Jigjiga Mirror
List of Major political that rejected Abiy's National Dialogue Commission: OLF, the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), TPLF and Enat, Fano, ONLF Oromo Liberation Army (OLA)
This week, the Prosperity Party convened a meeting with its cadres and elders, who often voice the party's views, under the pretense of gathering input for a national dialogue.
During the meeting, participants discovered that the Somali region has been allotted just 75 representatives from a total of 7,000 planned for the national dialogue. Additionally, 35 slots are reserved for minority non-Somalis residing in the region, limiting the representation from the Somali region to just 100 individuals.
This allocation has sparked frustration among the party cadres present, while local elders voiced their dissatisfaction, contending that the meeting fails to adequately address the Somali agenda and the community's grievances.
In protest, Somali region-based opposition parties, including the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), boycotted the event, criticizing the commissioners for their handling of the national dialogue process in Jigjiga.
The national dialogue platform in Ethiopia has faced significant skepticism across the political spectrum. Various armed groups and opposition parties, such as the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), Tigray Liberation Front (TPLF) and Enat, have outright rejected the initiative.
Similarly, the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) and Fano militia have condemned the process for its perceived lack of inclusivity and accountability.
Concerns regarding the National Dialogue Commission (NDC) have also emerged, with allegations that several of its members maintain close ties to the ruling Prosperity Party and may thereby bias the dialogue's outcomes.
The NDC functions primarily as an advisory body rather than an independent entity, tasked with making recommendations to the House of Peoples Representatives, which is also dominated by the Prosperity Party.
Regardless, there are indications that the ruling party intends to leverage this national dialogue as a platform for constitutional reform. The regime aims to transition from ethnic federalism to a geography-based federalism, which could potentially facilitate a shift in governance and leadership from a prime ministerial to a presidential system.
Jigjiga Mirror
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