The 17 political parties, engaged in intra-party negotiation, have agreed on seven of the 13 negotiation agendas, concluding the negotiation being carried out on negotiation agendas.
After thorough discussion on the agendas tabled by the Agenda Organizing and Media Committee at their regular meeting held on Saturday, the parties agreed on the major agendas.
The agendas agreed for the negotiation includes amendment of electoral laws and various laws including anti-terrorism and freedom of the mass media and access to information.
Multi-party system; addressing public queries particularly related to economic benefit; national consensus; democratic and human rights protection as well as freedom of movement are also among the agendas agreed by the parties.
Agendas such as land policy; releasing political and prisoners of conscience; international border demarcation; inclusion of non-peaceful parties; constitutional amendment as well as revising sub article 5 of the article 39 in the constitution that states nation, nationality and people, were ruled out.
Regarding constitutional amendment, EPRDF noted that it is not the mandate of the party to make amendments.
As per the border demarcation, the party said it is inappropriate to discuss this agenda at this level as there are mechanisms set for resolving international border demarcation.
The party also opposed the agenda about releasing political and prisoners of conscience, underlining that there is no such thing as prisoners of conscience in the country.
As the current land policy is its basis, EPRDF stressed its irreversible stance on the land policy.
The meeting was concluded as the parties assigned the negotiation leaders to come up with the agreed agendas in terms of priority and set the time for the next meeting whereby parties might make a slight modification.
The number of political parties that has been engaging in intra-party negotiation has decreased to 17 as the five parties left the negotiation on the pretext of ‘no negotiation without a neutral negotiator’. (ENA)