When I saw the discord among them (i.e. among the different church communities) and examined it, I realized that the reason for their disagreement was that each side insisted in keeping its own tradition. Neither side was willing to respond to the views of the other with the right words or even to consider them at all, because each thought that the truth was with it.

Is this not what is happening with us today? When one side asks, "What is the question, the other side responds that it is the million dollars that a thief has stolen-a million dollars stolen? We quote the principle that one is innocent until proven guilty only when it suits us. How do we live with ourselves if this is not true, and the person we defame is found innocent? We ask whether this is the King's poodle when a respondent signs her name. Can we fight for the dignity of Ethiopians destroying the dignity of any one with no qualm? Ever since the crisis fell upon us about a year or so ago, we made no movement toward each other; we did not give in an inch, to be able to come together.

Since what we, as supporters, can do is clear and simple-raising fund and lobbying-we fight on who should represent Kinijit outside Ethiopia, an issue of no concern to us. If Kinijit need a representative, let it send its representative, with its budget. The PLO used to have its representatives in many countries and at the UN. Kinijit can do the same. We, the support groups, will have nothing to do with that representative other than lend him/her our help if and when we are called upon. This representative cannot be our leader or receive the fund he/she needs directly from us. We are independent and free money collectors, not money spenders. We will have a leader, if we need one, by choosing one whom we trust. And the fund we raise has to be drawn only by the signature authorized by the party. We should be limited to depositing the fund we raised, never be allowed to withdraw. If we, the supporters, cannot carry out our responsibilities together, let each group do them on its own. Let us meet at the bank when we deposit the money.  Let us meet at each other's fundraising parties. Let us meet at demonstrations. Then we will see what we do is silly.

Now let me address some of the points raised by my critics: I joined Kinijit through AEUP because both AEUP and Kinijit look at an Ethiopian as Ethiopian, not as one from this or that ethnic group or region. I resent anyone coming to the party I support just because he/she has seen in it someone from his/her region. It should be the vision of Kinijit that should attract Ethiopians to the party, not the ethnic background who runs it. I also resent any politician who calls upon people's support because he or she comes from their region. It is a betrayal of Kinijit's vision. Analysts of "The Ethiopian Voter" of the last election (e.g. Leonard R. Arriola, International Journal of Ethiopian Studies III/1 2007, pp. 73-90) have clearly shown that Ethiopians voted for CUD and UEDF because of what the two parties stand for, not because of the ethnic background of people who run them or, as some people with ulterior motives say, without any evidence, that it was a protest vote against the EPRDF for its being in power for too long. Ethiopians want to be treated as Ethiopians. Dr. Beyene Petros is smart enough to see that his call upon his ethnic people to support him, just because he was one of them, did not resonate well with them.

Seblewongel Iyosedek said this: 

Dr. Getachew Haile's rhetoric of hate for Gojjam may endanger the very existence of CUD. Most importantly, he is implanting a poisonous tree which would help Woyanne's regime to rule for ever and ever.  This man was calling names... Tigreans as non-Ethiopians (this was Paul Henz used his statement in US Senate hearing), was exchanging hate letters with a monk from Gondar, and now he is on Gojjam.  Please Read between the lines of this article.  http://www.kinijit.com/static/Book%20Review.pdf

For this man, democracy is all about Shewa's Kingdom.  For him, Ethiopia is synonym with Orthodox Christian Shewan Amhara.  He does not undestnad or not willing to accept elementary concept of democracy. Isn't the term democracy indicates a form of government where all the state's decisions are exercised directly or indirectly by a majority of its citizenry [Shewans and all other Ethiopians] through a fair elective process?  However, for him it is Shewa or nothing...what a shame!

Is there anything in my review of Ato Andargachew Tsige's book that refers to Gojjam and the Kingdom of Shoa? All right, I will accept, if you say you have not read my review to pass any judgment. But can't you trust me at least this much if I say there is not? Well, he has told us where to find it, http://www.kinijit.com/static/Book%20Review.pdf .  Read it. Or are you looking for anything that would help you demonize a member of the other group? If this is the case, why do you complain when people criticize the Honorable Birtukan Mideksa when she, perhaps ignorantly, gave the wrong number of political prisoners in Woyyane prison cells? We should rather join forces to condemn the attempt of Seblewongel Iyosedek and his likes to make Kinijit slide back to what it has overcome. Denial has never been a cure of an illness. Neither blaming me for telling the truth, more of which will soon come out. Listen to the interview with W/ro Nigist.  (  Interview with Negist G/Hiwot Condemning Ethnic Politics.

My critics do not like that I call the TPLF TPLF. YeTigre Woyyanewoch means TPLF, except that YeTigre Woyyanewoch is Amharic and TPLF English. I call them Yetigre Woyyanewoch when I write in Amharic and TPLF when I write in English. I got it from them. They call themselves TPLF when they write in English and HIWOHAT when they write in Tigrigna language. I will continue calling them by what they call themselves until they change their name and MISSION. I do not think they need a Kinijit supporter to hide their identity. They have their own sheep's clothes, though transparent.  Our responsibility is to expose them and their mission that they are Tigeans organized to liberate Tigray from Ethiopia. For them Tigray comes before Ethiopia from which they want to liberate Ethiopia's province of Tigray. As far as I am concerned, any one who does not consider this vicious Woyyane Tigreans  enemies of Ethiopia is an enemy of Ethiopia himself/herself. Just think for a moment of the blood of Ethiopians they shed and the thousands of Ethiopians who are in their jails at this very moment.

Regarding my understanding of the question of struggle for power within Kinijit, shall I say my critics misunderstood me or misrepresented me? What I said was that a struggle for power or a competition for the leadership of the party when a chairman is chosen, is democratic and a must that we should cherish. But if the struggle for power continues after the election of the chairman is over, then this is creating "bitibbit," not "yesiltan shikucha" or "yesiltan timat." But if the question is just opposing the view of the chairman in a deliberation, this is not a struggle for power but a struggle for one's view to prevail. We appreciate that kind of "shikucha" immensely. We do not want in our party yes men and yes women to the chairman or coward people who write him an open letter hiding their identity. Whoever calls the struggle for one's point of view to prevail in a deliberation as "a struggle for power" is dead wrong. At least I do not call it a struggle for power. Please do not say that I did.

Let me give you an example of what I call "yesiltan timat": In her speech in Minneapolis, the Honorable Judge Birtukan Mideksa noticed that Tigreans do not come out to receive the delegation she leads. Never mind how she knew that there were no Tigreans among those who met them; never mind that Tigreans who received then could be offended by her remark. She boldly stated that the reason for their absence was because there have appeared on Kinijit web site articles with condescending words against them.  She apologized for the website on behalf of Kinijit. As soon as she apologized, she declared that the web site does not belong to Kinijit. Any who thinks of himself or herself to be fair and honest should ask: Who is supposed to apologize for Kinijit, she or the chairman? Is this not "yesiltan timat"? Is this not crossing the line? Is this not undermining the power of the chairman who recognizes the web site as the official organ of the party? If the web site does not belong to Kinijit, what business has she to apologize for it? At best she could use her "yesiltan timat" to say that the web site does not belong to Kinijit. Period. To how many un-Kinijit web sites has she apologized?  Has she heard any one from a none Woyyane Tigrean complaining against what is posted on Kinijit.org.?  Has she received any word of appreciation for what she read the statement prepared before she saw who came and who did not? What we heard is otherwise; it backfired. By the way, is it coincidental that she raised the issue in the State where I live or am I flattering myself?

Before I conclude, I would like to remind my critics that conclusion from a certain course of events is not uncommon; all, including them, do it all the time.  That is why I predicted that if the division in them persists, they could be "chica shums" when they go home. Let us hope that they come to their senses and prove me wrong, as their conclusion, with certainty, that my piece will be all over EPRP sites, is clearly wrong.

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