The Prosperity Party branch of Oromo regional state of Ethiopia removed Lemma Megersa and Teyba Hassen from executive position
borkena
August 9, 2020
The Prosperity Party branch in the Oromo region of Ethiopia reportedly suspended Lemma Megersa from his position of the executive committee.
The decision came following a party evaluation in the past two days which was led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. The evaluative meeting was closed one; journalists were not allowed to cover it.
Head of the region’s Prosperity Party branch, Fikadu Tesema, who spoke to Oromia Broadcasting Network regarding the meeting, said Lemma Megersa was removed from his position for “failure to discharge the responsibility.”
Apart from Lemma, Teyba Hassen, also executive committee member, and Milkessa Midega who was central committee member of the party are removed from their position on similar grounds; failure to discharge responsibility.
Fekadu Tessema told the local media in the region that those whose suspension is disclosed on Sunday “could return to their positions whenever they are ready to serve to the extent of their responsibility.”
Lemma Megerssa has been serving as the Minister of Defense. And it is unclear if the Prosperity Party is removing him from his ministerial position as well.
Teyba Hassen has served in the past as the Mayor of Sashemene, a city that was ravaged by radical ethnic Oromo youth groups in early July of this year, until Lemma Megerssa picked her as the vice-president of Oromo regional state following the reform movement for which he was believed to be one of the leaders.
Rumor on social media has it that the Oromo region Branch of Prosperity Party is on the verge of a split over ideological line. Some espouse radical ethnic Oromo nationalism – an ideology that is said to be among the reasons for the massacre of over 240 people. Over one thousand residential houses and hundreds of businesses were also burned in multiple cities like Shashemene, Ziway, Batu, and Arsi Negele, among others.
Dozens of Security and administrative officials in the region were arrested following the massacre for failing to defend the lives and properties of thousands of non-Oromo Ethiopians living in the region. In Shashemene, Meron Tesfaye who was in her ninth month of pregnancy was forced to be nude after a mob broke into her residence and beheaded her only because the killers believed that “Amhara baby will not be born.”
The Oromo region Prosperity Party did not say if the “failure to discharge responsibility” of removed leaders is linked to what many Ethiopians believe to be an ethnic cleansing crime committed in July of this year.
News of Lemma’s purge from the party came a day after leaked audio from Oromo regional state meeting unveiled plans of Oromo regional state leaders to Oromize Ethiopia at the expense of the rest of Ethiopians.
Lemma Megerssa and Abiy Ahmed: from political allies to foe
They were among the leaders of the reform movement that, in coalition with members of what was then called Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), brought the Tigray People’s Liberation Front control for the Federal government to an end. in fact, the reform leaders in the Oromo region of Ethiopia, including Abiy Ahmed, were known as Team Lemma to signify that Lemma was the leader of the movement.
As members of the former Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and five other support parties in the regions merged to form a single party, Prosperity Party, the difference between Abiy Ahmed and his former boss Lemma Megersa came to the surface.
In November 2019, Lemma Megersa declared his difference when he appeared on VOA Amharic. Figures with leverage of Political patronage within what was the Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (later Oromo Democratic Party) managed to contain the difference so that it would not cause a roadblock to the reform movement.
As it turns out, the mediation effort did not bring about a lasting solution to the former allies. Lemma is believed to have teamed up, as rumor had it, with the radical ethnic-Oromo politicians whose political ideology contains a great deal of hate.
The political differences between the moderate and the radical ones have now become along which the struggle for power between the Oromo elites are fought.
The radical group has a network, both with the regional government structure and outside of it, to wreak havoc in the region by exploiting radicalized ethnic Oromo youth, Qeerroo, against non-Oromo.
The moderate Oromo group which is now the creme de la creme of the Federal government, including the Prime Minister, on the other hand, seems to have an interest, based on their stated stand, to enforce the rule of law in the region.
“No one is above Ethiopia,” the Prime Minister declared during his appearance in the parliament last month, which remains to be seen in the months to come.
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I always had doubt about Lemma’s trustworthiness. Sweet talked about ‘Ethiopiawinet Sus’ as cover for his own OLF agenda. Last time Mohammed created havoc by appealing to his uneducated/unemployed/unemployable group called ‘querro’, the first person he called was the defense minister named Lemma Megersa. How come? Did the two have ‘working relationships’? And how come Lemma never uttered about the widespread destruction of property and lives following killing of the singer?
House cleaning should not stop here…. Abiye must continue with internal cleaning of his own party, including by removing Shimeles Abdissa who was reported to have declared in private the Prosperty Party was in fact OPDO by another name. What would the other members of the Prosperity Party think now that Shimeles declared that?
Abiye is a forward thinker. He offers solution to the multiple problems afflicting the nation, including how to transform the economy. Unfortunately, very few in his party and/or opposition have similar caliber. Shimeles Abdissa and cohorts fall in the latter category too. For example, Shimeles and his colleagues have no new ideas about improving agriculture, reducing poverty, generating employment, expanding and improving education, expanding and improving infrastructure, and the like. I would have thought they would use the newfound power of self governance to demonstrate to the people how Oromia is now developing faster than when the ‘neftegna’s’ were in the drivers’ seats, but instead they are at complete loss. They have no clues since they do not have semblances of professional competencies. And so they continue trading on the old political complaints by taking pages from the likes of OLF, EPRP, TPLF, EPLF (Eritrea), and Meison (Haile Fida). Hopeless bunch….
As a footnote, I want to remind the readers not to forget how the roots of Ethiopian politics today were Tigrian and Eritrean students of the 1960s. The student leaders then were coalition of Tigrians and Eritreans based on their own political goals, but rest followed like heard of animals. The current generation of politicians seem to keep following on that tradition, rather than charting their own based on the changed international political realities and Ethiopians’ contemporary needs.
It is a shame such a huge country can not produce “smart” political leaders and original thinkers.
Lemma Megersa is being punished for saying” ኢትዮጵያ: ሱሤ: ነች”:: he was instrumental for getting rid off the fascistic and tribal regime of woyane, without one bullet being shot, I admire him greatly, a true patriot.
GOD bless you Lemma.
GOD bless ETHIOPIA and the world
That country, that gem of the colored owes this young man, Gedu and their patriotic team members a lot for standing up to the former despots in 2016 and until 2018. This is the same man who courageously declared feeling and being an Ethiopian is like a drug addiction with no available treatment. Was he clobbered by the bigots everywhere for saying that!!! He was called all kinds of pejorative names by bigots including those who are now in prison. We should also remember that except for the very few, most cabinet members are jack of all trades and wear many hats. They have work to do assigned to them as part members and are still expected to perform their duties as ministers. I see that to be a problem in either short of long run. I never liked such knee-deeping. You can also call that double dipping. Their loyalty will always be in question when it comes to common national issues during crunch time that we see today. That is why it is too early for me to form an opinion about this story. The defense forces under his command are facing challenging time in many fronts. I can see how the position of commanding such huge and armed to the teeth force could be a pressure cooker by itself. I see his being relieved from his party’s duties as something very positive. Now he will have no problem to perform his duties as a defense minister as neutral and as fair to all. But still I would like to see and hear more to the story from reliable resources. And I have my own reasoning that hit close to home. There is no doubt that innocent citizens who happened to profess the noble religion of Christianity were purposely targeted and murdered in cold blood. I have that verified myself thru my merchant relatives the same way I did in 1992-94. I am also aware that several citizens who were followers the religion of peace, Islam were targeted and murdered in the most barbaric ways just like their Christians fellow citizens their only crime being not being Oromos. Stores, Mini buses, hotels and other private businesses were singled out and torched to the ground just because the owners are ‘Oromos’. Among these stores one of them happened to belong to my own close relatives. He was targeted because they just did not like him or think he is not their active supporters. A father of four who built up his small store with his sweat and blood lost it all in a flash. They looted everything in the store and trashed everything inside. He told me the looters were not Amharas, Afars, Somalis or anyone else except all of them were young Oromos. He tried to scream at them and protect his only means of making a living. As it is, in this time corona virus his daily was drastically down and barely scraping enough to bring the dough home to his family. If he was making just a single dollar every day, but now he has nothing to offer. Nothing. But help is on the way for him. Now my wife and I have to dip into our retirement fund to help him. My other merchant relatives are also pitching in. This is not the first time where one of my own relatives fell victim to these mobs of vagabonds. Another one who owned a mini bus had lost his means of making a living when it was torched down by the same bunch of hoodlums during the 2016-18 protests. He was purposely targeted and his mini bus was turned into ashes. They were not Amharas, Tigrayans or anyone else but the same young truants who happened to be born to Oromo parents. I did not want to tell their stories because I thought it could be picked up by bigots to discount the whole thing, the true claim that Christians were also targeted as well as non Oromos although it aches my heart that no one is talking about such stories. These bigots have already picked up such incidences and you can see them denying the massacre. The one who lost his mini bus is back on his feet because everyone in my family of merchants pitched in including my wife and me. I can guarantee you that it will be just a matter of time before the latest victim gets his small store humming. But he promised every one of us that it will never happen again without a fight. He may take ten of them with him and then they can have it.
This has nothing to do with the topic above. I was wondering if you folks have caught the latest drift from the Biden camp regarding his possible(top picks) as his running mate. I have been ‘umm-ing’ here. It is very interesting! Very, very interesting. They said he will make an announcement in the next few days. In any case and whoever is his choice, there will be a lot of voters saying ‘what?’ Stay tuned yo’all!!!
Thanks Abiy for removing idiots from their position this should include Mustofe umer,Shimelis Abdissa & the coward Demeqe Mekonnen then ethiopias transition will continue provided that you include tplf in prosperity party other wise you will be wiped out again.
Radical, hate, massacre , oromo nationalism … are massages from your text … indicates you are targeting/attacking this group, not ethical journalist, without equality justice and freedom fake accusations never work imperial neo nexenya/fascist Ethiopia is a day dream, pp is void/noll
It seems that darkness is clearing slowly taking time but surely we will be there. Abiy carry in his boats a lot of junks which in civilized terms should have been dumped long time agooo. The gangrin should be amputed never to infect the healthy part I assume!
It was indeed strange when Lemma did not give a single official statement after the destruction and killing that happened last month. He seemed like a man of honesty and integrity so we hope he still is.
Let me divert your attention temporarily to another topic: the GERD and US’s stand on it.
Over the last six months, the US had sought to undermine the progress of GERD through threats and obvious support for Egypt. That had rightly angered Ethiopians, particularly given the declared long standing ‘close relationships’ between the two countries. A famous past US secretary of State named Dulles (for whom the Dulles International Airport near Washington, DC is named) was reported to have had a motto that stated ‘there were no permanent friends in foreign diplomacy but only permanent national interests’. That seems to be right on the mark as it applies to US’s stand on the GERG.
The Trump administration is transparent in its intent to use Egypt for advancing the president’s Middle East foreign policy by swaying the Arab World’s anger towards annexation by Israel of the Palestinian land and moving the embassy to Jerusalem. That seems obvious enough. But there is yet another, perhaps less obvious, reason that has to do with China.
Over the last decades, China has emerged as an important economic and political ally of Ethiopia, which China also saw as gateway to the rest of Africa. I believe the US saw that as threat to its own national interests, and might have decided to punish Ethiopia for it. China’s participation on construction of the GERD could have been the nail on the coffin.
The Trump administration seems to be determined to stop (or reverse) China’s emergence as world class economic and technological power. In the theory of international trade, China’s emergence should be viewed as being good for world economic efficiency and benefits for humanity, but apparently that theory is to be good, according to Trump and the State Department, only and if only the likes of traditional adherents of the theory (western economies) continue to be the exclusive or dominant beneficiaries. Parenthetically, US saw China’s Belt and Road initiative, meant to connect the world and promote global trade and economic development, as a threat to its interests rather than source of good for the world.
The US seems to have decided to confront China on all fronts: politically (read Hong Kong and Taiwan), economically (tariffs and quantitative restrictions), technologically (branding companies as security threats), diplomatically (revenging or threatening countries from dealing with China). I think Ethiopia is caught in that net.
No matter, Ethiopia should continue pursuing her own national interests, and not let others tell her how to manage her affairs. Policy of non-interference in other countries’ affairs in the pursuit of national interests should be the standard, and not let herself be used to advance the interests of foreign powers.
This is a truly credible argument. However, I do not think you did not address the drawbacks of china’s emergence in Africa and how china has a lot of brutal national interests that could have long-lasting damage to the regions, which includes Ethiopia.
To Bill Smith….Would you be kind enough to share your insight into why you thought “….China could have long-lasting damage to the the African regions”? I know the argument about the dangers of indebtedness but that issue applies to all lenders, including the World Bank, IMF, USA, European Union, and even international bond holders. And so China’s investments in African would have the same consequences. None of the funds from those institutions/organizations had long lasting impacts on the economies of the recipient countries, other than burdening them with debt service. How would China’s money do more damage than those from the other multilateral and bilateral lenders? What do the cost/benefit analysis from each lender compare with China’s?
I have no problems with the “brutal national interests” of China. Same applies to all nations. Ethiopia’s interests should also be grounded on promotion of “brutal national interests”; the world is not governed by saints.
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Did you even read what you wrote??
You are targeting/attacking oromo nationalism group, this Unethical of journalism taking aside you should be a natural to all. Stop spreading fake news about Shashamane. First of all the lady you mentioned (Moran Tasfye) she wasn’t beheaded she died from Cardiac-arrest.
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Fake news!!!!
Lemma Megersa had no qualification to become a politician or a top gun/Defense Minister . Lemma Megersa was from the start was just an errand boy of Worqneh Gebeyehu snitching to Worqneh Gebeyehu against Oromos who opposed Woyanes to get paid with Woyane’s leftover crumbs being thrown at Team Lemma, until today Lemma Megersa been faithful for Worqneh Gebeyehu.
The ex president of Oromia Worqneh Gebeyehu and team Lemma Megersa were instrumental in getting the real Querro killed by PM Hailemariam Desalegn (Woyane) .
The real Querro who got killed by Woyane and PM Hailemariam Desalegn were replaced by fake (Johnny Come Lately FAKE ACTIVISTS WHO STOLE THE NAME Querro).
The fake Querro team which team Lemma and Jawar created turned out to be genocidal barbarians killing Amaras while the real Querro saved the Amara victims , the genocide victims are recuperating in their homes hidden from Lemma’s soldiers who are looking for the genocide survivors so details of the genocide do not get told to journalists .
According to the Medemer freaks EPRDF got dissolved and became PP to bring all ethnicities under one national umbrella . At the same time generations students in Oromia’s schools are being thought ANOLE until today found in children’s history books , the Anole history was put in Oromia’s schools while student in other parts of Ethiopia do not get thought this Anole history .
Abaye Abiy start teaching the Oromo generations the true history of Ethiopia . In Oromia’s middle school and junior high schools, the Oromo children in Oromia had been thought officially in schools that Emperor Menilik committed savage acts cut Oromo women’s breasts , with his nephtegna settlers cutting breasts of Oromo women known as the Anole for decades Oromia ended up drinking milk from dobkeys according to these Smile history, detailed in children’s history books as part of the Oromia region’s curriculum .
If this Anole is thought in schools within Oromia only and not thought in other parts of Ethiopia , it shows it was done to divide Oromos from other Ethiopians, purposely done to exacerbate the ongoing genocide in Ethiopia which lasted for close to three decades.
Reform the curriculum !
Tear down the anole monuments in Oromia!
Call the ongoing genocide “an ongoing genocide”!
Serve Ethiopian generations right by reducing cost of living , Abaye Abiy take economic reforms with poor Ethiopians in mind , the economic reforms should not always only be dictated by lobbyists sent by billionaire business investors !
Abaye Abiy mogne nehh telala
EPRDF ayaschilewum serqo kalbela
Tamwal telekfwal EPRDF/PP besirqot
Tana endetelekefew beimboch Mela teftot
Medemer freak honenal bil EPRDF
Kalserequ tezegajitewal lamakuref
Abaye Abiy Medemeru qertobachew beqitu konenachew
Enquwan leserequt leasaredutim alqoreqorachew
Minew Geda Construction Plc. tekaw METECin
KeAbaye Abiy temesatero shomot liyasborebur GERDin
Minew Takele Uma afenaqele Amaran ke Addis Ababa
LeQuerro begef metaweqiya iyadele endiwer endiyadeba
Reading the whole article and some of the comments below it absolutely revolting. A journalist who is clearly speaking half truths with not even 1 credible source mentioned and clear to everyone that this person is biased calling for hate against Qeerros for merely protecting what belongs to them. Accusation against Lemmaa, that’s another point that you should do research about before accusing anyone. You speak of lies told by the prosperity reps to the public and actually have no idea of whats happening inside those meetings. If you want to say something how about you speak of the fact that a political activist Jawaar Muhammad is arrested and they are looking for a crime to accuse him with. They “paying” people to be a witness against him behind a curtain with no cross examination. How about the facts that the fact that in Wolaiyta there about 24 people killed by the governments forces for protesting in their own region.
And that women you said was “behaded by the Oromo youth” that would cost you your journalism certificated if you truely are one because that has no bases and i can share multiple sources and actual dates on papers of how she died and how long ago she died.
Please do not misinform people to turn people against one another carrying a name of a journalist. Do properly investigation and dont be biased in your reports!