
 
¶2. (S/NF) The U.S. Embassy has taken the lead in advocating 
for transparent and open national elections in 2010 which 
build on the 2005 national elections.  2005 saw the 
opposition take 170 seats in the 547 seat national 
parliament, a dramatic increase over the 15 seats they held 
for the previous decade.  Since 2005, the government has 
enacted laws which limit and restrict party politics, the 
media, and civil society.  While the ruling Ethiopian 
People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition can 
overcome the barriers, the fragmented and under-funded 
opposition parties have found their operations restricted. 
Laws have been passed regulating political financing, access 
to the press, and ability of civil society organizations 
(NGOs) to receive funding from foreign sources and 
participate in the political process.  The April 2008 local 
elections saw the ruling party take over all but three of 
over three million seats.  While many opposition parties 
boycotted the local elections due to incomplete 
implementation of the electoral law, their inability to field 
and register candidates, difficulties in gaining access to 
press coverage and finances, and local law enforcement 
officials failing to investigate the opposition's charges of 
harassment make efforts to correct these problems and push 
forward for a more open electoral process in 2010 ever more 
critical. 
 
¶3. (S/NF) In this context the U.S. Embassy has advocated for 
two essential conditions to which the ruling party and 
national government has agreed but never implemented. 
Interparty talks between the opposition and ruling parties 
have been the pillar of our discussions with the government 
since the 2005 elections and the violent aftermath which left 
193 dead.  Such talks have yet to take place but the NEB says 
a session is being planned for June.  While the ruling party 
has met with some opposition parties, we have stressed that 
all credible parties, not just selected parties viewed as 
cooperative, must meet.  A second condition that we have 
called for is the commitment by the government to investigate 
any and all charges of harassment and general problems faced 
by any prospective candidate or political party.  We have 
stressed the importance of this condition to give confidence 
to the opposition parties to participate and not boycott the 
2010 elections. 
 
¶4. (S/NF) Ambassador spoke separately with Prime Minister 
Meles and Foreign Minister Seyoum on this topic on May 22, 
and at greater length with ruling party coordinator for the 
elections, Communications Minister Bereket Simon, on May 25, 
and National Elections Board chiefs Dr. Merga Bekana and Dr. 
Addisu Gebreizabhier on May 21.  Embassy staff also raised 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00001280  002 OF 002 
 
 
these issues with MFA State Minister Dr. Tekeda Alemu and his 
staff at a private luncheon with U.S. Embassy staff on May 
¶29.  In all these recent meetings, the intent of the U.S. 
Embassy has been to focus the government and ruling party, in 
private discussions, on the importance of preparing for the 
2010 elections and building on positive elements in the 2005 
elections.  While our discussions with the government 
leadership have been positive and cordial, it is clear that 
the ruling party will make every effort to make the electoral 
process favor the ruling party.  It is not clear that they 
truly accept either of the conditions noted above. 
 
¶5. (S/NF)  The American Embassy holds the Chair for the 
Ambassadors and donors group.  With the push by the U.S. 
side, the 2010 elections is one of the top priorities for 
these two groups.  USAID is cobbling together funding for 
international observers.  The European countries have not 
allocated funding and may not send observers.  The African 
Union hopes to send observers, but the government of Ethiopia 
needs to request observers.  The U.S. Embassy has strongly 
recommended the importance of observers. 
 
THE OPPOSITION 
-------------- 
 
¶6. (S/NF) Since 2005, the parliament has passed a series of 
laws which regulate and make it difficult for political 
parties to operate.  It is easier for the ruling party to 
collect finances through its main economic support 
organization, the Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of 
Tigray (EFFORT, reftel), a conglomerate of businesses which 
raises funds for the party.  Conversely, the opposition does 
not have in place such a structured financial support element 
and recent laws bar political parties from receiving 
contributions from businesses.  Further, the opposition is 
highly fragmented, despite the December 29 re-arrest of 
Birtukan Midekssa, who leads one of the largest opposition 
parties.  The opposition parties are making an effort to 
coordinate through the formation of the "Forum for Democratic 
Dialogue" to develop a common position on Ethiopia's 
political future.  Ethnic divisions and personal rivalries 
are making the unity of the opposition parties difficult. 
The U.S. Embassy meets regularly with Forum members and plans 
to meet the Forum during one of its meetings. 
 
GOVERNMENT CRITICISM 
-------------------- 
 
¶7. (S/NF) Prime Minister Meles has been firm in explaining to 
the Ambassador that the government feels that foreign 
missions are pro-opposition and not neutral on domestic 
politics of Ethiopia.  The Prime Minister stressed that the 
opposition cannot complain to foreign embassies to secure 
better conditions for the electoral process.  All parties 
must submit to the same regulations and there can be no 
favoritism or added advantage that provides opposition 
parties with better treatment than the ruling party. 
 
FINAL NOTE 
---------- 
 
¶8. (S/NF) After the ruling party lost Addis Ababa's city hall 
to the opposition in 2005 (though the opposition refused to 
take its seats), it has systematically focused on reversing 
the inroads made by the opposition in time for the 2010 
elections.  While both opposition and ruling parties have 
agreed that the two conditions laid out by the U.S. Embassy 
are appropriate, we will need better coordination within the 
Washington interagency process and closer cooperation from 
European and Asian donors in effectively advocating for the 
ruling party and government to observe and implement 
interparty dialogue and investigation of any problems leading 
up to the 2010 elections.  It is in the interests of both of 
our countries for the conduct of transparent and open 
elections to minimize the growing frustration by the 
electorate and to avoid boycotts by the opposition parties. 
MALAC