Ethiopia: Whether the Semayawi Party (Blue Party) issues letters to supporters; format, language and signatories of letters; verification process of party membership and involvement prior to issuance of letters (2014-July 2016)
In correspondence with the Research Directorate, the Chairperson and leader of the Semayawi Party (Blue Party) stated that in some situations, the Semayawi Party provides letters of support to supporters to establish their membership or involvement in the party (Semayawi Party 4 Aug. 2016). He explained that the Semayawi Party "may issue letters of support for members who are part of the executive committee or the national assembly" (ibid.). He noted that there are approximately 325 members in the national assembly (ibid.). However, he also explained that the party "rarely" issues letters of support to "regular members" because:
- There are a lot of members who don't like [to have] their name in the party's database for fear of persecution.
- The party doesn't have the resources to trace the activities of all members. (ibid.)
The Chairperson indicated that there is no specific format for letters of support issued by the Semayawi Party, but that the letters would include the letterhead of the party (ibid.). Information about the letterhead of the party, including appearance, could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
The Chairperson indicated that letters of support are "usually" signed by the General Secretary or an executive member of the party (ibid.). He further stated that the President [Chairperson, leader] "does not usually sign the letter" (ibid.). He also indicated that support letters written by the party are "usually" written in the Amharic language (ibid.).
Further and corroborating information could not be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate within the time constraints of this Response.
For further information about the Semayawi Party, including its origin, mandate, leadership, structure, legal status, election participation, party membership, and treatment of party members and supporters by authorities, see Response to Information Request ETH104974 of October 2014. For information about membership procedures to join the Semayawi Party, membership cards, membership dues and receipts for dues, see Response to Information Request ETH105565 of August 2016.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
Reference
Semayawi Party. 4 August 2016. Correspondence from the Chairperson to the Research Directorate.
Additional Sources Consulted
Oral sources: Human Rights Watch; Professor, California State University San Bernadino.
Internet sites, including: ecoi.net; Europa World Plus; Factiva; Political Handbook of the World; Semayawi Party; UN – Refworld.