Borkena Desk
(TORONTO, Canada) — As reports emerge that ethnic Oromo nationalists dominate the federal government under the leadership of Abiy Ahmed during the national dialogue commission proceedings, the National Amhara Movement (NaMA), which has been participating in the conference, revealed to the public that the process was neither neutral nor inclusive.
The party stated that what was observed during the national conference transcends flaws that emanate from the process or standard political differences, instead viewing it as a deliberate government move to influence decisions via state institutions.
NaMA alleged on Saturday that the ruling party committed structural violations, pressures, and partisan proceedings within the workings of the National Dialogue Commission, placing the blame squarely on the ruling Prosperity Party while reiterating that the dialogue lacked inclusiveness and participation.
Detailing what it termed structural violations, NaMA stated that government institutions are being used as tools to advance the interests of a particular group, pointing fingers at the ruling party. Sources from within the national dialogue conference have leaked information indicating that the ruling party mobilized state power to influence decisions on key controversial topics, including the status of Addis Ababa. As previously reported by Borkena, the ruling party attempted to impose a decision to place Addis Ababa fully under the Oromia regional state, despite over 70 percent of the city’s population being non-Oromo.
NaMA described the violations as “exclusionary” and “stifling” and subsequently lodged a formal complaint letter with the Commission.
Responding to the allegations from NaMA, the Commission stated on Monday that it conducted a “proper” investigation into claims that the national dialogue conference was “not inclusive and participatory.”
The Commission formally stated that it does not share the conclusions reached by the NaMA party.
After participating for over a month, NaMA made its observations public, stating that “recurring and organized violations” observed during the conference raise serious questions regarding its credibility, neutrality, and inclusiveness.
In response, the Commission emphasized that it is actively working to ensure the process remains “free, neutral, and participatory.”
For over five years, NaMA has collaborated with the government, leading critics to classify it as a political party they describe as “managed opposition.” Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party granted one cabinet position to NaMA despite the party failing to win seats in the 2021 election, a dynamic that resulted in NaMA losing a significant portion of its support base due to its alignment with the ruling party.
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