EPRDF May Allow Non-Party Members in Leadership Positions - PM

EPRDF May Allow Non-Party Members in Leadership Positions - PM

December 5, 2016 - The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) the ruling coalition may have new policy strategies and changes in the bureaucratic arena after the beginning of the new reform that the party says will take place in the coming Ethiopian New Year.

The chairman of the EPRDF and head of the government, Prime Minister Hailemariam Dessalegn gave a press conference to the public media early in the week and confirmed reforms will take place when the House of Peoples’ Representatives resume its session.

During his address the PM said that this will be the  second reform after the 2001 reform that followed the TPLF split.

In the present reform the party may invite non-party members in the leadership arena according to the PM.

He said that the party’s former culture will be continued in the new leadership arrangement from the coming October, which is the beginning of the parliament’s second year session.

“For the sake of the public interest non-party members that shall lead the government system and policy will be included in the government leadership,” the PM said.

It will be a new change for the EPRDF culture in the party system that preferred to assign EPRDF and allied ethnic based party members from the ground to top level of the government bureaucratic positions, according to experts.

The bureaucratic arena has been dominated by the party members mainly since the 2005 election when the party expanded its members aggressively.

Since conflicts erupted in Amhara Region recently and Oromia regional states in the past few months, the leadership of the ruling party has been busy evaluating its past performance which is now being followed by a tabled new reform strategy.

Experts stated that one of the reasons for the lack of good governance is the capacity of the leadership in the governmental system.

On different occasions the government accepted that a lack of good governance and corruption are the latest problems in the system that needs to be tackled.

According to the PM it will be a major area that the government will give attention to in the coming year.

Even though he did not point his finger, he accused external forces who do not want to see Ethiopia take advantage of its natural resources and are trying to worsen and spread out the violence by pumping a huge amount of money into the country.

“The government will do all it can to tackle these challenges, including internal and external problems,” he said.

Source: Capital