ADDIS ABABA- Prime Minister Dr. Abiy’s call for the merging of competing political parties is a viablemove that enables the parties to play meaningful role in Ethiopia’s political scenario apart from creating an equal competitive environment to all, a veteran politician and Chairperson of the Oromo Democratic Front (ODF), Lencho Leta said In an exclusive interview with The Ethiopian Herald, Lencho said that Premier Abiy’s call is worth while gesture that is taking in to consideration the fact that the parties would not achieve their goals by running alone.
The existing political parties should converge in to a few major country-wide entities that enable them to pursue their cause and reach constituents. Most of competing political parties do not have significant ideological divisions the politician said, adding that the unions would be vital in creating a favorable ground for the public to exercise their rights and elect political parties they favor in the forthcoming election. Party unions would become fashion in Ethiopia’s political situation.
The chairman said that most of the gathering in the opposition camp, especially those recently came from abroad, are hardlyreferred as political parties as they have limitations in identifying the social sectorthey advocate its rights, adopting a clear ideology and addressing and mobilizing constituencies. According to a veteran politician, ODF’s recent merging with the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) is taking the above fact into consideration.
The union with ODP is essential for all Oromo-centered political parties in capitalizing the former’s well-functioning structure that is stretching all the way to villages. Expressing consensus was reached among all Oromo-centered political parties to work closely, Lencho noted thatODP’s two-decade governance experience is an asset for the ex-exiled political parties which largely do not have strong societal base and administrative experience.
He said that there is anongoing deliberation among some factions that broke away from the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and ODP to merge into one party. The former foreign based-gatherings are in engaged in articulating their ideologies andselecting what sector of the society that they will struggle for, thereby transforming themselves to fullfledged political parties.
Concerning the Constitution, the politician stated that the law needs to be amended and institutions should be divided in such a way that check and balance is become more effective. ODF, however, does not believe that scrapping the constitution is the solution and it is firmly committed to adhere it.
The Ethiopian Herald, December 25/2018
BY BILAL DERSO
