Message of Speaker of the House:

His Excellence Tagesse Chaffo

It has been a quarter plus years for our country, Ethiopia, to Exercise the Parliament democracy. We have had four terms of Parliament since the commencement of the parliament Democracy and currently, the parliament has concluded 5th tenure of the 5th House. During all these terms, the Parliament has exercised its Constitutional mandates of legislating, oversighting and supervision as well as representing the electorate. Along all the terms, as it can be witnessed, the Parliament has shown progresses of quality in all these aspects.

 The 5th tenure of the 5th House has investigated and endorsed 59 proclamations and 12 resolutions which are believed to contribute to the proper execution of government’s policies, programs and plans. In its joint session with the House of Federation, it prolonged the due date of the population and houses census.

In consideration of maintaining the key and burning issues of peace and security being on the side of the executive, the Parliament has enacted a proclamation that helps to prevent and control terrorism activities. Pursuant to the aforementioned reason, it also approved a proclamation that inhibits use of illicit arms. A proclamation against the hate speech and false information delivery is also one of the proclamations in this category.

Though the influence of the Novel #Covid-19 pandemic impacted the over-sighting and controlling duties of the House not to flow as was intended and needed, the House has managed to evaluate the performance status of some organizations versus to what they planned. It also did the same to GERD and other mega projects of the nation.

Regarding to the representation tasks of the electorates, the House conducted appropriate discussions based-upon the wills and interests of various sects of the society. The last Ethiopian year (the 5th tenure of the Parliament), was the time that the MPs forwarded quests, comments and suggestions of their mind being only loyal to their own conscience and the public interests. This instance, I believe; has had its own footprint in the Parliament Democracy of the nation.

The House, on the other hand, exerted every effort to build national image along with hailing the reputation and benefit of the country in its bi-lateral and/or multi-lateral diplomatic relationships. The House particularly used its multi-lateral coincidences for addressing the undiluted and just information about the GERD to the int’l community. As well, the House portrayed the win-win desire and permanent policy on the side of Ethiopia and the country’s need for the just share of the trans-boundary river, Abay. The Ethiopian parliament also tried to explain about the use of the dam to the continent and the horn, in addition to its economic benefit to Ethiopia.

Apart from such activities, the House is currently undertaking some paramount reform agendas. Accordingly, establishing law drafting commission in order to improve the process of legislation and compiling a manual for bills of law are underway. The improvement of Rules of Procedures and Members’ Code of Conduct pursuant to the basic ideologies of the reform of the nation is going on. Another manual that enables the over-sighting and controlling tasks of the House be more effective is also on the way.

The House will make use of the manual for over-sighting and controlling duties in the next tenure. Through it, the House intends to evaluate operational plans, policies, programs and the level of feasibility of projects as per the amount of budget allocated to them. House aspires to see growing transparency and accountability in the new tenure from all concerned bodies. And the over-sight and control tasks will centre such endeavours, I believe.

As we all know, the Ethiopian reform has seen duration of about 2 point 6 years. Following the reform, citizens started to hope for true democracy in the country and social justice shall come into reality. Moreover, the equal treatment of citizens at all places, where such a demand is needed to be practiced is the ultimate will of everyone in the nation. Hence, the apparent political, social and economic reforms made every inhabitant of the nation to look forward for acquiring them and the Parliament will work to bring them to the ground.

The Parliament, being encouraged by the reform, escalated its negotiation capacity in the int’l meetings and diplomatic relationships. It tried to work for securing and maintaining the benefit and reputation of the nation. Such diplomatic relations and efforts, along with the public interest and the executive commitment, helped us to fill the first round of the GERD waterfiller successfully. As a result, the Parliament believes, the Ethiopian prosperity will never ever leave its path for any detour and deviation.

Nevertheless, the existing norms of the country; peaceful coexistence and stability have been tempted by the forces determined to drawback and halt our peace, security and economic growth. We Ethiopians shall never pay attention to such evil thoughts and deeds and focus on the major agenda: The economic development. We shall stand together for our common development and prosperity and move forward, not backward.

Our journey to the destiny of realizing development and growth shall become glaring reality. Onbehalf of myself and the House of Peoples’ Representatives, I would like to call upon and sincerely request all citizens of all age: from infants to the grown-ups, to consolidate the already started solidarity to wrap-up and finish the GERD glamorously and celebrate the victory together! Once again, I would like to wish happy, peaceful, Ethiopian New Year for every Ethiopians and Ethiopian origins where, we all shall stand in solidarity for prosperity!

Thank you so much!