Last Tuesday, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn gave briefing to journalists on the current situation in the country more specifically the recent unrest. The Ethiopian Herald has summarized and presented to its readers the highlights of his briefing. Excerpts:
On renaissance journey
The journey over the last 15 years is a decade for tremendous achievements in the country. The nation has registered rapid economic growth that benefit citizens at all levels that won international recognition and is attributed to the active public participation.
Mentioning some of the grand achievements, the Prime Minister said the nation has managed to extricate 20 million people from the abject poverty over the last 15 years. The country has also moved forward in attaining MDGs. It has shown a stride move in expanding health and education access nationwide indicating that 30 million citizens are enrolling in educational facilities.
In the realms of job creation, the government has created millions of jobs for citizens every year. This has mainly focused to benefit the youth as a result many youth have been transforming into investors thereby contributing to the national development.
However, the Premier said the rapid economic growth has instigated the public to demand for more development with urgency. This and the ever growing of the population that challenges the pace of the government have resulted public anger which is a legitimate concern. But, the ugly part, this legitimate public demand has turned out to be a violence and chaos letting the anti-peace elements who are waiting for such hotbed time for their destructive agenda.
Causes for unrest
One of the basic issues, though the country has registered rapid economic growth with active public participation and beneficial to citizens at all levels which won international recognition, the unmet pace of the government's response and the ever increasing public demand has contributed its share for the unrest.
The population has doubled itself over the last 15 years constituting 30 per cent of youth. As the government is in state of transition, there is a gap in addressing the evolving demand of the public. Besides, the tendency of the leadership to use public authority for personal gain at all levels has been singled out as the underlined factor for the recent unrest. The current factors that agitate the unrest were also the overdue question of identity and border issues. As to the Premier, the intervention of anti-peace elements that bent on destabilizing the country considered as a fuelling factor for the meaningless and destructive mob.
Youth and the unrest
Considering the concern of the youth, the Premier said the government is well aware of the 30 per cent population of the country. Commendable job has been done in creating jobs in the country. The incumbent has been able to create millions of jobs on yearly basis. More effort is still needed to address the 20 million people living under poverty line. Besides putting a clear direction in the second GTP, the government has already revised the youth package in a way to actively engage and benefit the youth in the development of the country. The Premier said the involvement of the youth in the recent violence is telling by itself. The government has come to realize that widening opportunities for jobs and working closely with the youth to address the pressing issues of the youth.
The Premier reaffirmed that his government is well aware of the involvement of Ethiopia's enemies in fuelling incitement. Those who go red eye for the improving scenario of the county use this unrest as a hotbed for their destructive agenda. These forces that refuse Ethiopia's right to use its natural resources. They try to destabilize the country using the extremist diaspora and for their evil move to dismantle the constitutional order. These groups have misguided and manipulated citizens who are hopeless and desperate fellow citizens for their evil move. They finance their messengers tasked to disintegration of the nation. For the government, the violence is not unrestrained one rather it is manageable, the Premier said.
EPRDF decision
The incumbent has been implementing various reforms and witnessed tangible changes in the past decade plus years in many areas. It is through this tradition the EPRDF Council has passed decision to address public concerns. As per the Council decision public and organization structure would be revised, democratic institutions would also be strengthened and efforts would be intensified to battle corruption.
The Premier emphasized that improving the leadership is key for the incumbent. Since it is the governing issue that needs to be tackled in different parts of the country. As to him, of all the issues, the Council has singled out attitudinal and capacity limitation among the leadership as threat in moving forward in all spheres. Serving the public thereby ensuring social change has been the tradition of EPRDF. On the contrary, the tendency of changing public authority for personal gain has been witnessed. Therefore, the Council has decided to undertake the reform to bring about genuine change among the party and government bodies. Serving the public is the ultimate objective to benefit the public.
Regarding border dispute among states and the demand for identity, Hailemariam said this emanates from respective state administrations delay in responding to the issue and reaffirmed it would be solved urgently in accordance with the Constitution.
It is not alien for the EPRDF to go through challenging situations and is still capable of addressing problems with scientific approach. Expressing his confidence, the Premier said the front is imperturbable. It is with a capacity to deal with challenging times.
The way forward
The government has envisioned to create demanding , active and duty bound citizens which is far-reaching. This was boldly pronounced during the previous renewal and has already happened. As the public have been engaged in deepening the socio-economic development and democratization process actively, the country's move to join the middle income economies is imminent.
For the government that is endeavouring to pace up with the evolving public demand, the role and contribution of the public especially the youth is indispensable. The government continues to engage the public to sustain ongoing development and fight rent-seeking mentality to ultimately address public concern.
In a country where democracy reigns the youth need to present its demand peacefully to the concerned organs and influence the incumbent positively for better governance rather than indulging in pointless chaos. That is why, the Premier called on families and the public to advise the youth to refrain from such destructive activities that led them to pay worthless sacrifice.
As the unrest turned out to be violence with weapon that proves the intervention of anti-peace elements, the government is responsible to ensure the country's peace and stability and also protect its citizens from any possible threat. The government will not tolerate any element working to undermine the peace and stability of the country. No compromise for any move to dismantle the country, Hailemariam noted.