Enat party unable to conduct the required party congress to elect leaders. The government seems to have employed logistics blockade as a playing card to not allow the congress to happen
borkena
What led to the establishment of a new administration under Abiy Ahmed in 2018, from within the then-ruling party, EPRDF, was a persistent and ubiquitous popular protest against TPLF repression.
What later became the Prosperity Party under Abiy Ahmed Ali started as an internal movement within the defunct EPRDF. Broadening the political space in the country and rule of law were among the key reform measures that were discussed and Abiy Ahmed promised to deliver them, among other things.
The failure in the area of rule of law is already proved. Now, there are additional indications that “broadening the political space in the country” is failing.
Enat Party, one of the youngest political parties in Ethiopia, is saying that it could not undertake a party congress. Based on the statement from the party, the government repression seems to be manifesting itself in the form of denying the party access to much needed logistics to the congress Auditorium.
According to the party, three reservations were canceled. The first reservation was a public venue that is said to be under the Ministry of Culture and Sports in the Sidist kilo area. The party said it got a greenlight first but it was withdrawn later.
The next attempt was in the Kirkos sub-city. An arrangement was made through the agency of the Political Parties Joint Council but it was canceled again 48 hours into the party congress which was supposed to be attended by 700 participants from across the country. Enat Party unspecified why the place was not allowed and what entity was behind it.
The manner in which the third reservation got canceled seems to suggest that the government is behind it and the action demonstrates that the pledge to broaden the political space in the country is crossed off.
The statement from Enat Party indicated that it approached Kidist Selassie University to rent a Hall that is used for weddings. It appeared as if it was a smooth process. The legal requirement was met and the fee was paid. Supplies for the meeting were even stocked, according to the party.
As participants of the congress head to the Hall for the event, the organizers were told that the congress can not take place. Why? Enat Party said that it was told the last-minute cancellation is due to “government directives.”
Bertukan Medeksa, Chair of the National Electoral Board, reportedly stepped in to resolve the matter. That did not happen. The party expressed gratitude for the effort she made.
The loss?
The party was unable to undertake the congress and elect leaders – as required by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).
Furthermore, it said that it spent three million Ethiopian birr to prepare the congress. 700 party representatives from across the country had to travel to Addis Ababa. It seems that the party is paying for it all.
It is also said that the party is impacted psychologically.
In spite of that, the way party members dealt with the matter and the interaction with law enforcement forces reflected civility and patience, according to Enat Party and it is counting it as an asset.
Next Step
The party said it will notify members about the next phases of the peaceful struggle, and asked for patience.
“The way to compensate for what we lost is by working more; by taking three or more fold steps than what we had. Let that be known and let us work, wherever we are, to make the public,” the party said.
Also, the party said it will take the matter to court to get justice and called on Ethiopians to support the party.
The Ministry of Government Communications Affairs did release a statement explaining why Enat Party was not allowed to have its congress when it is a legal entity recognized by the Electoral Board.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government has recently said that it has built a strong security force.
And there are clear signs of move along the path to repression as his government lost considerable public support.
The incident last Thursday in Addis Ababa whereby government security forces took forceful action against people who were celebrating Adwa Victory and against worshipers at St. George Church, which Human Rights Commission called “unnecessary,” are the latest examples for the moves in the direction of dictatorship – and it is going to be an ethnic nationalist dictatorship – just like one that Ethiopia had for nearly thirty years after the fall of Colonel Mengistu Hailemariam government in 1991.
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halelujah for believing in evil minded ethnic devils. now what will be the fate of Addis Ababa residents incessant hassling by oro goons. what is out guarantee of life in Ethiopia with dumb ethnic bufoons in place?
Addis Ababa should lodge SOS to UN against destruction by the abiy govt of ethnic extremists
Enat genocidal party-Another amhara collection of killers and robbers who have no mercy for amhara people but trading in their name for political and economic gain.
you must be dismantled you are enemy of amhara!
don’t manipulate and force religious fatheers for amhara politicians gain. Don’t intimidate or isolate them for not participating with you.Don’t push children to chaos for politcal gain. Don’t use church premises for political violencee and later cry as if you got attacked .
Last but not least, prepare for leaving Oromiyaa, your foster land.
you are deleting many of comments posted at this junky website attracting junky murderers such as abebe gelaw, niamin zeleke , ittu ababa farda etc
Eritreans and amhara out of Oromia , including our capital finfinnee and Bahir Dar(former Oromia city)
we will also dismantle socalled mahibrekidusan
This report did a good job covering the opposition party’s account of what happened but it did not tell us what was in the statement issued by the government regarding the denial of facilities. Meanwhile, all glory to our daughter/sister H.E Birtukan bint Medeksa. This is not her first time to show her resolve to upheld democratic principles. I remember a story that told how she brought an aspiring candidate who was denied to run in his region during the last election and brought him to the capital and got him registered there. What more can I say about the ingenuity and capabilities of our women? They are naturally born leaders and more than a million times qualified to run that country if not the misogynists men keeping them down and out of the political arena. I hope the day will come before my last day on this Good Earth when they will peacefully wrestled away the monopoly from the hands war addicted men and show us men how a country is supposed to be governed where men will be told to stand way back in line for at least 100 years. We hope that may help us men to go thru an effective political drug rehab and come out clean. It will take us men that long to get sober.
Of course free speech, transparency, democracy, justice, peace, rule of law and the whole civilization processes do not go together with the Oromo Thugtatorship Abiy Ahmed, Shimeles Abdissa, Adanech Abebei and the Oromo PP thugs.
Those Oromo daytime hyenas, thugs dressed in suit only intention is to steal, murder, and destroy Ethiopia. Under the Oromo Thugtatorship Lawlessness, crime, Genocide, looting, stealing land and name it in Oromo name is legalizes as the law. They are the exact flip of law and order.
Now since the ethnicist Oromo thugs hate and greed has reached every non-Oromo ethnic groups who thought Amhara was the only target of Oromo Kleptomania Thugs can start to reunite with every non-OLF Kleptomania thugs and fight for freedom from Thug Abiy and co.