BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
The Sixth House of Peoples’ Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) will be established tomorrow – October 04, 2021 – officially. Looking at the process of the sixth national general election which was held last June and the reform activities the House has been undertaking over the past three years, many Ethiopians hope that the members of the Sixth Parliament will do better than the previous members.
As the House repeatedly stated that it has begun parliament reform to align its procedure with the ongoing national reform agenda. It was also noted that different researches were done on selected sectors and a program office has been established to ensure better performance of the House’s overall procedures.
It was also reported that a guidebook has been prepared to examine and modernize House’s legislative system and a team of legal experts, which is expected to help the House scrutinize its legislative system as required, has been set up. This move is expected to help lawmakers successfully discharge their entrusted mandate and keep the powerful executive body in check.
Recently, the House of Peoples’ Representative introduced four mobile apps that were developed in collaboration with Peace and Security Institute of Addis Ababa University and that help the House make its services more accessible and cost-effective.
The graduation ceremony of House’s information technology reform works was attended by the House Speaker Tagesse Chaffo, Workers and Social Affairs Minister Ergogie Tesfaye, Director-General of Information Network Security Agency Shumet Gizaw (PhD), and other government officials and invited guests.
It was disclosed during the ceremony that the developed apps are MPs mobile app, House’s Secretariat Office ERP system, public mobile app, and House’s digital library and minute preparation system.
Speaking at the ceremony, Speaker of the House of Representatives Tagesse Chaffo said the applications will enable information to be exchanged easily and in a timely manner.
Mentioning the need to modernize House’s service and make it more accessible to the public, he stated that the advantage of the developed technology by the House is very significant in terms of making the activities of the House accessible, efficient, and cost-effective.
He further said that the developed technology will be improved by gaining experience from countries with better experience and expertise.
Tagesse also noted that these applications will have a crucial importance in digitalizing the written data of the House since 1934 E.C and making it easier for future generations to carry out various studies and research activities.
The speaker thanked those who contributed to the digital applications to make the House’s work available to the general public.
During the ceremony, Mersi Fikadu (PhD) and Melkamu Beyene (PhD) from Addis Ababa University, Tilahun Habte from Information Network Security Agency (INSA), and Kereyu Banata and Solomon Assefa form the Secretariat Office of the House of Peoples’ Representatives presented research papers about the importance of digitalization and the developed apps.
The presenters stated that the apps will play an important role to present questions and comments raised by the public to the relevant body, easily communicate with executive body, deliver the day-to-day activities of the House to the general public, make parliamentary research works more accessible, and interconnect the electorates with their representatives directly.
House Deputy Speaker Shitaye Minale gave certificates for those participated in the research works and development of the apps. She also urged the Secretariat Office of the House to make the developed apps operational as they are indications of House’s effort to make its services more accessible to the public by adopting scientific procedures.
It was to be recalled that the Secretariat Office of the House of Peoples’ Representatives signed a memorandum of understanding with the member institutions of the Parliamentary Research Network (PRN) to work cooperatively in the fields of research and other technical works through the PRN; provide a platform for parliamentary research services to establish mutually beneficial partnerships for sharing best practices, information and knowledge; build the capacity of parliamentarians and promote evidence-based policies and legislations.
A strong parliamentary research support can play a crucial role in improving legislative decision making and strengthening democracy, said House Speaker Tagesse Chaffo. Reliable facts and analysis contribute to better understanding of problems, provide more realistic and effective legislative solutions to those problems, and can predict the impact of laws before they are adopted, he added.
He further stated that in line with the reforms that the House has undertaken for the past three years, the establishment of the Parliamentary Research Network is worth highlighting.
The Network will better facilitate for parliamentarians to closely access evidence based data and analysis to better perform their duties in passing legislations and holding the government to account, as to him.
On the other hand, the Network will open the House for the various academia, research institutions, and other relevant stakeholders to conduct useful research that will better equip the legislature, as to him.
Members of the House have been being criticized for many years for failing to fulfill their constitutional mandates as required and being passive while the people were demanding democracy and widespread looting occurred in the country and projects were extremely delayed.
MPs have also been being criticized for passing un-enabling laws against the Constitution, and being under the influence of the executive body and failing to fulfill their responsibility in terms of overseeing the activities of sector institutions and executive bodies.
Recently, Secretariat Office of the House of Peoples’ Representatives provided training to the new parliamentarians who won the sixth parliamentary election, and it was also stated that the purpose of the training is to help the members of the House to carry out their duties without any shortage of information.
It was learnt that the training focused mainly on the role of the parliamentarians, the code of conduct for members and the service delivery of the Secretariat Office of the House.
During the event, members of the sixth parliament promised that they are ready to serve Ethiopia and their electorates faithfully. They also said that they are ready to answer the questions of good governance, development, and other issues raised by the people. They further said they will fight against corruption and mismanagement of public resources. “We will not forget the trust given to us by our electorates in our daily activities.”
During the occasion, House Speaker Tagesse Chaffo also expressed hope that the sixth House of Peoples’ Representatives will have more freedom to come up with any ideas that will benefit the people and the country.
He further urged that the members of the House have to present their ideas in a way that respects the rules of the House and works in a way that is best for the country.
As to him, the House will continue to serve Ethiopia better by continuing the good work it has started over the past three years.
The Ethiopian Herald October 3/2021
