Ethiopian Parliament Member Proposes Ethiopian DV Program

January 21, 2010 · Posted in CHEWATA NEWS · Comment

Ethiopian Parliament Member Proposes

DV program for people coming to Ethiopia;

Proposal is “Yesekaram Hasab”, Analyst Says

By WT, CHEWATA’s reporter in Addis Ababa Ethiopia

Copyright Ethiopis.com and CHEWATA

A member of Parliament in Ethiopia from Dessie has proposed legislation in the Ethiopian Parliament that will require Ethiopians who have changed their citizenship and want to come to enter their names in an Ethiopian DV (Diversity Visa) lottery program at the Ethiopian Embassy located in the country they reside in order to be able to stay in Ethiopia beyond 6 months.

Ato Chane Kumelachew, speaking to CHEWATA, said people of Ethiopian origin holding passports of other countries are flocking to Ethiopia in greater numbers than the country can handle and he was concerned that “Agerachin keWuchi ager meroachew bemetu Sewoch Chinik Nek endatel.”

“Look, because the economy is really terrible in America and Europe, these people are just bringing whatever saving they have there and buying up all businesses and houses here and Ethiopia is becoming crowded, ” he said. “Have you seen Addis Ababa lately? It looks like the Amharic speaking sister of Calcutta, India. Techenanekin eko!!”
Under his proposal, only a limited number of people will be allowed visas to enter Ethiopia for stays of 6 months or more by winning what he calls, “The Ethiopian DV program!”. “Just because our country is Yewotalat Chista doesn’t mean you can just buy a one way and 6 month ticket and move in with another country’s passport,” he added. He said he was angry because property value was going through the roofs and only people from America or Europe could afford to buy land and houses. “Bene YeParlama demoz yeferese Chika bet megzat salchil enesu eyemetu fokun hul wosdew cheresut eko, ” he angrily added.

The proposal is expected not to get a majority vote in the Ethiopian Parliament and an angry member of Parliament from Harar, Ibrahim Asnake, said, “Chane eko America DV embi belot new bekenat endih mihonew. His legislation is surely going down.”

Two US passport holders of Ethiopian origin that CHEWATA talked to in the Piassa area of Addis were nervous about the proposal.
“I was laid off from many jobs in America and I thought I would come and just rest here for 6 months with no problem,” said Alemneh Kassa, a US passport holder visiting Addis. “I got my first DV to America in my 8th try,” he explained. “I know with my luck, it will take me 20 years to hit the Ethiopian DV and see my country again if this plan becomes law. I should have kept my Ethiopian passport!”.

A political analyst at Addis Ababa University, Professor Bekele Aregay, said crazy proposals come to the Parliament sometimes but all of them fail eventually. “Ato Chane may mean well but you know this idea won’t get traction beyond his Yetej Bet Guadegnoch,” he explained to CHEWATA.

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King Menelik’s Diary Found in Palace; Details Tell of King’s One Year Resolution

January 20, 2010 · Posted in CHEWATA NEWS · Comment

King Menelik’s Diary Found in Palace; Details Tell of King’s One Year Resolution

By Ethiopis.com Reporter WT in Addis Ababa, © Copyright www.ethiopis.com and CHEWATA

Reports from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia say that an old diary of what is believed to be King Menelik’s diary has been found in Menelik Palace and researchers at AAIH, the Addis Ababa Institute of History are reportedly looking at every piece of detail in this diary “almost 18 hours a day”, said a source. According to the report, the diary found in the palace is dated September 2, 1897 and was written in Amharic. One researcher who has taken a look at this diary said, “it seems to me that this diary was written by an Italian soldier who was a prisoner of the King and was forced to learn how to read and write in Amharic in the King’s Palace.

King Menelik of Ethiopia
“Arba Jiraf for Albertini!” says one line in the newly discovered diary of King Menelik.

It is evident that King Menelik used this Merkogna Ferenj as a personal secretary until his death a few years later.”A great grandson of the King who was reached by Ethiopis.com said that he wouldn’t be surprised if the King indeed had forced a captured Italian soldier to become his personal secretary at the time because, he said, “BeDula tedebdibo keMimot Amaraigna meTsaf yeshalewal!!”

“Arba Jiraf for Albertini!” says one line in the newly discovered diary of King Menelik.

Among the few lines that were taken from the diary which outlined the King’s daily activities and was made public were the following: “September 9, 1897: Accepting the Portugese Ambassador for lunch, and Arba Jiraf for Mata Doni, my favorite Italian prisoner!”

“September 13, 1897: Getting my feet washed by Albertini!”

“October 22, 1897: Eighty Jiraf for TewoldeMeskel, the Askaris I captured in Adwa last year and then lunch!”

“December 12, 1897: relaxing with Tayitu in the morning and another Arba Jiraf for Albertini, yehe Selato!!”

Many historians at the Addis Ababa University said that the diary showed how determined King Menelik was to make the captured Italians “not only read and write Amharic, but also to have one of their own write this diary while sitting at the King’s feet.”

“Arba jiraf for Albertini!!”, says one line in King Menelik’s diary.

Many experts who looked at the diary have concluded that the words in the diary were indeed King Menelik’s who orally conveyed his daily schedules to his Italian secretary.

Dr. Belayneh Shume, a research historian at Unity College in Addis Ababa said, “This diary tells us one key thing about that historic time which is Talianochu fes befes honew new KeEthiopia yeWotut.”

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