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Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom, chairman of the Eritrean People's Democratic Party (EPDP), who is currently on tour to Scandinavian countries, on 12 October 2015 met the Norwegian Labour Party in Oslo and extensively discussed the ever worsening political and human rights situation in Eritrea.

Accompanied by a delegation consisting of Mr. Medhanie Habtezghi, head of the EPDP Office for Youth Affairs, as well as Messrs Osman Jaber and Dawit Araya of the branch in Norway, the EPDP chairman explained the vision and objectives of his party and the most immediate requirements from the Norwegian Arbeiderpartiet A/Ap and other fraternal parties in the world to help Eritreans overcome the problems facing them at home and abroad.

EPDP Delegation in Oslo

Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom also asked the Norwegian Labour Party via its international secretary, Mr. Odd Inge Kvalheim, to do all what it can to pressurize the Norwegian Government to correctly understand what is going on in Eritrea and give appropriate sympathy and support to Eritrean refugees fleeing from a very bad situation at home. He also stressed the need of supporting Eritreans struggling for democratic change in their country.

Soon upon his arrival in Norway, the EPDP chairman attended and addressed the Norway branch congress on 9 October and led public discussion on Eritrean issues on 10 October 2015.

The branch congress was opened by its outgoing chairman, Mr. Dawit Araya, who warmly welcomed congress delegates coming from different places in Norway and commended the commitment being shown by the veterans of the Eritrean struggle as well as the young members of the party in the struggle for democratic change in our country. A message from the Europe-Zone secretary, Mr. Isaac Woldemariam was read by the outgoing Norway branch secretary, Mr. Medhanie Habtezghi.

When the branch congress successfully wound up its agenda items, the EPDP chairman seized the opportunity to talk in greats length and brief the branch members on important current issues related with their party and our people's struggle against the repressive regime which held the nation as its hostage for so many long years.

Mr. Menghesteab Asmerom briefed the branch congress participants on recent party activities including the recent party congress held in two places last July and the colourful annual festival conducted in Germany in the presence of important guests and leaderships of Eritrean organizations.

On 10 October, the EPDP chairman had another opportunity to discuss the burning national issues with other compatriots in a public gathering in Oslo.

At the end of his exhaustive presentation, meeting participants raised key questions that create disquiet to many compatriots at this time. The questions included the challenge of defeating the entrenched dictatorship which is leading the nation to the brink of total societal collapse, and the how the post-dictatorship vacuum could be filled without danger.

All pertinent questions raised at the meeting were responded in different perspectives by the party chairman as well as by Messrs Medhanie Habtezghi and Dawit Araya, who are incidentally members of the young generation and university graduates with promising leadership capacities. .