Over the past few days, a series of consultations has been carried out between Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (Ph.D.) and different segments of society. Among those was also the one he had with political parties operating in the country. They were allowed to have an exchange of ideas where they were able to present their issues at hand regarding their political activities throughout the country and what challenges they had encountered in their day-to-day activities.
As the premier usually does, he invited the representatives of the council of political parties to present the major issues that members of political parties were forced to face and the challenges they want the premier to know about and take the necessary measures to straighten things up so that they can function to the full extent of their potential.
First, it was the representative of the Council of Political Parties who presented the principal questions the council formulated after having held discussions among themselves for days preceding their meeting with the premier. He presented their questions, classifying them into a few groups. Economic issues, peace and security, as well as law and order. He also mentioned issues related to the political landscape of the country, where he believes parties are forced to struggle to present their cases to the people so that they can attract and win more attention and acceptance among the people. The representative also talked about the issue of women’s rights and people with disabilities, whom he said were marginalized, even admitting that there were some improvements, but not enough.
Regarding the way trade and commerce are carried out in the country, he alleged that there was rampant corruption that prevents free competition in the market because there are government officials who work in close collaboration with the big businesses, influencing the market negatively, causing and benefiting from unfair competition and other trade malpractices. He said this is one form of bad governance, and the prime minister should take note of it if it is not already part of his awareness.
Corruption and bad governance, misappropriation of funds intended for some government project, etc, have always been the Achilles Heels of any government in many countries. Ethiopia, as well, has its own forms of corrupt practices associated with certain high government officials, not excluding even the ones at the woreda and regional level, the representative asserted, calling for solid and stern measures against those elements.
Practically all representatives of the political parties that were present in the hall began by expressing the admiration of their friends and colleagues regarding the various development projects underway in Addis Ababa under the ongoing Corridor Development Project. All of the members of the political parties present in the hall have done the same regarding the achievements of the city administration supervised and led by the premier himself, and the mayor of the city, Adanech Abiebie and other high administration officials who together as a team have achieved the tangible and evident changes in Addis. Appreciations have also been extended to all those who took part in the project, including the engineers who led the construction and the various contractors who were delivering the work on time with the quality that is required quality.
The new habit of working throughout the day and night is a new way of attaining the goals set by the government and this can be emulated by other bodies as well, they said, because they have noted all these developments during the visits they made in the past few days before coming for the consultations with the premier. Such culture is key to being able to achieve all the goals that Ethiopia needs to attain, they remarked.
This is one of the good results of the corridor development project. It is a blessing that the party representatives acknowledged and gave credit to the premier for his initiative. The representatives also appreciated the way the historical and cultural heritages of the city and the country as a whole were renovated and preserved for the coming generation because they are part of the history of our country, whether we like it or not. They said we can learn from past mistakes so that we do not repeat them, but there should not be too much glorification of the past that could make us forget the present and even the future. The parties also appreciated the way employment opportunities were created among the youth, but a lot more needed to be prepared, they added.
The parties also appreciated the way the parks and recreation centers were constructed across the city, as well as all other facilities that are very useful for the community, which are all clean and modern. The fountains, the large and comfortable sidewalks, the greenery that has changed the image of the city, the restrooms and bars along the way, are equally remarkable because they contribute to the tourism industry that the country needs badly. After all, it has immense potential if we can facilitate the creation of the right and comfortable environment that can attract tourists.
It is known that tourism is one of the major pillars of the economy, and the country relies on order to acquire foreign currency that is vital for growth and prosperity. The parties took their time to underline all the positive initiatives the reformist government has taken during the past seven years, but all the same, they had some issues to be presented to the prime minister and addressed.
Among the first issues the parties raised concerned the way they could carry out their day-to-day activities because they encountered obstacles that prevented them from operating smoothly and easily. They are forced to face a hostile political environment. The issue of peace and security in the country, the major economic problems that people have to grapple with, the way the democratic order should be understood and implemented are also among the first issues the party representatives dwelt at length on.
A central issue of life in Ethiopia, the parties said, is the one that has to do with the peace and security of the country. They referred to the actions of certain armed groups in the country that are denying peace to residents, preventing them from going around in their day-to-day lives, and the frequent displacement of these communities from their villages. They thus asked what the government is doing going ahead because there cannot be elections under the current circumstances. The inclusive National Dialogue cannot be carried out smoothly if these forces continue to disrupt the peace and harmony of the country.
People are being taken hostage, and millions of birr are being asked to be liberated. This has created a huge obstacle against free movements for investors and people who are engaged in various forms of development and economic ventures in the regions. This is also casting a bad image for the country because we have seen that major international media advising their citizens against traveling to Ethiopia and even investing there.
Another question the party officials raised is the denomination of this government as a ‘reformist’ one without making changes to the Constitution.
In his remarks after the parties representatives brought to the platform their issues, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) began by thanking them for coming to the consultation and that was by itself an expression of the enlarging of the political landscape so that everyone’s ideas are heeded and this was not done during the previous governments. The premier then asked, if this is not change, what is then change?
The problem is that we often take for granted certain things which are, however, very significant and require risks to be achieved. The premier stated some of the achievements of his government, including the way the Home Grown Economic Reform has improved the status of Ethiopia in front of international finance institutions, which were criticizing the policies of the government and the way the economy was run previously.
He said it was thanks to the reforms that things have taken a new direction. He admitted that a lot still needed to be done, but he welcomed the contribution of parties to improve further the economic and political situation of the country by advising some of their colleagues and friends who insisted that they could come to power using force. He added that it was not recommended because it is impossible to succeed in doing that today. The idea that a party can seize power by using force or other forms of pressure, including with the support of foreign foes of Ethiopia, is today inconceivable and impossible to realize.
Hence, the best way to vie for power is by organizing oneself, presenting new ideas that could be accepted by the people in an election democratically run, the premier underlined.
The premier added that it was still time before the elections next year for parties to make their influence on them, provided they get together and not be disintegrated into hundreds of parties. He said it would also be easier for the incumbent to give them every form of assistance possible. This, he pointed out, would be good for the country and for the government as well.
The inclusive National Dialogue is also a part of the exercise of democracy because every voice can be heard through their representatives. This would also guide us towards making the necessary amendments to the Constitution in a democratic manner, and not be done by only one party. He said such changes to the constitution using only the power of one party would not be inclusive of all the ideas and interests of the entire people, and that was why the ruling Prosperity Party chose not to amend or change the Constitution, because it would not have the acceptance of all Ethiopians.
BY FITSUM GETACHEW
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SATURDAY 28 JUNE 2025
