July 22, 2004 

	PRESS RELEASE

	MELES ZENAWI’S GENETICALLY MODIFIED MORALS

	The self appointed prime minister of Ethiopia, Meles Zenawi, reneged on the collective
	African position and publicly came out in support of IMPORTING GENETICALLY MODIFIED SEEDS.

	The man who has totally messed up the future of Ethiopia as a united country has now openly 
	confirmed his traitorous role even on the international scene by going against the Cartagena 
	Protocol on Biosafety and the opposition of many countries, specially in Africa, 
	to genetically modified seeds.

	Meles Zenawi has tried to argue that the main focus should be on combating hunger 
	as if the import of GMS and foods had or would benefit the hungry. At issue has been 
	the whole question of economic sovereignty, environment and health issues and subsidized 
	farming in the developed countries that has adversely affected agricultural production
	in the developing ones. The problem with agricultural production in countries like Ethiopia 
	has not much to do with science.  

	Hunger stalks Ethiopia not mainly because the farmers are unproductive but due to disastrous 
	economic policies both locally and internationally. African farmers are not getting adequate 
	price for their produce on the international market and are faced with heavily subsidized 
	US and European farmers. The opposition to the GSM is thus no perverse desire to be hungry but
	a legitimate stance against losing one’s sovereign decision on one’s production and agriculture. 
	Much has been said on the subject for us to need to belabor the point.

	The disastrous agricultural and land ownership policies of the Meles Zenawi regime 
	(which openly practices divisive ethnic politics) has compounded the agricultural problems of 
	Ethiopia and exposed millions of Ethiopians to famine. 

	Turning Ethiopia into the dumping ground of hazardous seeds and foods will not in any way solve 
	the problem of famine. On the contrary, environmental and health problems will also intensify. 
	Meles Zenawi is trying to show his servility and to gain political support from those 
	demanding that Ethiopia and Africa be the importers of the genetically modified seeds. 

	The EPRP condemns the anti-national and traitorous stance of Meles Zenawi and expresses 
	its opposition to any hazardous genetically modified seeds being imposed in Ethiopia to 
	wreak havoc with its natural and varied/diversified seeds and food production.

	Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Party (EPRP)