H.R. 2003

What is H.R. 2003 Ethiopia Democracy and Accountability Act of 2007?
H.R. 2003 is a bill that deals with Freedom Democracy and Human Rights in Ethiopia.

What is the aim of the Bill?
The aim of H.R. 2003 in Ethiopia is to:

1. facilitate the unconditional release of ALL political prisoners of conscience.
2. institute democratic reforms and accountability.
3. help restore the democratic rights of the people.
4. strengthen human rights and civic society organizations.
5. establish permanent human rights monitoring and reporting processes.
6. increase the independence of the judiciary.
7. create and support a judicial monitoring process, with special focus on unwarranted government intervention in strictly judicial matters.
8. prosecute human rights abusers, torturers and murderers, and bring to justice the killers of 193 innocent men, women and children and those who wounded 763 others in the post-2005 election period.
9. improve election procedures and insuring fraud free elections.
10. remove press censorship and ensure full freedom of the press.
11. repeal specific restrictive press laws.
12. establish a program to strengthen private media in Ethiopia.
13. offer training programs for democratic participation.
14. limit the use of U.S. security assistance to peacekeeping and counter-terrorism and NOT against the civilian population.
15. foster economic development.
16. help establish a program to provide legal support for political prisoners and prisoners of conscience.
17. provide assistance to strengthen local, regional, and national parliaments and governments, political parties, and civil society groups.
18. strengthen training for political parties in the areas of organization building and campaign management;
19. provide training for civil society groups in election monitoring.
20. promote dispute resolution by means of dialogue, negotiations and compromise, and
21. professionalize the National Election Board to help it address certain issues, e.g. issues delimitation of constituencies, voter and candidate registration, political party registration, voting irregularities and challenges, etc.,

"The one central fact about H.R. 2003 that needs to be underscored and understood by everyone is that the only time the law will apply to suspend U.S. aid to Ethiopia is if the regime fails to meet specific human rights provisions, or does not make adequate general progress in their pursuit and achievement (e.g. release of all political prisoners, establishment and operation of an independent judiciary, prosecution of human rights abusers, operation of media without censorship, establishment of an independent national elections board, free operation of human rights organizations, etc.,). The law is very lenient and accommodating. If the regime fails to comply, the President of the United States could waive application of the law completely, regardless of the human rights situation in the country, if he deems it appropriate in the national interest of the United States. In other words, the bill has built-in grace period for compliance with its provisions."

Prof. Almariam

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