K
Kurt Kemp
Guest
As a candidate for President in the 2008 elections I have been considering many issues, both domestic and foreign and have found that in currently reviewing my position on the current political unrest in Ethiopia there are many things to consider.It is important to understand that Ethiopia is unique among African countries, the ancient Ethiopian monarchy maintained its freedom from colonial rule with the exception of the 1936-41 Italian occupation during World War II. In 1974, a military junta, the Derg, deposed Emperor Haile SELASSIE (who had ruled since 1930) and established a socialist state. Torn by bloody coups, uprisings, wide-scale drought, and massive refugee problems, the regime was finally toppled in 1991 by a coalition of rebel forces, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). A constitution was adopted in 1994, and Ethiopia's first multiparty elections were held in 1995. A border war with Eritrea late in the 1990's ended with a peace treaty in December 2000. Final demarcation of the boundary is currently on hold due to Ethiopian objections to an international commission's finding requiring it to surrender territory considered sensitive to Ethiopia.
This Eastern African nation, west of Somalia is slightly less than twice the size of Texas. It has no coastline and no maritime claims. The climate is influenced by tropical monsoons with wide topographic-induced variation. The geography is mostly high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley. The countries natural resources are small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower. The country has suffered through several evironmental issues including deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management. But is a party to several international treaties on the environment including Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea. Being landlocked Ethiopia's entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean. So that Ethipoia has been in the past and could be in the future a major part of the developement of the Economy of Africa.
In dealing with this nation as President I need to make myself more familiar with the complicated structure of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia or as they call it there "Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik". In the countries capital Addis Ababa (which is 8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) sits a federal republic with 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa , Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples). Ethiopia being the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years. Their latest constitution was ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995. With a legal system of a currently transitional mix of national and regional courts.The president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council. The legal age to vote in Ethiopia is 18. The Legislative branch currently constists of a bicameral Parliament including the House of Federation (or upper chamber) (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or lower chamber) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1, others 6, undeclared 2.
As I am sure you can imagine there are a lot of political parties to deal with in Ethiopia. Such as the Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [TEMESGEN Zewdie] (contains elements of the former CUD); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopian People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; and dozens of other small parties. Not to mention the political pressure groups and leaders like Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa].
Ethiopia also participates like many countries do in world organizations such as ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (as an observer conutry).
Ethiopia's economy is poverty-stricken and it is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004-06. I mean how does the world expect a country to thrive on revenues of only $2.679 billion and expenditures of $3.388 billion; including capital expenditures of $788 million (2006 est.)?
The economy and evironmental factors are one thing but international disputes are another factor that has had negative impact on Ethiopia. In one such case Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia. As a result there has been a great refugee crisis as well that also impacts the country to a great degree. Here is the breakdown on refugees: refugees (country of origin): 73,927 (Sudan), 15,901 (Somalia), 10,700 (Eritrea)
IDPs: 100,000-280,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2006).
Also drugs have played a big part in the problems for The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia because it is a transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center.
So now you can see why I struggle each day as I review my position on the current political unrest in Ethiopia. Because even if I do not become President I would still like to play some small role in helping this once wonderful producer of cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats and fish regain her former greatness! I would like to see all the Ethiopian workers happily back at work in their jobs in the food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, and cement making industry! I can't wait until America is once again buying the coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, and oilseeds that only a great nation like Ethiopia can provide. I would like to see the Christian's (60.8%) and Muslim's (32.8%) traditional peoples (4.6%) and others (1.8%) of Ethiopia get along and work together to not only help themselves but to be able to one day give back to the world that which the world has given them. This is why I struggle so deeply all the time considering not only the political but all forms of unrest that for so long has lingered like a dark cloud that would not rain over the country that is Ethiopia.
--
Thanks!
Kurt Kemp
Checkout The Kurt Kemp For President in 2008 Campaign Website on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/kurtjkemp
My BlogSpot Blog On:
http://kempforpresident2008.blogspot.com/
kurtjkemp2002@gmail.com
"Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it."
---- Lt. John B. Putnam Jr. (1921-1944)
This Eastern African nation, west of Somalia is slightly less than twice the size of Texas. It has no coastline and no maritime claims. The climate is influenced by tropical monsoons with wide topographic-induced variation. The geography is mostly high plateau with central mountain range divided by Great Rift Valley. The countries natural resources are small reserves of gold, platinum, copper, potash, natural gas, hydropower. The country has suffered through several evironmental issues including deforestation; overgrazing; soil erosion; desertification; water shortages in some areas from water-intensive farming and poor management. But is a party to several international treaties on the environment including Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Desertification, Endangered Species, Hazardous Wastes, Ozone Layer Protection signed, but not ratified: Environmental Modification, Law of the Sea. Being landlocked Ethiopia's entire coastline along the Red Sea was lost with the de jure independence of Eritrea on 24 May 1993; the Blue Nile, the chief headstream of the Nile by water volume, rises in T'ana Hayk (Lake Tana) in northwest Ethiopia; three major crops are believed to have originated in Ethiopia: coffee, grain sorghum, and castor bean. So that Ethipoia has been in the past and could be in the future a major part of the developement of the Economy of Africa.
In dealing with this nation as President I need to make myself more familiar with the complicated structure of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia or as they call it there "Ityop'iya Federalawi Demokrasiyawi Ripeblik". In the countries capital Addis Ababa (which is 8 hours ahead of Washington, DC during Standard Time) sits a federal republic with 9 ethnically-based states (kililoch, singular - kilil) and 2 self-governing administrations (astedaderoch, singular - astedader); Adis Abeba (Addis Ababa), Afar, Amara (Amhara), Binshangul Gumuz, Dire Dawa , Gambela Hizboch (Gambela Peoples), Hareri Hizb (Harari People), Oromiya (Oromia), Sumale (Somali), Tigray, Ye Debub Biheroch Bihereseboch na Hizboch (Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples). Ethiopia being the oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at least 2,000 years. Their latest constitution was ratified 8 December 1994, effective 22 August 1995. With a legal system of a currently transitional mix of national and regional courts.The president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits to the House of People's Representatives for appointment candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council. The legal age to vote in Ethiopia is 18. The Legislative branch currently constists of a bicameral Parliament including the House of Federation (or upper chamber) (108 seats; members are chosen by state assemblies to serve five-year terms) and the House of People's Representatives (or lower chamber) (547 seats; members are directly elected by popular vote from single-member districts to serve five-year terms) elections: last held 15 May 2005 (next to be held in 2010) election results: percent of vote - NA; seats by party - EPRDF 327, CUD 109, UEDF 52, SPDP 23, OFDM 11, BGPDUF 8, ANDP 8, independent 1, others 6, undeclared 2.
As I am sure you can imagine there are a lot of political parties to deal with in Ethiopia. Such as the Afar National Democratic Party or ANDP; Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Unity Front or BGPDUF [Mulualem BESSE]; Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party or CUDP [TEMESGEN Zewdie] (contains elements of the former CUD); Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front or EPRDF [MELES Zenawi] (an alliance of Amhara National Democratic Movement or ANDM, Oromo People's Democratic Organization or OPDO, the South Ethiopian People's Democratic Front or SEPDF, and Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front or TPLF); Gurage Nationalities' Democratic Movement or GNDM; Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement or OFDM [BULCHA Demeksa]; Somali People's Democratic Party or SPDP; United Ethiopian Democratic Forces or UEDF [BEYENE Petros]; and dozens of other small parties. Not to mention the political pressure groups and leaders like Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front or EPPF; Ogaden National Liberation Front or ONLF; Oromo Liberation Front or OLF [DAOUD Ibsa].
Ethiopia also participates like many countries do in world organizations such as ACP, AfDB, AU, COMESA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IGAD, ILO, IMF, IMO, Interpol, IOC, IOM (observer), IPU, ISO, ITU, ITUC, MIGA, NAM, ONUB, OPCW, PCA, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNMIL, UNOCI, UNWTO, UPU, WCO, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO (as an observer conutry).
Ethiopia's economy is poverty-stricken and it is based on agriculture, accounting for almost half of GDP, 60% of exports, and 80% of total employment. The agricultural sector suffers from frequent drought and poor cultivation practices. Coffee is critical to the Ethiopian economy with exports of some $350 million in 2006, but historically low prices have seen many farmers switching to qat to supplement income. The war with Eritrea in 1998-2000 and recurrent drought have buffeted the economy, in particular coffee production. In November 2001, Ethiopia qualified for debt relief from the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, and in December 2005 the IMF voted to forgive Ethiopia's debt to the body. Under Ethiopia's land tenure system, the government owns all land and provides long-term leases to the tenants; the system continues to hamper growth in the industrial sector as entrepreneurs are unable to use land as collateral for loans. Drought struck again late in 2002, leading to a 3.3% decline in GDP in 2003. Normal weather patterns helped agricultural and GDP growth recover in 2004-06. I mean how does the world expect a country to thrive on revenues of only $2.679 billion and expenditures of $3.388 billion; including capital expenditures of $788 million (2006 est.)?
The economy and evironmental factors are one thing but international disputes are another factor that has had negative impact on Ethiopia. In one such case Eritrea and Ethiopia agreed to abide by the 2002 Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission's (EEBC) delimitation decision, but neither party responded to the revised line detailed in the November 2006 EEBC Demarcation Statement; UN Peacekeeping Mission to Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), which has monitored the 25-km-wide Temporary Security Zone in Eritrea since 2000, is extended for six months in 2007 despite Eritrean restrictions on its operations and reduced force of 17,000; the undemarcated former British administrative line has little meaning as a political separation to rival clans within Ethiopia's Ogaden and southern Somalia's Oromo region; Ethiopian forces invaded southern Somalia and routed Islamist Courts from Mogadishu in January 2007; "Somaliland" secessionists provide port facilities in Berbera and trade ties to landlocked Ethiopia; civil unrest in eastern Sudan has hampered efforts to demarcate the porous boundary with Ethiopia. As a result there has been a great refugee crisis as well that also impacts the country to a great degree. Here is the breakdown on refugees: refugees (country of origin): 73,927 (Sudan), 15,901 (Somalia), 10,700 (Eritrea)
IDPs: 100,000-280,000 (border war with Eritrea from 1998-2000 and ethnic clashes in Gambela; most IDPs are in Tigray and Gambela Provinces) (2006).
Also drugs have played a big part in the problems for The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia because it is a transit hub for heroin originating in Southwest and Southeast Asia and destined for Europe, as well as cocaine destined for markets in southern Africa; cultivates qat (khat) for local use and regional export, principally to Djibouti and Somalia (legal in all three countries); the lack of a well-developed financial system limits the country's utility as a money laundering center.
So now you can see why I struggle each day as I review my position on the current political unrest in Ethiopia. Because even if I do not become President I would still like to play some small role in helping this once wonderful producer of cereals, pulses, coffee, oilseed, cotton, sugarcane, potatoes, qat, cut flowers; hides, cattle, sheep, goats and fish regain her former greatness! I would like to see all the Ethiopian workers happily back at work in their jobs in the food processing, beverages, textiles, leather, chemicals, metals processing, and cement making industry! I can't wait until America is once again buying the coffee, qat, gold, leather products, live animals, and oilseeds that only a great nation like Ethiopia can provide. I would like to see the Christian's (60.8%) and Muslim's (32.8%) traditional peoples (4.6%) and others (1.8%) of Ethiopia get along and work together to not only help themselves but to be able to one day give back to the world that which the world has given them. This is why I struggle so deeply all the time considering not only the political but all forms of unrest that for so long has lingered like a dark cloud that would not rain over the country that is Ethiopia.
--
Thanks!
Kurt Kemp
Checkout The Kurt Kemp For President in 2008 Campaign Website on Myspace
http://www.myspace.com/kurtjkemp
My BlogSpot Blog On:
http://kempforpresident2008.blogspot.com/
kurtjkemp2002@gmail.com
"Courage is not the lack of fear but the ability to face it."
---- Lt. John B. Putnam Jr. (1921-1944)