Since the last election, this bunch has been fighting with each other. For example, Merrara Gudina’s party was split in half and he now has a party that cannot even fill a small Motel bedroom for the party general meetings. Bulcha Demeksa’s OFDN, the same thing, actually his elected members in parliament has abandoned the people they were supposed to represent and showed up on Eritrean TV in Asmara. UDJ the orphan child of old CUD, could not even sit and talk with its old comrades even at the behest of its western Embassy masters has now officially fired half of its leadership and founding members. The Arena party that tries to convince us elections are about getting Aseb Port could not even manage its former comrade Seye Abreha to join its party let alone galvanize the people of Tigray. The ever alliance builder Beyene Petros, who thinks coalition building is just like playing with a Lego has created four coalition party’s since 1993 and have all self destructed since. 
 

Even worse, they now resemble and remind you of privet club for grumpy old men, with big personalities such as a former this and that with no fiefdoms their own. This is not a denigration of old people by any means; it is in appreciation of the wisdom of our elders. As the election got close, they have read the writing on the wall. The wise men have doubts of their electability. You can only get what you saw. They have finally boycotted the election and gone to their constituency   and sent a press release that said:  “Members of the alliance called on Western countries to pressure Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front by threatening to withhold foreign aid.” “We appeal to the international community that what we want is a fair game,” said Merara Gudina, chairman of the FDD.  
 
Are these our leaders? Who call on a sanction on their own people and country? As far as we know even those, who pandered for Mussolini did not make it to Minilik Palace. Wonder what will happen if elected to govern a country and disagree with each other, as they usually do. Will one of them go out order a sanction from the west? Most people know this bunch will never lead Ethiopia and will amount to nothing if they continue with such disregard for Ethiopians. However, I am tickled knowing most of them may not even make it to the next election.

Ultimately, the question is, if these folks really think that some white men will bring them to power in Ethiopia or they just want chaos and finally want to create their little fiefdoms like the Taliban in Afghanistan or the Somali clans. May be we should turn them to an NGO with its own newspaper so that they think they are a de-facto government. 
 

For now though, I am thankful to the former CUD, which in its internal rancor and spite  after the 2005 election,  has managed to give birth to five parties, so I have the many choices to select, and vote,  if I do not like the ruling party. (Aigaforum)