in an interview with the reporter (2008), the amharic private bi-weekly, weldemariam made an incisive analysis of ethiopian politics and the role of political parties in the country as well as ethnic animosity in ethiopian institutions of higher learning. weldemariam's incisive analysis bears on the future of democratization in general and free and fair elections in particular in ethiopia. invoking weldemariam's observation, wondwosen teshome (2009, 822)of the university of vienna writes, “in fact, frustrated by the fragmentation of opposition parties and the refusal of many african incumbents to hand over power peacefully some political observers felt that unless the army stages a coup it is not possible to remove electoral autocrats democratically.”