Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
The Federal Democratic Oromo movement ( oromiffaa: Warraaqsa Fedaraalistii Dimokraatawa Oromoo, known by the acronym WAFIDO; Amharic የኦሮሞ ፌደራሊስት ዴሞክራቲክ ንቅናቄ, English Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, abbreviation OFD M or OFDM ) is a regionalist and ethnic- nationalist opposition party in Ethiopia, which has set itself the goal to represent the interests of the people of the Oromo.
The party is one of the largest opposition parties. The chairman of the party is Bulcha Demeksa. The leader of the party is Mesfin Nemera Deriesa of the mirab Welega zone.
Ideology
The Federal Democratic Oromo movement laments the marginalization of the Oromo in Ethiopia since the reign of Emperor Menelinks the II. Accusing the ruling Ethiopian People 's Revolutionary Democratic Front of the collapse of the promise of 1991, in which they promised political participation and adequate representation of the Oromo has. At the same time they accused the ruling People's Front for the Liberation of Tigray it is repressive towards the largest ethnic group in the country - the Oromo and the non-compliance of the federal Administrative Division in Ethiopia. Overall, the WAFIDO accepted the principles of the Ethiopian Constitution provides against the state interventionism and is committed to a free market economy in the Oromia Region of Ethiopia is a - at the same time respecting the rights of the workers. In foreign policy it advocates a peaceful neighborhood and cooperation with all neighboring states in the country.
The main demands and goals of the WAFIDO are:
Political activity
In the parliamentary elections on 15 May 2005, the Federalist Democratic Oromo movement gained 2 % of the votes and thus 11 of the 547 seats in the People's House of Representatives. In regional elections in August 2005, however, the party won only 10 of the 537 seats in the regional parliament of the Oromia Region. Party Chairman Bulcha Demeksa announced dauaufhin to boycott the elections in 2008. In spite of the WAFIDO 2008 won a seat for the 116 cities that prevented the elections.
The party founded with other opposition forces ( including the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces under Beyene Petros, the former president Negasso Gidada, the former defense minister Siye Abraha and the ARENA party ), the Alliance Medrek, also known as Forum for Democratic Dialogue.
The WAFIDO accused in June 2008, the Ethiopian government, they ignore the inter-ethnic conflict in the west of the country, which incidentally about 400 Oromo were killed. She described the incident as a massacre and the EPRDF government considered it as accomplices.
The Secretary-General of the Federal Democratic Oromo movement, Jirata Bekele, was arrested in November 2008 along with fourteen other ethnic Oromo, as it were accused of contacts with the banned rebel group, Oromo Liberation Front, as well as a militia, the previously unknown Kawerj. On 4 February 2009, he was released on bail.