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14 October, 2007
CUD chairperson Engineer Hailu Shawel dismissed reports of an ongoing mediation effort in the United States to reconcile the differences between him and a splinter group of the party made up of five of its top ranking members.
Hailu also added that if there was going to be any talks between him and the group comprising of first vice chairperson Birtukan Mideksa, Dr. Berhane Nega, Dr. Hailu Araya, Engineer Gizachew Shiferaw and Ato Biruck Debebe, it was going to take place back in Ethiopia and not in the US.
Last week, reactions began to be published on the different websites which support each group respectively regarding a 15-minute contact which took place between the chairman, who was in hospital, Birtukan Mideksa, Dr. Hailu and Biruck.
Supporters of the chairman said that the three had intended the visit as a “political stunt” and they had reneged on further talks which were to take place later.
Supporters of the group, which is now dubbed the G5, said that the three visitors had been intentionally delayed from meeting the chairman so that their schedule to fly out of Minneapolis would clash with the arrangement.
Then followed a statement posted on one of the sites, allegedly by Ato Fikre Tolosa, who said he was dismayed because his effort to mediate between the two sides was being affected by supporters who were waging verbal war.
“There is no mediating group as is being reported. The only person who asked me to speak with these people is Ato Solomon Bekele. And he is the only person that I have spoken with regarding this issue. It is useless to be talking of other people because there has been no other person that I have spoken to about this issue. Ato Fikre has never spoken to me, not even over the telephone. If you want the truth, ask him too. It amazes me how one can be a mediator under such circumstances,” Hailu said during an interview he held in Pal talk with his supporters.
Responding to whether he was willing to hold talks with the other group, Hailu said that it was inappropriate to be holding such talks in the United States since all other members of the party had to also be present during such undertaking. He said if there was going to be any talks it was only going to happen here in Ethiopia.
“The problems within the party will never be solved through outbursts of statement we make in public here in the US. If lasting solutions are to be brought then we have to go back to our country and discuss the issue in the presence of other members. Anything other than that will just be a futile attempt to fool the public. Whatever repairs are made that way, will only crack shortly after,” Hailu said on Monday.
Responding to a question relating to the issue of the type of leadership in CUD, which apparently is the bone of contention between the two sides, Hailu said: “Collective leadership does not mean that the top leader is left empty handed. [The need for collective leadership] depends on time and circumstance. The type of collective leadership that some of those among us are talking about is not collective leadership, it is an illegal leadership. CUD had 60 members in its supreme council; those who called for a meeting are only 19. Of the 19, 15 had already discussed and agreed amongst themselves and are saying they are the majority. The party bylaw however provides that 19 people do not represent a full quorum. Whatever decisions that the 19 make under such circumstances can not be considered as collective leadership.”
Late September, the first vice chairman had pleaded with the chairman for a face to face talk saying that it was the only way they could resolve their differences.
Hailu said that during the Minneapolis 15-minute meeting his expectations
were to hold further talks at a later time, the visiting three however had
informed him that they had to rush out of the city due to urgent matters.
No statement was issued by the Birtukan Mideksa side until The Reporter went
to press late on Thursday.
By Namrud Berhane - Ethiopian Reporter