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Never Lose Heart Comrades/Amen Teferi/
It is a bad news to hear that six opposition political parties have alighted from the train of dialogue. In recent times we are being face with monstrous events that to grapple with. These events really require both the temperament and resilience of democratic citizens who are endowed with the cleaver insight of an intelligent politician who can work unperturbed under the daunting influences of the changing circumstances that could even defy the judgments of an experienced public administrator.
I am also very much impressed by the sensibility of the ruling party as it manage to display the composure of a seasoned political organization in handling these difficult matters that we recently saw emerging and tend to push it into the tight-spots. Coping up with these soul-searching predicaments, the ruling party has tried to fully grasp the kernel of the matter that deeply concerns our nation and its people by way of scrutinizing its performances over the last 15 years and finally came-up with a suitable solution that would surly address the legitimate grievances of the public.
Of late, the Policy Research Institute has come up with another study that could immensely contribute to our ongoing journey to democracy and prosperity. Still we are at vantage where can we see a bright light at the end of the tunnel – a tunnel dug by the iron fingers of poverty. This tunnel is blindingly dark and it can only be lighted with the flames of an undefeatable spirit of a visionary leader who has the knack to dispel the intricacy of structurally embedded poverty that must again be combined with an indefatigable determination to tread on the arduous path of development.
As revealed by the discussion televised on EBC yesterday the government has shown an unprecedented readiness to support media practitioners and media institutions that would operate without being defiant to professional ethics and without compromising rule of law. I am very much pleased to see the media being encouraged to seek, impart and disseminate information that would expose illicit actions and ensure accountability and good governance. The government seems to be ready to promote investigative journalism and guarantee the full implementation of the freedom of information Act.
This would in turn help the government to dispel the preponderance of rent-seeking orientations and practices to ensure the supremacy of developmental political economy. The government is determined to dry-out the quagmire that would allow rent-seeking ideologies and tendencies to thrive. Redoubling effort in this regard would push aside the major obstacle in the journey to our renaissance.
The discussion has also revealed the government’s resolve in strengthening the multi-party democracy. The ruling party has understood that excessive adversarial politics would tarnish and spoil the common mission of any political community. In fact, adversarial politics is said to create the right conditions for effective scrutiny of the government, and for genuine debate.
When political adversaries are blindly engaged in an unbridled powers struggle driven by zero sum-game principle it would lead the democratic system to crisis. Thus, the ruling party vowed to create platforms where it will have genuine consultation with opposition parties.
The joint forum and dialogue platform will promote close working relationships among political parties. These forums will serves as a catalyst to improve the culture of adversarial politics without undermining the core values of a democratic system. This would facilitate forum where the government and opposition parties engaged in consultations and debate on every major national issue. Moreover, it will also strengthen political participations of citizens and promote deliberative democracy.
The government believes that the current rapid economic development and our surefooted unity are the result of the federal democratic constitutional arrangement that recognize the full diversity of the nation. Ethiopia’s sustained, accelerated and inclusive double-digit growth is in fact the fruit of the genuine democratic system that it had launched two decades ago. Now we need to deepen and consolidate our democracy.
Deepening our democracy is a serious matter that assumes a gravity of life and death. The government that has launched such a huge project like the GTP and this really needs to have a committed and law abiding public servants and officials who have the gut to uphold the public interest over and above their selfish agendas.
Notwithstanding to the fact that we have cumbersome tasks to straighten the cultural setbacks and to unknot the meshes of backwardness we have to take decisive steps in deepening our democracy and ensuring the sovereignty of our people through an ever increasing popular participation.
The ruling party EPRDF has scrutinized itself and identified various shortcomings that it claimed could deplete the democratic and constitutional system. It has reaffirmed its position and expressed its resolution to address the identified shortcomings.
The party has duly acknowledged the malaise effect of rent-seeking activities that is rampant in the urban areas, which it perceived as acute problem that damage its political, social and economic agendas. It has made it clear that rent-seeking and corruption are its most avid enemies and if left unheeded it will lacerates and frustrates its health and existence as a party.
Rent seeking practices and corruptions will in fact pull the rug from under its feet and hamper the economic growth and foster inequality as well. Therefore, comrades, we should not lose heart, but recharge our batteries and move forward.
