Addis Ababa, May 19, 2021 (Walta) – Political parties and other concerned groups have to work together to make the upcoming historic election successful not to individual parties but the nation, politicians, and experts that took part in a roundtable discussion organized by Ethiopian News Agency said today.
The politicians and experts said acting with utmost responsibility should be the major priority of political parties by taking into consideration the current situation of the country rather than focusing on victory or defeat.
Senior politician Andargachew Tsigie said Ethiopia has never been prepared for a democratic election and smooth transition. For years the country has not been in a position to conduct free and fair elections.
The current election will be undertaken under a situation where all the criteria are not fulfilled, he said, adding that “it is rather opting for the bad option than the worst or the lesser evil.”
A fully democratic election could be a reality only when there is a safe country that enables competing political parties and the ruling party to act based on prioritizing the big picture of the country, Andargachew elaborated.
According to him, parties have to act together to rebuild the broken economy and discuss how to strengthen internal unity among all Ethiopians, including the political and other elites, during the post-election period.
Addis Ababa University lecturer, Yonas Zewde said deep consideration of the current situation in the country is critical before talking about the success and or failure of the upcoming election.
He added, “Political parties have to consider all the circumstances before they celebrate the election results and or reject the results. Waiting for the results until the official announcement of the relevant body is also critical.”
Underlining the need for taking responsibility during the post-election period, Yonas said “saving the nation should come first, and working towards achieving the victory of the nation should be the priority as Ethiopia is our common home.”
EZEMA party chairman, Yeshivas Assefa on his part noted that “In Ethiopia, we have different political parties but not different countries. We have only one nation we should treasure.”
The chairman pointed out that as citizens “we have huge national issues for which we need to stand together, and we have shown this on various occasions, including during the COVD-19 outbreak.”
Ustaz Abubeker Ahmed said political parties have huge responsibilities during and after the election.
Thus, he stated that “if we save the nation and prioritize national interest, we all could win the upcoming election and celebrate together, because we could have the chance to turn around all the situations for good.”
(Source: ENA)