The federal system that was setup by the peoples’ fight since the past 25 years onwards, especially from the time our constitution started to be implemented in 1995, is a mechanism that made the peoples’ active participation and fair benefit its central tenet. By changing the problem of hosting diversity; which was a source for devastation and threat of disintegration, a federal system that enables the country to garner sustainable economic and political successes is being built.
It has beenconfirmed through various ways that the decentralized federal system has brought fundamental change in the political, social and economic sectors. We can mention here the implementation of past demands of our people like the right to self-administer, ownership of political power, and the right to freely express personal opinion through writing, speaking, and the right to organize and freely move etc …
The system not only enabled the people to administer themselves and use their language, it has also enabled them to have the power to decide on regional and common issues.It not only gives the people the right to equally develop, it has also enabled them to get involved in the development and benefit as per their involvement and effort. As areas that were left behind in terms of development were given addition al support that would enable them to strengthen their capability and install important infrastructures, balanced development has been gained in each region as a result to it.
The federal system has shownthrough practice that it has the full capability to build a common economic community that have one strong bond based on the consent , equality and respect of the people.
The federal system ofour country is an administrative system that is being built based on cooperation and collaboration. Although one of the key political measures the system took to fundamentally change the ethnic and class oppression that existed in the country for centuries was the bestow the right to selfdetermination until secession to our country’s nation, nationalities and people, still creating a common political and economic community is itsfinal objective.With this, a vision to create a new Ethiopia that is built on its peoples consent, and where social justice strong unity reign over is formulated and being worked upon.
It is scribed in various government documents that creating a country where human and democratic rights are respected; democratic culture and institutions flourishes; a country wherethe people are ensured an active, free and democratic participation in the economy; and where there is a strong multiparty system is the main objective and mission of the federal system.
As much as the regions are bestowed with the right to administer themselves, the federal system is lead by the two houses that are occupied by elected representatives that come from every region. It is stated on article 47 that members of the federal republic government are the region themselves. As per article 53 of the constitution members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives shall be elected by the People for a term of five years on the basis of universal suffrage and by direct, free and fair elections held by secret ballot. But as a result to the majority vote system and mostly out of problems of the parties themselves, the seat of the house is not occupied by those that represent everyone. And considering the many complaints that came as a result to this, the ruling party and the opposition parties have started negotiation in order realize the aforementioned government mission.
However, we have come to see parties that are extremists in their position and that put preconditions that are not in the best interest of the people. They are seen demanding to choose the parties that should get the seat to the negotiation table, exacerbating the difference that exists between the parties, instead of bridging the divide.The politics that exist in this country is made dysfunctional by one generation. This dysfunctional politics is being made to continue. As you all known, most of the people that were involved in party politics from way before are left leaning.
So does that mean a feud that existed back in those days should be made to continue now? How are we able to make sure that the new generation doesn’t pay for it? How can we create a new generation that has its own new thinking?…It seems like these questions which were raised in his speech by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn when he met with university academics last March haven’t got their answer. It also shows that the opposition politics is hijacked by forces that are trying to retain the status quo of the dysfunctional politics.
Disseminating a rumor that the outcome of the negotiation and discussion the ruling party and opposition parties started will be negative, instead of looking into what benefitscan be gotten from the process is part of this dysfunctional politics and a plot to hinder the process as well.Currently, the country is governed though a state of emergency and not through the regular law.This happened because foreign forces that worked to hijack the peaceful complaint of the people and led it to unrest and destructive activity brought actual destruction on people’slives and properties. The fact that countries that don’t want to see our country in a renaissance path moved (and are still working on it) to disturb us is the other related reason for the declaration of the emergency.
In addition to these foreign forces effort, the emergency proclamation has been found to be a solution to foil the plot of extremist Diasporasand forces that want to hinder the effort we initiated to start utilizing the Nile River. It was also done to stop the destruction that was caused on the country’s key economic sects, factories and investments.
The huge danger that imposed over the lives of many national and foreign investors and their employees as a result of the sinister plot hatched by the leaders of OLF and Ginbot 7 in close collaboration with Egyptian government institutions was also one reason for declaring the state of emergency.In general, the fact that it is found impossible to put down and control these dangerous campaigns that were carried out in a coordinated manner has been the major reason for declaring the state of emergency.
Following the hijacking of the public complaints, one of the committed stances the government took on to improve those things that should be improved and to dismantle those laws and procedures that needed to be by talking to the people is strengthening the multiparty political system by negotiating with political parties and setting up the system to create national consensus.
However, parties that condemned the state of emergency, and also that demanded those arrested by the proclamation to be freed as political prisoners (as precondition), in general parties that want to hinder the political process are being seen in the meeting.Any kind of problems or political complaints in any civilized politics and societies are solved through negotiation and dialogue between various segment of the societyand between political forces that represent the interest and wishes of the public. This is the better solution and path. Therefore, the necessity of the call for party negotiation cannot be debated. The current realties of the countrydemand the political parties to sit down together and get to one result by discussing and debating with each other.
Whether it is huge or small, every party has its own social base. Although the support they command might differ, every party has a voice they represent. The call that was made is to setup a system that would make sure these facts areaccounted for. On the other hand, it is because this country cannot go anywhere without political parties.A political outlook that is not backed by parties cannot go anywhere. Notwithstanding that the society has a problem in demanding for a strong party that represents their outlook, the fact that the oppositions are not willingto unite in the negotiation platform and are still bickering with each other is disappointing and shameful and we have reached a time where we have to demand for the dysfunction to stop.
The negotiation was called on the first place because there are problems that needed to be solved. Even what the supposed arrest of politicians and the state of emergency shows is the need for negotiation and not being a hindrance to it. Even if that is the case, what should be done is makingthese and other problems of the country the agenda of the negotiation and bringing result – diverting and hindering it doesn’t reflect good on them.