The honeymoon for the four parties that make the Coalition for Unity and Democracy came to a dramatic finish with a firework display of invectives and innuendoes flying all over the place. Even the staunchly loyal CUDist, “Tensae Radio” joined in the fray with a stream of invectives at EDUP’s strong-man, Lidetu Ayalew. The adhesive that kept them glued together so far seemed to be giving way to the tug of war between - what official releases described as - “Egoists” and “Fifth Columnists”.

 When Addis Ababa’s bi-weekly “Iftin” kept sustaining its readers with a running story of the bickering and widening rift within the coalition parties of CUD, its critics from Addis Ababa’s private press accused it of fabricating stories by ventilating EPDRF propaganda. However, what has transpired this week within the twilight world of CUD politics shattered “Iftin’s” critics into smithereens. Much to the chagrin of the Opposition, therefore, the ‘periscopic’ account “Iftin” had been publishing in the past couple of months, were indeed picture perfect account of life inside CUD’s board-room.

 The politically verdant and desperate, not to mention, hastily cobbled together CUD, seems to be fighting for its survival as the strongest of the coalition parties, Ethiopian Democratic Union Party (EDUP), refused to cuddle a CUD whose Chairman’s unbridled egoism poses a great threat to the coalition’s very existence. Incidentally, such a fulmination from none other than a Party that has been instrumental in the creation of CUD, has cast serious doubt on the sense of perspective of the Scandinavian chapter of the Network of Ethiopian Scholars (NES), who had unashamedly equated Hailu Shawel with Nelson Mandela. This, of course, is not the first time that the leadership qualities of the Chairman of CUD had come under fierce attack. Thousands of rank and file members of his own Party, All Ethiopia Unity Party, (AEUP) accused the Engineer’s “egoistic and “egotistic” tendencies when they, unsuccessfully, signed a petition in July 2005 to remove him from office. Those who remember his, often bumpy ride with the late Professor Asrat Woldeyess, also echo similar sentiments as those who today accuse him of being out of touch and of leaving no stone unturned to realise his dream of becoming a prime minister.

 The Engineer’s gung ho supporters, on the other hand, accuse Lidetu Ayalew and co. of being “fifth columnists” (Sergo gebotch) and vow to give strength to an already de-caffeinated CUD by forging ahead with the anticipated merger of parties without EDUP. If this is not a mere knee-jerk reaction on the part of CUD’s leadership to EDUP’s adamantine stand, then CUD supporters everywhere should brace themselves to witness a political kamikaze by CUD itself. For CUD to exist without EDUP would be ambition without resource, like mustard without beef. Underestimating the enormous popularity young and fluent Lidetu enjoys over CUD’s geriatric and articulately challenged Chairman would be to engage in an act of folly.

Writing from Addis Ababa, a mere 48 hours after the May 15th Election, under the title of “Poor by Condition Rich by Ambition” (http://aigaforum.com/mulugetak0505.htm) I, as an ordinary Ethiopian citizen, admonished the CUD by stating the obvious: “If you leap into a well, Providence is not bound to fetch you out.” Nothing pains more than CUD’s supporters than seeing the Party of their choice fast leaping into a well, not to say oblivion. Two factors, then, crop out of CUD’s latest ‘soap opera.’ First, the ‘virus’ of blood letting as a means of getting rid of the democratically elected party in Ethiopia seems to have inflicted the two warring factions of CUD. What sort of Ethiopia would be condemned to be governed by a mongrelised and warring coalition would be a nightmare to even think about at this stage. How could an Opposition that cannot bring peace within itself be expected to bring peace to Ethiopia?

The second factor is something that demands rapt attention by the government whose constitutional obligation it is to maintain law and order. While what has taken place within CUD must be music to the ears of EPDRF, the government must remain vigilant as the opposition tries to use euphemisms in order to camouflage its Negedite design of aping the Orange Revolution in an Ethiopia whose internal dynamics, as it is well known, is a galaxy away from the then conditions of a former Soviet satellite.

 EPDRF would, therefore, be remiss of its duty if it were not to realise that under the current politically tensed atmosphere, and with the possibility of an Eritrean incursion hanging over our heads, divided CUD’s “Peaceful Demonstration” can only be a euphemism for blood-letting to catapult leaders who are at war with themselves.