Africa-Press – Ethiopia. The political market trend in Ethiopia is an imminent threat to the ongoing inclusive reforms and nation building efforts, where swift and collaborative actions are required to halt it , according to high ranking government officials.
In anexclusive interview , Minister of Planning and Development, FitsumAssefa and State Minister of Finance, Eyob Tekalign pointed out that various features of political market are manifested in Ethiopia includingcorruption and extremism bent on abusing rules and regulations of governmentinstitutions for personal interests.
Minister of Planning and Development Fitsum Assefa, stated that there are many actors whose ultimate goal is to hunt for individual interest and to achieve their calculated profit rather than benefiting the nation and its people.
The desire to illegally arm oneself byignoring the peace alternative is also the other manifestation of politicalmarket bent on creating uncertainty and instability in the country, she furtherelaborated.
In this regard, a country like Ethiopia,which is in transition or reform, is exposed to political market, she sated.
Recall that Ethiopia has undertakenmassive reforms in various spheres. For Fitsum, foreign elements have theirhands in the political market to thrivein Ethiopia.
Foreign and local forces work together toachieve their interest in the name of the people.
Highlighting that the political market isa dangerous trend and it could halt the reforms and nation building efforts,she noted that it drags the efforts of the inclusive reforms in political,economic, social, democratic and other spheres.
Fitsum pointed out that the political marketactors do not have the desire to work for the genuine cause of the society.“Political market massively harms the peace and security of the nation; it onlypursues individual and/ or group interest, not the interest of the nation,” shestressed.
Developed countries have already completedtheir jobs in nations building and institutions. So, they can ensureaccountability by their strong institutions.
However, countries with ample resources inAfrica, in geopolitical strategic location, and countries which are in theprocess of nations building and in the process of institution building arevulnerable for political market, it was indicated.
For instance, when we see the colonialists,they targeted weak countries to realize their ambition of partition of Africaas local mercenaries played major roles, Fitsum elaborated.
“The biggest lesson is thatby resisting the pressure of the political market, it is crucial to reduce our vulnerability. One of the areaswhich exposed us to groups or extremists, corruption and other wrong doings is —backwardness, so reducing poverty is extremely important.”
The minister further saidthat embarking on poverty eradication could massively reduce the vulnerabilityof the country for political market.
State Minister of Finance Eyob Tekalign for his part said that individuals or groups are advancing their personal interests in the name of general public or society through the political market.
Though idea superiority is preferable totransactional politics, actors of political market are causing problems, resulting in the sufferings ofthe people and undermining the country’s development, and growth, to ultimately dismantle the nation.
Simply, the political market is a marketwhere politics is used in transaction to advance individual interest as a priority at theexpense of the interests of the generalpublic.
Eyob further stated that in the nationbuilding endeavours, conducive situations are created to resolve the backlogsof political issues which were not settled for many decades through theNational Dialogue Commission.
Apart from this, advancing political market is unacceptableand needs swift and collaborative actions. “We have to fight and stop suchtrend once and for all.”
One of the major targets of the politicalmarket actors in Ethiopia is disrupting all the positive beginnings of thereforms which are being undertaken in various sectors.
Eyob stressed that all segments of thesociety including the media, scholars, and the people at large have to fightsuch devastating trend nationwide, halt the threat and realize the long-term ambitions of the nation.
The government of Ethiopia has undertakenbold reforms that have given hope to millions in Ethiopia and beyond despiteinternal and external challenges.
For More News And Analysis About Ethiopia Follow Africa-Press
