An open letter to Kinijit-USA Governing Council: HG
Firstly I express warmest greetings to the august Governing Council of Kinijit-USA and humbly suggest that you seriously consider the following points. With new alliances and formulations of governance that confronts you, some of you may feel disheartened to the point of feeling incapacitated to even try to correct the wrong that might have been done. However, we ought to be guided by the maxim that “Kinijit is a spirit of freedom”, a maxim that allowed the brave Kinijit party members to boldly participate in an election that many felt was impossible to win but won. That indomitable spirit of the Kinijitians should guide you to work for what is right without fear of any one, and bestowing favoritism or malice to none.
Point. 1. Elect an effective chairperson to run the council meeting. More than the previous two times at which support chapter representatives held meetings, Kinijit issues have become more contentious and intractable. If uncorrected the future is bleak. Electing a chairperson to run the meeting, and for that chairperson to strictly focus on agenda items agreed to by the Governing Council is extremely crucial.
Point 2. Agree on agenda items that support-members propose including at least the following agenda items.
Agenda Item 1 : Regarding the leadership of Kinijit,
and the support group Kinijit-USA.
Item 1.a. The council resolves that the leadership of Kinijit is resident in Ethiopia, and that “we the rank and file supporters of Kinijit assert that the struggle, which is gathering huge momentum, in and outside Ethiopia will continue to center Engineer Hailu Shawel, Woizerit Bertukan Mideksa, Muluneh Eyuel, Dr. Hailu Araya, Professors Yakob Haile Mariam, Mesfin Wolde Mariam, Dr. Berhanu Nega, and all the other jailed members and look to their leadership as the North Star of our ultimate goal -their own release to join the Ethiopian people in their struggle for freedom and liberty. “
Item 1.b. The council firmly
believes in the democratic principle that only those members who are duly
elected by the voters shall serve as leaders. Accordingly, the council resolves
to elect its own executive committee, which shall be called Kinijit-USA. The council authorizes and asks the executive
committee to focus on and work for the unconditional release of the Kinijit leaders that are languishing in the jail at
Agenda
Item 2. Regarding
the formation of the AFD.
Item 2.a. The council appreciates the effort of its chairman for investing time in the formation of an alliance with Ethiopian parties including the ONLF, SLF, and OLF.
Item 2.b. The council resolves to
rescind the Memorandum of Understanding and Statautes
entered on its behalf at
(1) To work for the
unconditional release of the leaders who were elected on
(2) To work for the implementation of the eight-point democratic principles outlined by Kinijit .
(3) To foster one-person-one-vote democracy that operates under the rule of law.
Agenda Item 3:
Regarding empowerment of the executive.
Structural problems, particularly those that recapitulate the components parts of the coalition which formed the Kinijit party, might have disabled the Kinijit-USA executive from functioning amicably and effectively. To circumvent this problem, the council acknowledges only the executive chairman as the liaison officer between Kinijit-USA and Kinijit-Ethiopia. At the same time, the council stipulates that the chairman cannot enter into agreements on behalf of Kinijit-USA without the support of the majority of the executive Committee. Accordingly, any agreements entered previously that were not authorized by the majority of the executive committee are hereby unequivocally annulled. Kinijit being a nonviolent movement has nothing to hide from friends or foes.
Agenda Item 4:
Regarding the formation of an action-oriented Task Force in
The need to have an action oriented task force in
Respectfully submitted
HG