Ever the since the appointment of Dr. Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister, the word reform has become a common word for everyone. The reform actions have gone to the extent of labeling the Premier as the reformist leader by both local and international media.
Frankly speaking, the reform has brought about many commendable changes in almost all sectors. The dramatic political changes to widen the political landscape, freedom of media and speech, removal of political parties from terrorist group lists, releasing of thousands of prisoners, amendment of laws and regulations are few among the political actions taken immediately by the new administration.
In an unprecedented level of diplomatic effort, it was possible to restore peaceful relation with Eritrea. The call made to the Diaspora has also garnered warm response. Relation with former allies has also been reinvigorated. The improvement in the relation with all neighboring countries and with all African countries were few among the outcomes of the reform.
House of Peoples Representatives Foreign Relations and Peace Affaires Standing Committee Chairman Honorable Tesfaye Daba said that immediately after the peaceful transition of power within the ruling party, EPRDF and the government, the new administration aggressively started implementing the reform promises put by the party and by the new administration itself.
For him, the new administration is seriously implementing the paper and ideal reform promises on the ground and bring new practical changes in solving the deep and long aged demand of the people. The current social, political, diplomatic, economic and other changes within 10 months are unthinkable without the new administration’s commitment. Over all the new administration creates new hope for the country.
Meanwhile, the new dimension of peaceful relation with neighboring countries especially with Eritrea, the safe diplomatic gains with win-win strategy, the measures taken to widen the political landscape, people to people relations, the relations with the Diaspora are among the few but wide outcomes of the reform, he stated.
In this case, to make the reform institutional and to create strong, non-partisan and trusted institutions, amending the terrorism law, lifting up of terrorist group lists which are political parties, reopening of different media outlets and blogs, releasing of thousands of prisoners including those with death penalty are few among the reform actions.
Senior Public Relation Expert with HPR, Namsi Alka also noted that the reform is on action to bring practical changes. For him, the reform gives due attention for structural reform and building strong, non-partisan, public centered institutions in every dimension. According to Namsi the pledged reforms are being implemented on the ground, yet creating strong check and balance system, applying accountability in solving bad governance and service related problems are still the headaches on the grassroots level.
For him, the newly established institutions like Ministry of Peace, Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the reform actions on democratic & legal institutions and National Defense Force are best examples of the structural reform and institutional building actions by the reform. The amendment of laws and proclamations, appointment of professional persons based on merit than political loyalty in Electoral Board, Supreme Court are also integral elements of the structural reform.
Addis Ababa University Political Science and International Relations Instructor Ermias Kebede on his part said that although the reform scored many unthinkable changes in different fields, it lacks uniformity due to weak structural reform. According to Ermias the reform is fragmental than structural. Hence, it lacks uniformity of implementation.
Although there are good beginnings, the reform still needs further efforts to be strong and institutionalized as well as to ensure its sustainability. Especially, just as the reform is initiated and pioneered by the reforming premier, it doesn’t necessarily need to largely depend on his will so that it can be fully institutionalized, according to Ermias.
Beyond that it is also quite difficult to say that the reform implementation is practically implemented throughout the country due to many factors. The difference in political interests is influencing the reform implementation on the ground.
For Namsi to create publicly trusted institutions there should be a combination of creating politically free strong institution, applying legal system to govern the institutional works and hire professional human resource based on merit from expert up to the higher officials. In this case, the reform scores big changes and it is possible to say that the reform is institutionalizing and the structural reforms are successful.
The participation and empowerment of women in political and government administrations is also the best practical example of the reform, Honorable Tesfaye noted. Half of the cabinet, the President of the country, Supreme Court President, National Electoral Board chairperson and 60 percent of the HPR standing committee chairpersons are taken by women, which was inconceivable before the reform.
The social, political and diplomatic outcomes of the reform are fast and beyond the expected level, yet still the reform face unemployment, inflation, unbalanced trade, shortage of foreign currency on the economic sector and the bad governance in government institutions are still the challenges.
The economic reform measures are not as strong and fast as the social and political changes, though by its nature the economic sector takes long time. Still the privatization process, the new attention to the private sector, the government’s commitment to give priority to windup ongoing projects and strengthening formal trade are bases to boost the economic sector.
On the other hand, creating job opportunities and other practical changes on the ground, government should take serious actions on a responsible manner. Government should also focus on serious implementation of accountability on the red lines put by the Prime Minister, while it is playing indispensible role to ensure good governance within the country at all levels.
According to Tesfaye the reform scores a lot of outcomes in solving the major problems of the country, but a lot remains to address the deep and wide problems of the country.
It is also important to note that it is too unrealistic to bring about structural reforms, institutional building process, strengthening the laws and regulations and enforcement only within 10 months that can realize 100 percent satisfaction of the people.
The best thing that can be appreciated from the unreserved effort to bring about such reform is the glimmer of hope for the people.
Ermias noted that the government should focus on the major political and macroeconomic issues to make the reform real. In addition, balancing structural and political changes, implementing clearly identified reform strategy and road map are crucial for the proper practical implementation of the reform mainly for long run change.
BY DARGIE KAHSAY AND
MESERET BEHAILU
