Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives on Wednesday approved an eight-month extension for the National Dialogue Commission.
This is a second extension since the commission was formed over four years ago with a mandate to facilitate national dialogue.
The Ethiopian Parliament evaluated the work of the commission in a un urgent session before the decision to extend the mandate of the commission for another eight months.
Mesfin Araya, the commissioner, briefed the parliament that the Commission has covered over 93 percent of the country since it started its work. As many as 1,232 districts across the country participated in the dialogue.
Challenges the security situation in conflict areas posed in the work of the commission were highlighted during the report.
The Tigray and Amhara regions of Ethiopia were among areas where the commission was unable to undertake its work due to the security situation.
The commissioner also highlighted that efforts were made to include the views of Ethiopians living in the diaspora. Events were organized in North America and Europe. Notably, there had been a stern resistance to it from members of the Ethiopian diaspora.
The commission lacked public trust as it was seen as a partisan entity formed to carry out the interest of the ruling Prosperity party – allegations it has been denying.
Apart from the Ethiopian Diaspora, key opposition parties operating in the country, including the Oromo Federalist Congress and the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), did not participate in the process, alleging that the commission is not neutral.
(Borkena)
