At the beginning of the fifth anniversary celebrations on the 23rd of November 2024, there was a grand ceremony at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in which top party and government officials took part. On the occasion of the foundation of the party with the unanimous decision of the EPRDF, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) who is also the president of the party had written on his social media page, “the unanimous decision passed today to merge the party is a crucial step in harnessing our energy to work toward a shared vision. Prosperity Party is committed to strengthening and applying a true federal system that recognizes the diversity and contributions of all Ethiopians.”
The anniversary was meant to reflect on the Party’s journey and the changes that materialized in the political, economic, and social fields. The formation of the Prosperity Party on December 1st, 2019 resulted in a significant shift in the political landscape of the country with a more centralized system but balancing national unity with diversity. The theme of the celebration is “Ideology Excellence for Inclusive Prosperity”.
Regarding the celebrations President of the Prosperity Party and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed made a call for a collective effort to make this era Ethiopia’s era of productivity. In a social media post on the occasion of the fifth anniversary of the Party, Abiy stressed that it was not only a celebration but also a call for action. The theme, “the Reform and Fruits of Reform” encapsulated a journey of progress, acknowledging successes while urging continued collective effort to build a more productive Ethiopia. He did not frame this as a party achievement alone but a national endeavor. The prime minister mentioned several achievements over the past five years painting an image of a nation undergoing remarkable transformation.
The premier has emphasized that the reform process is a national achievement transcending partisan politics and benefiting Ethiopians. The successes achieved so far are a testimony to the fact that the approach is effective. However, he said that this was just the beginning and a lot is to be done going forward. He called upon all Ethiopians to unite and work together to ensure continued progress and attain more successes pushing the nation as a whole to new heights. The premier affirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to eradicating poverty and ensuring shared prosperity for all citizens. He said the next five years will be focusing on building a more resilient and prosperous nation setting new benchmarks for others to emulate. The accomplishments during the past five years, he noted, have demonstrably improved the lives of citizens because they are based on principles of fraternity, truth, knowledge, and wisdom.
The premier added that the reform which is transitioned from the first phase of ideas of the reform program has been manifested in both words and actions. As the challenges of the reform were vividly impersonated by its opponents, the public remained aware of their desires and continued to struggle against their vile desires. He added that this in turn created an opportunity to collect the fruits of the reform and overcome the challenges along the road. He said “At this historical juncture on which the Prosperity Party is leading the country, it is marking its 5th anniversary of founding. And it would be pertinent to probe into some of the salient features of the achievements registered over the past five years.”
The foundation of the Prosperity Party eliminated the political configuration between center and periphery, the major party and partners, the farmers and pastoralists, the revolutionaries and the reactionary as well as enemies and friends, replacing them with the concept of supremacy of ideas and concepts, according to the President of the Party.
As the Prosperity Party ushered a new era in the modern political history of the parties in the country, the premier said, political parties have helped to promote the political consciousness of the citizens, generating new trends in restructuring the party politics of the country. The parties were also instrumental in shaping the form and content of political demands among the citizenry. On the other hand, political parties have mixed peaceful struggle with armed struggle, with ramifications of hate politics, and ethnic and ideological profiling, stifling our normal pathway.
However, the premier stressed that the Party has been mending old political fractures and trying to build up on positive political assets of the country. This is indeed one of the fruits of the national reform program. Reflecting on recent reforms in various spheres such as politics, economy, and culture, the premier noted that these activities have been laying a foundation for national unity, peace, and development.
Similarly, according to the Vice President of the Prosperity Party Adem Farah, remarkable achievements have been recorded during the past five years. In his address to the participants of the celebration ceremony, Adem said, Ethiopia’s resilience and accomplishments were witnessed. He said despite several challenges and inconveniences there was progress in the country in practically every field imaginable such as politically and diplomatically. It is to be noted that Ethiopia is a key element in the Horn of Africa politics and economics and with the renovation of the political system, its role has increased and its credibility and influence as well.
He further emphasized the need to consolidate progress, address shortcomings, and correct past mistakes to guarantee the success of Ethiopia’s transformation journey. The Vice President revealed that activities have been laying a foundation for national unity, peace, and development.
The Vice President has moreover explained that the Prosperity Party was founded on strong ideals with a vision to address the deep-rooted challenges of the country and ensure prosperity for all citizens. The Party’s role is to promote unity, nationalism, inclusion, and the attainment of everyone’s dignity and happiness in all aspects of their life. The Party has demonstrated that with hard work prosperity can be achieved with the support of committed leadership, dedicated members, and strong backing from the public.
Adam has stated that ever since its inception, the Prosperity Party has opened the political space to a great extent and put into practice true federalism. It has enhanced productivity in all endeavors and increased international competitiveness. Among the notable achievements is the Green Legacy Initiative, a product of the vision of the President of the Prosperity Party and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed which aims to cover the country with greenery and contribute tangibly to the efforts of fighting climate change for which huge appreciation was given by environmentalists. This has also been adopted in various other African countries following the example of Ethiopia with which it has shared its experience. Wheat production using irrigation, the Corridor Development project, and other social services that have contributed to radically changing the lives of thousands of citizens can be added to the list of achievements the Party has reached within such a short span of its life.
In terms of diplomacy, Ethiopia has increased its influence on the global stage and diplomatic ties have been enhanced with many countries. In this regard, Ethiopia’s joining the community of BRICS could be considered a major breakthrough because there are several criteria to join as a member of this company of economic giants of the world that Ethiopia has fulfilled.
Not all countries which apply to join the community are admitted to it.
On a similar note, various Executive Committee members of the Party who were panelists on the occasion have reflected on their ideas. For instance, Tesfaye Beljige, Deputy Chair of the Party Coordinating Committee of the Federal Institutions explained that the birth of the Prosperity Party was a response to rifts that existed before the reform. He said the foundation of the Party was guided by the idea of ‘Medemer’ or synergy as proposed by the prime minister. Minister of Finance Ahmed Shide who is also another Executive Member of the Party has focused on the achievements of the country in terms of economic reforms. The national reforms have rescued Ethiopia he added from a potential economic crisis and opened a new chapter for the economy.
After several activities that lasted days to mark the anniversary, the closing ceremony of the fifth anniversary of the Prosperity Party was held at the Adwa Victory Memorial Museum in the presence of the President of the Prosperity Party and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) and Deputy Prime Minister and Head of the Democracy Building Center Coordinator Office Temesgen Tiruneh, Vice President of the Prosperity Party Adem Farah, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tagesse Chafo, Speaker of the House of Federation Agegnehu Teshager, regional chief administrators and city mayors and high government officials. The celebrations of the 5th anniversary of the Prosperity Party were also carried out with various events such as panel discussions, renovating the homes of the underprivileged, blood donations, mass sports, city cleaning, and other activities. “Ideology Excellence for Inclusive Prosperity” was the main theme of the celebrations.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 3 DECEMBER 2024
