The media's the most powerful...

Most Ethiopians believe Ethiopia is being held hostage to the illegitimately-elected authoritarian and ethnic apartheid regime of the TPLF/EPRDF. During the last national election, the regime claimed they won by 99.6%. They are accountable to no one for these figures or for their methods for staying in power; however, a system of spies has been put in place to report opposition activity from the federal level to the neighborhood level. This was in effect during the pre-election period and continues today; essentially eliminating all political space.

Following the election, Human Rights Watch conducted an investigation on the political use of foreign aid and found overwhelming evidence that aid was used to reward party members and the withholding of such things as food, seed, fertilizers, agricultural resources, jobs and education to non-party members was used to punish political dissenters.

There is no question as to the abuse of funds;particularly if one leaves the choreographed sites and staged witnesses the regime is known to produce. For us Ethiopians, these are our family members, community members and friends who provide the substantiation of this report. One needs only to view the absurd results of the election via the make-up of the parliament. The TPLF/EPRDF regime controls all but one of the seats out of 547.

The only newspaper, radio station and TV station are all controlled by the regime. Technology is also controlled. Access to the Internet (0.5%) Ethiopians Want Security is among the lowest in the world; about seven times behind the African average with the government being the only provider; limiting access and closely monitoring use. Internet opposition websites are all blocked. The rate of mobile phone usage (5%) is one of the lowest in Africa; twenty times less than leading African countries and even lower than war-torn Somalia which has not had a government for the last twenty years and is considered a failed state. This is the Ethiopia Wendy Sherman alluded to as a democratic few weeks ago.

Obang