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 <title>open Democracy News Analysis - africa &amp;amp; democracy - Comments</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/editorial_tags/africa_democracy</link>
 <description>Comments for &quot;africa &amp; democracy&quot;</description>
 <language>en</language>
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 <title>Not logged in on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-505022</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Simonm,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;No matter what so ever internal and external  problems Eritrea is facing, the people of Eritrea do not deserve the cruelty and disrespect they are subjected to from their own government, the way it is in Eritrea day in day out. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you have an opinion, the Eritrean government is doing a fair job and treating it&#039;s people as humans, then i rest my case. And note, I have shed my share of sweat and blood I feel so disgusted few people with Isayas at the helm are treating Eritrea as their private ranch. My pain and misgivings are too long to list them here.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;weDehanika.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Denden Nakfa&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2009 09:41:21 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Not logged in</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 505022 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>Not logged in on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-504971</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;I am a proud Eritrean but I am too sad, too disappointed and too disconnected to join and celebrate our hard won independence.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;my people, the Eritrean people do not deserve to be treated this was. It is betrayal in its totality!&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Humility, empathy, sympathy and compassion is the core of our value but you don&#039;t see this value in the PFDJ leadership and in their alien culture. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Thanks for voicing for the voiceless and joining the struggle for a fundamental change!&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 04:47:42 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Not logged in</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504971 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>dankusti on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-504970</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;
         Your articel was interesting, up to a point.  However, you need to include in consideration of the problems of this whole region of Africa, the excessive birth rate of close to five children per woman, which DOUBLES the population every 30 or so years !!  How can the situation in these countries improve when the already starving population is adding contantly MORE of malnourished children ??  The only beneficiaries of this kind of mindless propagation are the exploiters of these misfortunate people. The religious and mercantily warlords who profit from these mindless conflicts.
&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;
                     Dankusti
&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Fri, 08 May 2009 02:38:48 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>dankusti</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504970 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>Not logged in on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-504953</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Normalizing relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea will never solve the case of human rights violations in Eritrea, in the contrary such an approach would enforce and prolong the span of Isaias Afwerqi stay on power. Which means more and more violations,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;The right thing to done it just overthrowing Isaias Afwerqi and bring him to the court of law.&lt;br /&gt;
He have said that free elections will not happen in Eritrea for the next 30 or 40 years. He said this when interviewed by Aljazeera English &quot;Riz Kan&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
We never expect him to tolerate rivals, he kills and kills and kills and we watch and just&lt;br /&gt;
Cry.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;we will never see rule of law, democracy,free press, and just in Eritrea since Isaias is in power&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Thu, 07 May 2009 19:28:06 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Not logged in</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504953 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>oh when will people stop telling white lies on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-504850</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;The problem with this article is there are some truths many lies and some star treks moments all mix into one story&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 20:37:11 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>oh when will people stop telling white lies</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504850 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>Simonm on &quot;Eritrea: slender land, giant prison &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/eritrea-slender-land-giant-prison#comment-504837</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;Ben,&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I appreciate the work of HRW to highlight issues to do with human right, but your article is just one sided and full of inaccuracies.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;[Quote] &quot;President Isaias uses the border standoff and paranoid claims of &quot;western interference&quot; to justify his increasingly totalitarian rule&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Well, I do not call it paranoid claims when western countries are blatantly manipulating international rule of law, illegally funding and dumping huge amounts of arms and  invading countries by proxy. Please follow the few links among hundreds that I can provide you.&lt;br /&gt;
http://www.slate.com/id/2178793/&lt;br /&gt;
http://tinyurl.com/djt9yu&lt;br /&gt;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VJka6q16Os&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;You conveniently try to blame Eritrea and its leadership, while not mention the  real culprits of the real problem, that is imprisoning millions of Eritreans in &quot;No war no peace&quot; constant mobilization limbo.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you are not aware of it, there is such a thing called International rule of law, that so called democratic countries should not put conditionality, but they are.&lt;br /&gt;
As you correctly pointed, the Hague based international border commission made its ruling,  that both countries agreed to abide before hand.  UN, US, EU and AU were witnesses to this agreement and UNSC was supposed to be the guarantor and enforcer of the ruling, but instead they have blatantly tried everything but enforce the decision, including reversing the decision, falsifying UN monitoring report  etc...&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;It is disingenuous to point at every shortcoming of Eritrea, while try to defend  the disgraceful  actions of so called democratic western countries in the horn of Africa.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Even in your HRW report on Ethiopia, you questioned why the Western countries are pumping so much aid (at least $2 billion/yr and growing) with out questioning the human right and heinous crimes.&lt;br /&gt;
[Quote] &quot;Western governments and institutions alone, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and the European Union, give at least US$2 billion in aid to Ethiopia annually, but have remained silent on the widespread abuses being committed&quot;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&quot;Ethiopia: Army Commits Executions, Torture, and Rape in Ogaden&lt;br /&gt;
Donors Should Act to Stop Crimes Against Humanity&quot;&lt;br /&gt;
http://tinyurl.com/cg4ygx &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I can add to it&lt;br /&gt;
Illegal invasion of Somalia with UN and US complicity&lt;br /&gt;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VJka6q16Os &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Somalia Crisis worse than Darfur, says UN&lt;br /&gt;
http://tinyurl.com/cern3e &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Ethiopia&#039;s &#039;own Darfur&#039; as villagers flee government-backed violence&lt;br /&gt;
http://tinyurl.com/ysmvtc &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Looking at the above links including your report, it is hard to miss the deep western gov. implication and conivance  to the whole crisis in the horn of Africa.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;In the end, I agree with your conclusion. Humor the Eritrean people and leadership by enforcing the demarcation of the border, then there is not excuse for no democratization .&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2009 16:29:53 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Simonm</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504837 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>kaciey on &quot;Water problems in Somalia: a photo-essay &quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/democracy_power/africa/somalia_women_water#comment-504689</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;any solutions????&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
 <pubDate>Mon, 04 May 2009 20:07:43 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>kaciey</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 504689 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>professor mosafer on &quot;Sudan and the International Criminal Court: a guide to the controversy&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/sudan-and-the-international-criminal-court-a-guide-to-the-controversy#comment-499176</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;they destroy a family in Dubai&lt;br /&gt;
They tortured me in Dubai&lt;br /&gt;
I am ready to face Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoom the governor of Dubai and prime minisiter of United Arab Emirate and ask him to swear on Quran(the muslim bible)that he never met me through General Obeid and Colonel Sulyman and they never tortured me after stealing all my clothes and money.He can not swear and I am ready to face him in court in UK because in Dubai courts are in his hand and decisions are made by him only.&lt;br /&gt;
I was working in Abu Dhabi as the head of science dept in Oxford private school on 2003 when I received a mobile call from a person who said his name is colonel Sulyman Ahmad Sulyman from the intelligence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid the crown prince of Dubai at that time.I was very surprised but he insisted on my coming to Dubai to meet the Sheikh and he threatened me if I don&#039;t do that they will punish me.I went to Dubai and met Colonel Sulyman and his boss General Obeid his boss.They took me to a place outside Dubai where we dined with the Sheikh on the ground.They washed our hands as we were sitting by servants and did not allow us to use tap water.After dinner they took me to another room and the Sheikh came after few minutes.He was playing with his big blue mobile phone like a teenager.I understood from an Indian doctor he brought with him that the Sheikh was suffering from impotence and the Indian doctor prescribed to him some herbs.The Sheikh spoke and told me to work for him to manufacture some weapons of mass destruction as I did to Saddam Hussien.I was very surprised but he said we know everything about you from the Americans.He told me that he will give me a house and good salary and pay the fees of my two sons schools.I accepted and came to work for him in Dubai.They never gave me a house but offered me a two rooms flat in Girgash building in the best district in Dubai.Then they gave me a job as Librarian in Rashid medical library in Rashid hospital.I told them this job I can not do because I don&#039;t have any experiences in it.They thretened to put me in prison and I kept myself silent for one year.After that they took all of us me , my wife and two kids to prison and tortured us using a very sophisticated methods of torture by fans , electrical shocks and getting out our nails from both hands and feet.We were screaming but they never cared and they started raping my ex wife Dr Maysaloon Al Ani for two weeks.They took all our belongings including our clothes ,books and money.Then they took our fainted corpses and sent us to Baghdad without a penny on us.My ex wife became mad and she is now in a madness house in Baghdad.We lived in the streets of Baghdad until God helped us and a Dutch lady helped us and brought me and my 14 years old son to London UK.My old son is now in Malaysia.I love that Dutch lady and we got married but still I am suffering from Depression and I tried many times to kill myself.I just want to ask is this Islam and what kind of religion is this they are boasting about in Dubai?I am ready to go to court to tell all my story and leave them to God to punish them those tyrants .They said they are better than Saddam Hussien ARE THEY? My address is 76 charlbert court,London NW8 7DB.&lt;br /&gt;
I am now suffering a lot fromthe followings because of their unbelivable torture,and need compensation at least toto spend on my traetment and to continue living after that tragedy:&lt;br /&gt;
1.Total deafness in both ears which can not be cured by hearing aids because they destroyed ears nerves in torturing me on my head.&lt;br /&gt;
2.Depression which can not respond to any medicine&lt;br /&gt;
3.Shock which made me frighten from my shadow.&lt;br /&gt;
4.They took everything from me my money,my clothes and my car.&lt;br /&gt;
5.They raped my wife one after another those General Obeid mobile 00971504527557 and Colonel Sulyman Ahmad Sulyman(Abu Ahmad) mobile 00971506511126 and now she is mad in one of Baghdad mad houses.She asked for divorce and our children now one in UK and the other in Malysia without future.No schools for the one in Malysia .They tortured both of them.&lt;br /&gt;
6.Now I am a remain of human being at the highest stage of disability ,can not work and without a penny.I am living on disability living allowence £300 a month.Thanks to British gov. and people.&lt;br /&gt;
7..Hypertension which is resistant to medicines Irbesartan 75mg tab and Amlodipine 10mg tab.&lt;br /&gt;
8.Brain Aneurysm which was treated surgically , but I am still suffering from dizziness and hands trembling and feel vertigo and collapse daily .&lt;br /&gt;
I am a dying man and needs a lot of medical treatment,which is very expensive here in UK.Sheikh Mohammed and his secret police robbed me from all my money,books,clothes and car beside their unimmaginable torture.&lt;br /&gt;
What is our life? The play of passion.&lt;br /&gt;
Our mirth? The music of division:&lt;br /&gt;
Our mother`s wombs the tiring - houses be,&lt;br /&gt;
Where we are dressed for life`s short comedy.&lt;br /&gt;
The earth the stage; Heaven the spectator is,&lt;br /&gt;
Who sits and views whosoe`er doth act amiss.&lt;br /&gt;
The graves which hide us from the scorching sun&lt;br /&gt;
Are like drawn curtains when the play is done.&lt;br /&gt;
Thus playing post we to our latest rest,&lt;br /&gt;
And then we die in earnest, not in jest.&lt;br /&gt;
Abraham Lincoln once said (You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time but you cannot fool all the people all the time). Sheikh Mohammed and his Mafia cannot fool all the people all the time indeed.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
 <pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:54:45 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>professor mosafer</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 499176 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>M. M kamau on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-493478</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;I want a kenya where people share resources. I do not understand why some leaders have 1000s of acres of land while other people have nothing especially the IDPS. My challenge is to Uhuru, Mwai Kibaki and other central province leaders. Why do you own a lot of land while other people have nothing. In the long run you will be barried in 3 *6 hole. you would rather share and give other people a bit of comfort. Dont be selfish. Share!!!!!!!!!&lt;br /&gt;
Let other feel they are kenyans. We voted for you and we are suffering because we voted for you as you enjoy the laxarious life up there. Act and show love for your fellow Kenyans.&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 15:26:44 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>M. M kamau</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 493478 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>Citizen in Nairobi on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-493450</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;There is a real gap in leadership in this country. The wazee who are meant to be leading us with wisdom are stealing our maize. I never realised how bad it was until point by point I realised the trauma wanjiku has to go through feeding her children on gruel. Where oh where shall we find leaders, we need mentors for the next generation. But there is hope, &quot;problems do not have roots&quot;, there are upstanding citizens and the chaff shall be blown away...&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2009 08:05:34 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Citizen in Nairobi</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 493450 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>Cheroben Bramwel on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-493022</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;The Kenya i want is a Kenya that encourages transparency and justice.A country whose rules and regulations apply across the board and not meant to restrict and oppress the common mwananchi.This country has its basis on democracy and human rights should not be compromised at the expense of anything.The Kenya i want is a Kenya whose leaders mean their words.They are straight forward and will forever fight for their subjects and fight tooth and nail to stump down corruption.A Kenya that has leaders who sit down in parliament to discuss on how they are going to create job opportunities hence uplift the country&#039;s economy rather than pointing fingers of accusation at each other on a parliamentary sitting and cause divisions amongst the body.THAT IS THE KENYA THAT I WANT AND WOULD LOVE TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH.&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Wed, 18 Feb 2009 08:04:04 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>Cheroben Bramwel</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 493022 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>samyoo el on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-492150</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;We want a kenya that has no  prolifikers of arm-twisting once named under a scandle. no matter who you are under the sun&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; A kenya where if leaders talks of vision 2030,  it is congruent to the provision of common mwananchi in liue of looting whatever they have, as they establish their financial bases in strenghening political kingdoms a head of next elections.&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2009 13:40:58 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>samyoo el</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 492150 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>ephanice on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-492064</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;The Kenya we want is not all about casting the dice no but about kujivunia as doctor Mutua put it.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I have lost faith with our seniors just because they are pointing fingers to their collegues instead of walking the talk.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Tribunals every now and then but what have they ever achieved?I think the Waki report will teach not only our seniors but also the juniors who are thinking to own Kenya.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;I want a Kenya  where equality, justice, freedom, stamina and devotion is excercised.&lt;br /&gt;
Starvation should not be a question at hand but should be prioritized.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;lastly I sympathy Ababu Namwaba with his sole thinking that he can DEFAME Mama Lucy.Please watch your move you have alot to do in parliament lather than dafamation.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;This is what your mouth uttered so we dont need your apologies.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>
 <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 11:03:56 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>ephanice</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 492064 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>John P Onyando on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-492051</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;A year since the election crisis was resolved, life in Kenya is deteriorating. Corruption, tribalism and bad governance, that were found to be the root cause of the crisis, have escalated.&lt;br /&gt;
The grand coalition is quickly turning out to be a grand fraud. Not only is the pace of political reform awfully slow, but the maize and fuel scandals show that none of the leaders is serious on fighting corruption.&lt;br /&gt;
The evidence is still fresh for anybody interested. Yet all Kenyans can expect is more investigations that will ultimately white-wash the thieves. This is the time for a new leadership, not more conferences- however flatteringly named.&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 08:37:18 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>John P Onyando</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 492051 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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 <title>MULLE on &quot;&quot;The Kenya we want&quot;&quot;</title>
 <link>http://www.opendemocracy.net/article/the-kenya-we-want#comment-492047</link>
 <description>&lt;p&gt;As Alex Laguma wrote, we are in the fog of the season&#039;s end. many things are not very clear now. what lies ahead of the Kenyan path may be a precipice of major proportions or clear paths after the misty jungle. what holds true now is that ordinary people are finally finding comfort and company with each other throughout the country if only to live through the unclear times. its also true that the political class is clinging to its own for &#039;redemption&#039; of its own cause.&lt;br /&gt;
At the very least as the mist clears we are going to be sure of who was huddling with who. suddenly kenyans will be able to know who stands with them.&lt;/p&gt;
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 <pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2009 07:39:13 +0000</pubDate>
 <dc:creator>MULLE</dc:creator>
 <guid isPermaLink="false">comment 492047 at http://www.opendemocracy.net</guid>
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