By Metasebia Teshome
Capital
December 27, 2021
The draft bill to establish the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission has been tabled to the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR), with approval expected to be in a short period, government officials indicate.
On Saturday December 25, 2021, the House of People’s Representative started a public hearing on the overall proclamation and national dialogue to launch the much anticipated all inclusive dialogue.
On its second regular meeting held on December 10, the Council of Ministers discussed the draft proclamation establishing the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission and passed a draft proclamation in establishing the commission.
The nationwide dialogue is said to bring together the various political interests in the country, in order to facilitate an all-inclusive national dialogue. The commission will be an impartial and independent organ of the Federal Government with its own legal personality and is to be accountable to the House of Peoples’ Representatives.
According to the draft proclamation, the term of the office is three years though if necessary the term may be extended by the HPR. As experts suggest, the dialogue could take from three to five years.
The commission has the responsibility to craft the agenda for the dialogue, organize the dialogues and facilitate deliberations and organize and convene dialogue forums at the federal and regional levels that would bring about national consensus with the participation of representatives of various segments of society drawn from the entire country after identifying and enabling participants to take part at a national dialogue conference in accordance with clear criteria and procedures.
As indicated on the draft, the Commission shall have eleven commissioners, appointed by the HPR based upon nomination by the Prime Minister; also commissioners should not be a member of any political party.
As Indicated on the draft, commissioners have immunity from criminal prosecution during the course of their service unless one is caught in flagrante delicto or one’s immunity is stripped by the HPR.
Regarding the budget, the commission is said to get its budget from the government. Notwithstanding, the Commission may collect fund from other provision legal sources as well.
Demands for a national dialogue have become rather extensive since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) came to power following widespread protests across the nation.
“There are difference in opinions and disagreements among various opinion leaders and segments of society in Ethiopia on the most fundamental national issues and it is a necessity to alleviate and resolve the differences and disagreements through broad based inclusive public dialogue that engenders national consensus,” explains the proclamation to establish the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission on the importance of the dialogue.
The national initiative for a national dialogue in the country is being run by a consortium of civil society organizations, political parties and the government as an entity under the name Multi stakeholder Initiative for National Dialogue (MIND-Ethiopia). The initiative was launched in August 2020, by eight organizations drawn from civic societies, the government and political parties. Over the past one year, MIND has been holding dialogues at different levels with various representatives of the general public including political parties, local level community members, media stakeholders, historians, and the government.
Since its establishment, MIND Ethiopia has been developing a concept note on the National Dialogue, preparing a strategic plan, setting up an institutional arrangement, developing a code of conduct and communication strategy.
Addis Ababa and Oromia Police are fabricating charges and abusing innocent people!!! They must be stopped and held responsible.
One of the very important discussion should be stopping human right violation. Police in political motivation in engaged targeting innocent civil servants and journalists who are the difficult job of helping political, ethnical and war victims. Yet those Police who are failing and abusing their position are not held responsible.
Meaza Mohammed, Tamerat, Iskinder Nega, Sintayehu etc.. and many of the Balderas groups good examples of such abuse.
If Meaza is guilty then why push the Diaspora to help war victims? Instead of encouraging and honoring Meaza for the many great deeds she did Addis Ababa Police is engaged in abusing and intimidating good and hard working individuals.
Hi Y’all!!!
I would like to take a moment to wish you all a Happy and rewarding New Year in 2022 and many years thereafter! Let’s all hope and pray that the current scourge that has been ravaging humanity will come to an end in 2022 so we don’t have to worry about it anymore. I also ask you to join me in my prayers that the old country which produced us all and it upright and harmonious peace will start to see the light at the end of tunnel with the end of the senseless destruction they endured for more than a year now. Let’s hope that level heads will prevail for them so those wailing mothers will finally be able to wipe their tears with Allah Blessed handkerchief of enduring peace. Enough with bloodshed!!! Enough! Enough! Enough!!!! Insha’Allah!!!!!