Ana
Gomes is coordinator and spokesperson of the foreign affairs committee
for her political group, the Social-Democrat. With 200 members the
Social-Democrat is the second largest group within the European
Parliament. For Ethiopia and Ethiopians though Ana Gomes is best
remembered for her role as the leader of the EU election observers’ team
during the 2005 crisis-induced general election in Ethiopia. She has
had a troubled relationship with Ethiopia’s late Prime Minister Meles
Zenawi, who she still calls “a dictator,” after she published her report
in which wrote the election was massively rigged. Eight years later,
Ana Gomes came to Ethiopia to participate in the just concluded 26
th
ACP-EU parliamentary meeting. Her arrival in Addis Ababa caught many,
who thought she would never be allowed to set foot in Ethiopia, by a
surprise. Please read her exclusive interview with Addis Standard during
the 26
th ACP-EU parliamentary meeting.
AS - Your question to the development commissioner Andris
Piebalgs was on Ethio-Djibouti road project funded by the EU. The
commissioner replied EU no longer funds road projects in Ethiopia
because construction work is given to companies without auction or given
to friendly companies. What happened to the Ethio-Djibouti road project
at the end?
Ana- Gomes - I don’t know if it was the auction. I raised the
issue because some very concerned European friends told me about that
because there is a lot of money from the European taxpayers which was
supposed to be directed to development that was diverted. I only talked
about the road. But I just confirmed with the EU commission
representative that it’s indeed two contracts; one, a railway between
Addis Ababa and Djibouti; the EU funding was around 45 million Euros,
and two, 50 water tunnels project, by the same company worth 20 million
Euros. The company was an Italian company called CONSTAT. That company
adds Ethiopian Contractors/subcontractors. Obviously it was chosen by
the ministry of finance with EU agreement. It’s a project that has gone
very wrong because nothing has been achieved, and the money has been
deviated. EU has started investigation, arbitration is going on; it
also involved your government. And support has been cancelled. They are
apparently trying to recover the money from the company. But the money
has gone, so the investigation goes on. I was promised for the details
by the European commission. It doesn’t mention road. It’s a bit weird
however that the EU development commissioner mentioned road
construction. And the EU signing new agreement to fund road projects in
Ethiopia is contradictory. I think it’s important to clarify all these
contradictions for the sake of taxpayers in Europe and also for the
Ethiopian people. I am heartened by the fact that PM Hailemariam
[Desalegn] has started taking measures even against the high officials
who are involved in corruption. So I have to find out. In fighting
corruption the main element is transparency. So this element has to be
put out for the people to know. There are some things to be checked.
AS - EU funded hydropower project-Gilgel gibe 3 was
given without auction to Salini Construction, an Italian company. A few
months after it went operational part of it caved in and was closed. The
EU criticized openly the handing out of the construction without
auction. But it didn’t decide not to fund hydropower projects.
Ana Gomes - I am very interested to learn about that. I need
to note down that information. I will find out about it and ask the EU.
I am glad you asked this. I have not been able to follow in detail all
this development processes because I was not in the EU development
committee.
AS - ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly has
democratic agenda. The speaker of the house of people’s representative
of Ethiopia Abadula Gemeda said, “we have achieved a lot in building
democracy, peace and good governance.” Do you buy that? Do you think a
lot has been achieve?
Ana Gomes - No! In many respect I see a lot of the old ways.
Meles was an expert in using jargons such as good governance, the rule
of law, democracy, sustainable development, but in practice doing just
the opposite. It was a smart leadership which uses politically correct
languages for Europeans and Americans consumption. But the practice was
really oppressive. What I saw during Meles Zenawi was a dictatorship. I
have lived in dictatorship in my own country. I believe this persists in
the mind set of many authorities.
But at the same time, I realize there is indeed some opening, some
realization [that] Ethiopia can’t continue this way. Ethiopia needs
change. Even some of the people who have that politically correct speech
that everything has been achieved in Ethiopia in public, in private
conversation with me they acknowledged that Ethiopia needs change, and
that it is the time to really promote important, drastic changes. In
that sense I welcome the move that the PM Hailemariam has initiated the
prosecution of high officials, even a minister charged with corruption. I
hope this will be the first step in the right direction. At the debate
we were discussing the independence of the judiciary. I used the debate
to say that Judicial Independence doesn’t exist in Ethiopia, although
it’s stated. I recalled the judges who flee the country in 2005 because
they refuse to tamper with the conclusion on the inquiry about the
massacre in 2005. They were pressed by the [late] PM and the government
to do that. These were very courageous people who put all their lives
and their families [at risk]. I also highlighted that trials of all
political prisoners but in particular journalists Eskinder Nega,
Wubeshet Taye, Riyot Alemu and others like DebebeEshetu; [political]
leaders Andualem Arage e.t.c. were not fair; all the people [including]
Europeans who were able to be present at some of these trials said they
[the prosecutors] never produced any significant evidence against them
and indeed the trials were not fair. So I hope I have made this appeal
today here.
AS - But they faced terrorism charges…?
These terrorist charges are not credible, so I appeal for their
liberation in the spirit of openness. You have now a sort of dual
register. In public it said one thing in private it acknowledges that
Ethiopia must change. Or Ethiopia needs support to change. In that
context, indeed bold decisions should be taken to liberate these people,
because some of these people are icons of the younger generation. Very
educated, qualified generation which Ethiopia needs to develop itself. I
receive a mail, a standard letter everyday from an Ethiopian who
manages to flee the country and who is somewhere in Kenya, Uganda
….Nigeria asking me to write a letter to the UNHCR saying they need
political asylum. So I know Ethiopia looses the best, most qualified
generation not only because of lack of jobs but because there is
politically closed environment with which these young qualified people
cannot live. I know Ethiopia faces serious terrorist threat as we all
do, Ethiopia in particular because of the neighborhood and the tension
that has been built up by Meles Zenawi between Muslims and Christians
inside Ethiopia which was not an issue in 2005 but in the meantime
became a big source of concern. If the government continues the old
ways repressing this bright, younger people who are now connected to the
world in a way the regime cannot control them via the twitter, and
facebook, and so on. Obviously many of these young people will be driven
into the hands of radicals and extremists. Even to be recruited by
terrorists. It is what we see happening in other countries in the
region. So, it is very important to open up democratically for the
security of the country.
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