The Associated Press Friday, June 20, 2008 –ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: Opposition politicians are forming a party similar to the alliance that presented the most credible challenge to date to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s 17-year hold on power, the party’s leader said on Friday. Read also in Amharic: [ልዩ ጥንቅር - የመሪዎቹ አጭር ታሪክ] [60 የብሔራዊ ምክር ቤት አባላት]
The Unity for Democracy and Justice party will contest the 2010 general elections and is confident of winning, said Birtukan Midekssa, the party’s chairwoman.
Many of the people who made up the main opposition alliance that won the most seats that any opposition group has won in the Ethiopian lower house of Parliament in 17 years are now members of the Unity for Democracy and Justice party, Birtukan told journalists.
“If you talk about the minds and the hearts of the people, I don’t think the (ruling party) is bigger than us,” Birtukan said. “If you talk about the head count, maybe.”
Birtukan said they have applied to the National Electoral Board to be registered as a party.
In 2005 elections, what was then the main opposition alliance, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, won 109 seats in the lower house of parliament. That was more than any opposition party has won since Meles took power in 1991. But allegations of electoral fraud prompted protests during which government security forces killed 193 protesters.
More than 100 leaders and members the Coalition for Unity and Democracy were arrested and charged with treason. Diplomats and Ethiopian elders negotiated a deal under which the opposition members pleaded guilty to the charges and asked for pardon before the government released them last year.
Meles and his Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front first came to power in 1991 when they ousted Marxist dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam after a 17-year insurgency.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:55 am
I am sure that my compatriots in Ethiopia know how to read between the lines. At least, this article will allow them to know that a new party is formed, and that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
June 21st, 2008 at 10:53 am
It is told so many times it is a fake Party without public base reqiured to enjoy the election genuinely to make woyanne stay for power for the next ten years.
June 21st, 2008 at 11:36 am
Eliase,
read an interesting view about you written by Ephrem Mandebo. A lot of credit to Ephrem Mandebo. You are unethical, destructive. i agree with ephrem
June 21st, 2008 at 2:30 pm
It is a confrmation time for Tabloid websites like EthioMedia,Ethiopian review,Ethiomedia forum etc..polarized in their outlook as if they were not together working full time in disentgrating The Kinijit when the delegates were in US for their first visit.
ማፈርያ ሁላ!!
You will be exposed yet!!
June 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Kinijit Meeting is being held succesfully in Addid.
June 21st, 2008 at 9:34 pm
Go to www.Ethiolion.com and see the Kinijit conferance in Addis Ababa rather than wasting your time on the fake Party existance.
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:09 am
Doma,
You name explains what type of person you really are. Who in the world recommends ethiolion? Eng Hailu’s Era has been gone for a while now. Wake up and don’t act like your name. Use your mind and work to help this poor nation. UDJ is moving an extra step while your kinds are still involved in smear politics.
UDJ for Life
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:25 am
Dear Muket & Doma
I hope u do not know What u r talking about, while UDJ is the real representative of all of us u r sharing the same distructive idea like Elias Kifle. Hailu shawel will no more be part of the political arena, coz. he served woyanne in dividing our party & surrender himself to woyane. However we all r with the true leaders of UDJ(Kinijit). So stop ur distructive & divisive actions like woyane.
Victory for UDJ
Victory for G7
Down with woyane & sympethizers!!!!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 3:19 am
UDJ ? what the hell is that ? Kinijit is the result of 17 years struggle led by Eng. Hailu shawel and Prof. Asrat.
Brtukan joined kinjit in the last minute and created Chaos. She is weyane civil college graduate with no experience.
you can follow the general assembly meeting live from Addis in Tegbar and Diaspora Rooms.
June 22nd, 2008 at 6:12 am
አሁን Ethiolion dot com ዌብ ሳይት ሆኖ ነው ሰው እንዲያነበው recommend የምታደርገው??
የእሱ, Ethiolion dot com ስራ የሰው ስም ማጥፈት እንጅ ስለዎያኔ የሚያወራውን አያውቅም:: ለEthiolion dot com ጠላቶቹ እንደነ ዶ/ር ብርሀኑና አንዳርጋቸው ጽዪ የመሳሰሉ ግለሰቦች ናቸው እንጅ ወያኔ አይደለም::
Ethiolion dot com has missed the target and he is shooting on the Bushes.
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:06 am
Burtukan is a typical woyanne boot-licker and political darling of Killer Melese Zenawe.UDJ is a brain child of Yamamato who spent much of his time in creating havoc and disintegration within Kinijt proper through his big time stooges .He made it .Now what more ? He again brought to life
another group called Guinbot 7 whose mission is to pacify and dispel confusion within the forces and fighters confronted woyanne with arms
because they have been pledged 20 million dollars .As to the 20 million verify from Debebe Eshetu
June 22nd, 2008 at 12:13 pm
Now Birtukan will write her love letters to meles
he might buy her a new sedan now 
Come on you must be kidding me….Birtukan is a lady with no experience and no substance at all. How do you expect her to represent Ethiopian struggle? The rest of Kinijit members like Engineer Hailu Shawul have a broader base even in unfriendly regions like Afar and Somalia,while Birtukan was siping coffe in Addis bars.
Come On! Ethiopians we better focus on the common enemy instead of tearing each other down,being partisan along racial lines and smaller groups won’t feed those starving children in ethiopia,won’t build schools….shame on us……we oughtta be a very strong hand for the poor but we tend to be selfish and partisan…shame!!!!!!!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 1:16 pm
we have to be carefull and watch Elias Kifle of suppoprting shabia and Somalia which is our historical Enemy. i doubt he is pro UNITY. I personally opposed all ethnical Liberarion front rebels.
DOWN WITH TPLF(WOYANE) the worst east African Cancer.
DOWN WITH EPLF(SHABIA) Arrogance.
DOWN WITH OLF
DOWN WITH ONLF
DOWN WITH ALL ethnical based movement.
UNITED ETHIOPIA FOREVER!!!!!!
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:50 pm
VOIDING AND CANCELLING AMHARIC LANGUAGE AS ETHIOPIAS NATIONAL LANGUAGE IS VITAL MOVE TO ACCELERATE DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS IN ETHIOPIA.
“Ethiopias National language should immediatelly be changed from minority Amhara language (Amharic) to Ethiopias Majority (Afaan Oromoffiaa).
Beside, Why should we oromos forced to learn and speak Amaras minority language within our own territory and land ?
June 22nd, 2008 at 9:53 pm
MR. Truth to be told,
Do not forget to add Kinjit with your “DOWNing”,
Down with Amharas tribalist party (Kinjit) ! ! ! !
94% of Kinjit`s leadership totally dominated by Single Tribe(Amhara Tribe).
June 22nd, 2008 at 11:49 pm
What is Ms. Bertukan`s position when it comes to Ethiopias national language issue ?
I know she is Oromo, But is she pro Amharic or pro Oromigna language ?
June 23rd, 2008 at 10:43 am
truth to be told
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:11 pm
Oromiffa , amariffa is not going to take you any where.
Yilik arfachihu tebaberuna siru, min aynet hizib endehonin bicha alakim.
Ewiket eyaliew yemayitekem,
Ayin eyalew yemayay,
anget eyalew yemayzor,
Sira molto yemaysera,
Wore bewere yemifeche,
Kebero tishalalech kenante.
Sidib akumuna tewadeu, tefakeru mejemeria, keziya Ethiopia titenekiralach!
Min largachihu?
June 23rd, 2008 at 6:38 pm
I am wondering where Muluneh Eyoel is. He is not the member of the elected officials. Does any body knows the where abouts of this wonderful son of Ethiopia who paid so much for the struggle?
June 24th, 2008 at 12:49 am
Oromos and Amaras should not fight over the language issue, here is my solution as it follows–
Who is the majority in Ethiopia “Amara tribe” or “Oromo tribe” ? ?
If it is Amara then Ethiopias official language should be amharic. But if Ethiopias majority is Oromos then we must accept oromigna as Ethiopias official language.
June 24th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Mr, Gambella.
you must be shabias agent cause i did not attacked anyone based on their ethnics. i can asure you onething about the United Ethiopia will be forever believe me you have to kill us all before your are succeded. yes ofcorse i am 100% Amhara(ethiopiawi) what is wrong with it. it is not only the amhara who cares about united Ethiopia but everybody.
DOWN WITH SHABIA! EAST AFRICA CANCER
DOWN WITH WOYANE! PARASITE
DOWN WITH ONLF! AREB SLAVE
DOWN WITH OLF! BANDA
DOWN WITH THE ENEMIES OF ETHIOPIA!
ETHIOPIAWINET LEZELALEM YENORAL!