The Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, a collection of four major parties along with its five allied parties, heralded a merger into a single national political party, this past week. The newly restructured party – the Prosperity Party – was reborn with the unanimous supports of all member parties except the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which repudiated to take part in the vote and opposed the move. The merger further gained unanimous support of all allied parties.
The merger is said to be an important milestone in the country’s political system when it comes to promoting inclusiveness and mutual cooperation among nation and nationalities, cultivating trust and confidence, and in terms of bestowing peace and unanimity upon nations, nationalities and peoples of Ethiopia.
In the same vein, the decision is believed to enable all regional states to have an equal say on matters that have greater weight and national importance, harnesses energy to work toward a shared vision with an implementation of a genuine federal system that values, recognizes and promotes the diversity of all Ethiopians.
Announcing the successful completion of the merger project and the formation of a new one named as the Prosperity Party, its Chairperson Abiy Ahmed, who is also the current Prime Minister of FDRE said that his newly restructured party would be committed to strengthening and applying true federalism that recognizes the diversity and contribution of all Ethiopians.
He stressed that the new Party will strive for strengthening the federal system where in nations, nationalities and peoples will enjoy equal rights and their languages will truly be promoted. Capitalizing on the strengths and addressing the weaknesses of the past and forward looking is all what is needed in the reform process so as to create a better future, Abiy often remarked.
In fact, the views of several other competing political parties operating within the country also call for genuine federalism. This is a correct move. Because, principally, Ethiopia is home to more than 80 nations, nationalities and peoples (NNPs) having their own respective cultural, linguistic, religious and other peculiarities.
Understanding this diversity of people has led Ethiopia to the adoption of a federal system that defined the country’s structure as a multicultural federation based on identity representation. Thus, at this time when Ethiopia is preparing to mark the 14th Nations, Nationalities and Peoples Day next week, Ethiopians should use the event to promote the people-to-people relations and the federal system.
Despite some consistent efforts by some circles to link the merger of the new party with restoration of unitary system, the reality is in stark difference to what they say. What the new move brings is an equal seat to the table for all. This means that every party in the coalition can now voice the voices of the people they represent table for all parties involved.
Every State, every people can now get a better proximity to the decision-making, under the new merger, a necessary step as an exercise of true federalism, and as a manifestation of true diversity. Above all, it is not within logical reasoning to think that any political party or entity can operate successfully without respecting the rights of nation and nationalities in the present Ethiopia.
So when we celebrate the NNP’s Day next week, let us all citizens, nations, nationalities and peoples demonstrate that we are truly inclusive and that we respect diversity genuinely, values everyone’s contributions equally.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 4/2019
