In its press release disseminated on Aug. 16, 2007, the OLF Executive Committee [TA-OLF] informed its readers that the case against it, filed in a MN court on July 19, 2007 by the Asmara group, has been dismissed “without prejudice.” Dismissal without prejudice is "when a case is dismissed but the plaintiff is allowed to bring a new suite on the same claim". In other words, the Asmara Group may file the same law suite again if they so wish.
According to this press release, the case was dismissed “after two days of court appearances” and “before the originally planned hearing date of 16th August 2007.” However, the press release did not explain the legal basis for the dismissal.Claiming it was forced to speak out on this issue to counter what it called “the continuous misinformation that has been disseminated by the Asmara Group” regarding who initiated the court case, TA-OLF said it was “forced to mount a defense as the law of the land requires” only after the Asmara group filed a complaint against it.It goes on to say “As far as the OLF [TA-OLF] is concerned, it is NOT for foreign courts to determine who is OLF and who is not. This is a case that can be decided ONLY by the Oromo people. If it were up to the OLF [TA-OLF], no funds raised in the name of the Oromo struggle would be squandered on frivolous court cases like this one.”The press release concluded by thanking its members and supporters, and also by calling on members of the Asmara Group OLF “to do the dignified thing and say enough is enough” to the Asmara Group and join the TA-OLF.This blogger received news of the dismissal with relief. In this blogger’s opinion, no interest of the Oromo people can be served by wasting time and other resources on taking another Oromo organization to court. It is not the time for Oromo political forces to take their brethren to courts, but for them to take Meles Zenawi and his cronies to court. Neither is it the time to waste thousands of dollars on lawyers for something no legal solution can be found. Even if the MN court had confirmed one of the groups as “OLF” what good would that be if the Oromo people do not accept that group as OLF? Why not wait for the Oromo people’s ultimate decision? Meanwhile, if there is money to be spent, please spend it on our refugees in East Africa whose suffering is known to everyone. There other worthy causes to spend money on than lining up USA lawyers’ pockets.Please stop this madness.
Read the press release HERE
According to this press release, the case was dismissed “after two days of court appearances” and “before the originally planned hearing date of 16th August 2007.” However, the press release did not explain the legal basis for the dismissal.Claiming it was forced to speak out on this issue to counter what it called “the continuous misinformation that has been disseminated by the Asmara Group” regarding who initiated the court case, TA-OLF said it was “forced to mount a defense as the law of the land requires” only after the Asmara group filed a complaint against it.It goes on to say “As far as the OLF [TA-OLF] is concerned, it is NOT for foreign courts to determine who is OLF and who is not. This is a case that can be decided ONLY by the Oromo people. If it were up to the OLF [TA-OLF], no funds raised in the name of the Oromo struggle would be squandered on frivolous court cases like this one.”The press release concluded by thanking its members and supporters, and also by calling on members of the Asmara Group OLF “to do the dignified thing and say enough is enough” to the Asmara Group and join the TA-OLF.This blogger received news of the dismissal with relief. In this blogger’s opinion, no interest of the Oromo people can be served by wasting time and other resources on taking another Oromo organization to court. It is not the time for Oromo political forces to take their brethren to courts, but for them to take Meles Zenawi and his cronies to court. Neither is it the time to waste thousands of dollars on lawyers for something no legal solution can be found. Even if the MN court had confirmed one of the groups as “OLF” what good would that be if the Oromo people do not accept that group as OLF? Why not wait for the Oromo people’s ultimate decision? Meanwhile, if there is money to be spent, please spend it on our refugees in East Africa whose suffering is known to everyone. There other worthy causes to spend money on than lining up USA lawyers’ pockets.Please stop this madness.
Read the press release HERE
Source>>http://oromoaffairs.blogspot.com
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