ESAT News (March 22, 2016)
Senior members of the Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO), a member of the ruling coalition EPRDF, said at the end of a marathon meeting over the weekend that Abay Tsehay a senior member of the ruling TPLF, known for his offensive remarks against the people of Oromo, should be brought to justice. The OPDO members hold Abay Tsehaye responsible for the death of hundreds and the detention of thousands in the protest in the Oromia region.
Notorious for his contempt and a person who does not mince his words even in public appearances, Abay Tsehay was on the record, at the start of the protest in the Oromia region four months ago, when he said that his party would go ahead with the implementation of the controversial master plan of city expansion and that any oppositions to the plan would be crushed decisively. He said anyone who oppose the plan would be cut down to size.
Some members at the meeting said Abay Tsehaye was the enemy of the Oromo people and held him responsible for the loss of life in the Oromia region. They also held TPLF responsible for not taking corrective measures against Abay and Getachew Reda, the government spokesperson, who also insult in public the people of Oromo who stood to fight for political and economic rights.
The statement by the OPDO members came as surprise to many and was a departure from their customary role of echoing the rhetoric of the ruling TPLF. The OPDO is seen by the people of Oromo as an organization riddled with corruption and as an instrument for the TPLF’s oppression of the Oromo people.