Coalition for Unity and Democracy

Coalition for Unity and Democracy
ቅንጅት ለአንድነት እና ዴሞክራሲ
PresidentHailu Shawul
SpokespersonLidetu Ayalew
First Vice-PresidentBirtukan Mideksa
Vice-presidentBerhanu Nega
Foreign Relations HeadYacob Haile-Mariam
Founded2004
Dissolved2007
HeadquartersAddis Ababa
Youth wingCUD Youth League
Membership (2004)4.6 million[1]
IdeologyEthiopian nationalism
Civic nationalism
Liberalism
Federalism
Populism
Political positionCentre-right
National affiliationUDJ
Ginbot 7
AEUP
SP
Website
kinijitethiopia.org

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (Ge'ez : ቅንጅት ለአንድነት እና ዴሞክራሲ), commonly referred to by its English abbreviation CUD, or occasionally CDU (its Amharic abbreviation, used in Ethiopia, is Qinijit; in English writing often referred to as Kinijit),[2] was a coalition of four existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005, and around the end of that year, became a full-fledged political party (the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party). Its leader was Hailu Shawul and the political party was dissolved in 2007.

  1. ^ [1], Coalition's for Unity and Democracy website (accessed 2 November 2009)
  2. ^ The Ethiopian consonants Q and K are often confused by foreigners, who mostly cannot pronounce Q correctly; consequently, the Q is often written as K in English context, even if both consonants would never be confused in the original Amharic script and in Amharic pronunciation