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Honorable Speaker of the House,
Honorable Members of the House of Peoples' Representatives
One can assume
that it is possible to conclude from presentations of varied performance
reports to the House that the government has been engaged this year in
implementing action plans that have been drawn up to realize its objectives
for peace, development and good governance. The report, being presented
today is in line with the same procedures and will focus in particular on
issues pertaining to ensuring peace to our country and the region as well as
implementation of strategies of good governance.
The House is acquainted with the fact that our country, having considered the threat posed to our country and the region by extremists that took refuge in Somalia and upon the request made by the government of Somalia, has deployed its defence forces and was also preoccupied with implementing the plan on the phased withdrawal of its defence forces from Somalia.
We, however, were forced to revise our plans prior to the implementation of the third and final phase. These were made necessary because the terrorists in Mogadishu and its environs started regrouping under the lead coordinating role of the Eritrean government and relying on foreign support. They were also able to exploit the misguided policies of some of the leaders of the sub-clans to start mounting attacks not only on the Ethiopian defence forces but also on the AU peacekeeping force expected to take over from the Ethiopian army. Complete withdrawal of our forces at a juncture when the terrorists have mounted incessant assaults was not a preferred option as it exposed to an ominous danger the newly deployed AU peacekeeping force and could have impeded the deployment of additional peacekeeping force. This could also have led to the reversal of the process of stabilization of Somalia. Our defense forces, had no option but to slow down their process of withdrawal which if allowed to continue would have led to a complete reversal of the victory achieved. Accordingly, it became necessary to draw up plans for breaking together with the troops of the TFG and the citizens of Mogadishu the back of the terrorists that have made Mogadishu their redoubt.
A successful operation was mounted in a highly organized joint campaign to rout the terrorists in Mogadishu. An integrated plan drawn up subsequently to expedite the complete withdrawal of our defence force is presently under implementation.
Decommissioned and trained militias and combatants from the different sub-clans after having been disarmed and handing over their weapons are now being re-integrated into the police and defence forces as part of the drive to build the forces of the Transitional Federal Government. A wide-ranging training programme is underway to boost the capacity of the defence forces of Somalia. On top of the joint training and reorganization schemes carried out by Ethiopian and Ugandan Forces, selected groups brought to Ethiopia are receiving high-level military training. Simultaneously, extensive work is being carried out with respect to the collection of enormous amount of weapons that have inundated Mogadishu as well as in connection with disarming large number of people with arms in collaboration with the public. As a result, despite sporadic terrorist acts, the situation in Mogadishu is one in which the TFG is in control of the whole city making it impossible for terrorists or non-government militia to control any part of the city.
It is obvious that a number of African countries had pledged peacekeeping forces in addition to the Ugandan defence force already deployed to Mogadishu. Owing to terrorist attacks and lack of logistical support, however, additional peacekeepers have not yet been deployed. Countries have renewed their pledges and are confirming their commitment for expeditious deployment of peacekeeping contingents to Somalia after our defence force has crushed the organizational capability of the terrorists in a joint operation with the TFG and the people of Mogadishu. The bottleneck now is the failure on the part of states and parties to release funds they pledged to support the deployment of the peacekeeping force to Somalia. The AU is making unstinted effort to tackle the problem and the Ethiopian government is supporting that effort.
What is critical now for realizing durable peace in Somalia is for the Transitional Federal Government to ensure the holding of national reconciliation among the Somalis by making sure that grievances over insufficient representation are addressed and the political base of the TFG is thus broadened. We are, thus, supporting whole-heartedly efforts to convene a National Reconciliation Congress in Somalia. Commendable steps taken by the Transitional Government were instrumental in setting-up an independent Commission that freely organizes and oversees the congress. The government has taken upon itself to create enabling environment for the clans and sub-clans to freely elect their representatives in line with the formula provided for in the Transitional Charter and to conduct serious of dialogues with parties claiming inadequate participation. It has managed to secure the willingness of these to participate in the congress. Its recent decree to forgive all UIC members except those prominent international terrorists, allowing their participation in the congress if represented by their clans, was indicative of the encouraging measures taken in this connection.
Besides appreciating and supporting these constructive peaceful measures, the Ethiopian government will render in tandem with the Transitional Government and the AU peacekeeping force (AMISOM) all the necessary support for the successful convening as scheduled of the Reconciliation Congress.
It should be underlined that, the government of Ethiopia would like now as well to completely pull out its defence force expeditiously. But, this could take place upon the successful conduct of the reconciliation conference and the consolidation of the TFG with the capability of the police and defence forces bolstered and the full deployment of AMISOM realized. Our focus has been on facilitating conditions that will allow the complete withdrawal of our defence forces because pulling out without the realization of the aforementioned objectives could result in the reversal of the victory achieved against the terrorists through enormous effort. As already indicated encouraging results have already been achieved. Accordingly, we are confident that the right condition will be created before too long for the complete withdrawal of our troops.
We are also, on the other hand, implementing an integrated and comprehensive strategy devised to ward off the chaos the Eritrean government wants to unleash against our country. Our objective is to achieve success in the battle we are waging against poverty through resolving all differences peacefully and through dialogue. In conformity with this principle we have tried to resolve the problem between Eritrea and Ethiopia peacefully on the basis of a realistic and detailed plan which could have helped the two countries make progress.
In connection with this, despite flaws in the decision of the Boundary Commission, we have repeatedly and unequivocally declared our acceptance of the same because it is the Commission's verdict. With regard to the implementation of the decisions of the Boundary Commission, because dialogue on issues of implementation to ensure sustainable peace is not only imperative but also a common international practice during border demarcations, we have repeatedly and unambiguously expressed our desire and readiness to discuss the implementation and move on to the actual demarcation. Convinced that sustainable peace could prevail between the two countries when conditions are created for amicable neighborly ties after dialogue and negotiation on issues beyond the border demarcation, we have made it abundantly clear that we are ready for such a dialogue. Notwithstanding impediments to this realistic and peaceful option, we would persist in our effort until it is fully realized. We do so because this is a correct strategy and in line with our vision.
Our strategy of resolving conflicts through peaceful means and dialogue which is indeed part and parcel of our strategy to overcome poverty can succeed only when others also act likewise. It has now become abundantly clear that there is no commensurate stance and commitment in the part of Eritrea. As a result, it is deemed necessary to make the necessary military preparation for deterring possible Eritrean invasion and to repulse such an invasion should it occur. We have thus achieved the requisite military capability to deter and to effectively repulse aggression. We have done so by allocating sufficient resources but without allowing our development plans to be adversely affected. While what we have done already in this regard is satisfactory, we will nonetheless continue to give all the necessary attention to the continuing bolstering of our defence capacity until peace is realized fully.
A few years ago, the Eritrean Government was sabre-rattling in a very ostentatious manner expressing readiness to invade Ethiopia. But we have now come to the point where neither Eritrea nor others could ignore that at present our Defense Forces have the capacity to deter aggression and to repulse it if it occurred and that this is being strengthened by the day.
Thus while it is obvious that the Government of Eritrea will never miss an opportunity to carry out aggression against Ethiopia should there be an opportunity, it is nonetheless evident that at present its strategy is mainly based on spreading chaos in Ethiopia by organizing, arming and deploying Ethiopian opposition forces which it uses as instruments for this objective.
Resistance to such a strategy of the Eritrean regime requires mounting a joint public and government effort to control the activities of these Trojan Horses of the Eritrean Government. In spite of an all-out effort made by the government to persuade these organizations to respect the Constitution and the laws of the land, to denounce war and terrorism and to use instead peaceful means in pursuit of their goals, they have been adamant and would not budge from their destructive course. The only alternative thus remains exposing these destructive forces, which are nothing more than stooges of the Eritrean government, and keeping them in check through a joint public and government effort. I call upon the people of Ethiopia to join hands with the government to expose and crack down on those elements while the Eritrean government and its lackeys are now busy conniving to disrupt public celebrations of the Ethiopian Millennium.
Honorable Speaker of the House,
Honorable Members of the House of Peoples' Representatives,
It is quite obvious that the Federal Government has the responsibility to boost human resources and organizational capacity of the legislative, executive and judiciary organs at the federal level in order to accomplish its agenda of promoting good governance all over the country. Further, it also needs to provide full support to the regions and coordinate their efforts in this regard.
With regard to the Federal House of people's Representatives, a plan focusing on three main issues was drawn up in addition to training and experience sharing programmes to be implemented by the House itself. With the prerogatives of the ruling party to lead the country kept intact the plan which was devised to provide the opposition the chance to be adequately heard and participate by improving the regulations of the House relating to its procedure and code of ethics, should be cited first. Similarly, the plan to improve the electoral law, and the procedural and organizational structure of the Electoral Board by conducting a study on the shortcomings of the 2005 election was also an issue which was given adequate attention. Thirdly, various activities were undertaken by revising the press law to ensure the implementation of a plan to promote free press based on the principles of transparency, accountability and freedom as is required in a democratic system.
The code of ethics and procedure of the House of People's Representatives was amended by benchmarking the experiences of other countries known to have best experiences. Those parties which have seats in the House participated in the amendment process and currently the adopted document is under implementation. It can, therefore, be said that an improved legal framework has been created to make our House of People's Representatives one of the best Houses enjoying best democratic practices which have now become operational.
With regard to the amendment of the procedures and the law of the Electoral Board, foreign experts were hired to conduct studies and come up with recommendations. Thenafter, parties which were ready to participate on discussions and negotiations on this issue deliberated and adopted a draft amended law.
In accordance with the joint agreement reached by the parties, the Woreda and Kebele elections which were supposed to be held this year were postponed for next year. Those parties which are interested and have seats in the House have been allowed to nominate candidates for membership in the Electoral Board in conformity with the stated criterion. After duly considering the candidates nominated by the parties and based on the law of the country, I have presented to the House capable candidates I believe are competent for membership to the Board. I believe all the candidates meet the criterion as some are nominated by the ruling party, while others are by the opposition establishing their capacity and non partisanship which has been found to be a new and useful practice for our country.
In the same manner, all efforts need be exerted to complete by early next year the plan to improve and strengthen the press law which was not completed this budget year. Parallel to this, in accordance with the plan to set up community radio stations, a radio station was commissioned as a pilot project and lessons drawn are being compiled.
After lessons are drawn and compiled, the expansion work will continue. Parallel to this, licenses have been issued to 51 newspapers and magazines, out of which 20 are profit-making enterprises, to allow the press to do its job properly. With regard to the plan to provide sufficient information to the private media by government agencies, the private media has now begun to participate in press conferences being held by various organs. Though it is expected of us to work hard to establish a vibrant, free and democratic media, it can be said that significant improvements were registered in creating a healthy democratic media.
In the same manner, a plan to strengthen an earlier plan of reforming the procedural and organizational structure of the courts was drawn up on the one hand, and on the other, a plan was conceived to make the federal judicial system transparent and accountable. To strengthen the federal judicial system in places where the reform of the judicial system has already started, activities are being undertaken to further strengthen the reform, while work is also in progress to bring the reform, step by step, to the Woreda level. Although this reform program is expected to play an important role in strengthening the judicial system, it is apparent that the necessary outcome cannot be attained unless the manpower within the system can adequately be reinforced in its mastery of professional knowledge and ethics. Therefore, a broad training program for regional professionals has been designed and conducted in the regions after changes were introduced on the basis of lessons drawn from the training provided at the federal level to court professionals and prosecutors.
In addition to training and improving the competence of legal professionals and ethical conduct within the judicial system, it is essential to improve transparency and accountability as well. The judicial system can never be reliably improved unless a mechanism is established which can assign those professionals whose practical performance is not compatible with their qualifications as per the level of their efficiency. Unless there is a mechanism that also provides for holding accountable, those professionals who have failed to meet the desired code of conduct, the judicial system cannot be overhauled in a reliable manner. Although a study was conducted to undertake this task, it was found out that the study itself needs to be revised and improved and thus could not be implemented. Reviewing, improving and implementing the study would be an issue that requires attention in the future.
The civil service reform program is one of the major plans drawn up to build the executive capacity of the federal government. Efforts have been exerted to implement the civil service program in all governmental organizations, giving special attention to those organizations with larger share in our economic activities. Regular reviews on the implementation process are also imperative in order to make improvements accordingly. Efforts have been made for all federal institutions to evaluate their working procedures and organizational structures as well as draw lessons from countries who are known to have best practices and accordingly design and implement plans to reengineer a change. In those institutions which have been selected to have greater contributions in our development activities, every effort is being exerted to employ foreign professionals to reengineer the change, in addition to their own reform programs. In order to be able to build local capacity of designing and executing the civil service reform program and to build the capacity of the civil service college and other similar institutions in implementing this activity, efforts have been exerted to jointly work with similar foreign institutions. Periodic reviews were conducted to assess the strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of the civil services reform process in order to ensure its fruitfulness.
The federal government's execution capacity has been steadily improving through the tremendous efforts deployed. Despite the fact that significant gains were made, there were still various problems which were encountered. Therefore, it cannot be said that the reform program has brought about the expected radical change at the pace desired. It has required a considerable amount of money and time to design and implement a feasible reform program as the requisite knowledge and experience needed to modernize the civil service process and structure is not available locally. The other problem is the arduous struggle and commitment needed to change the bureaucratic practice which has been prevalent for about a century. The professional capacity and experience of the civil servant is extremely limited when seen against the demands of modern civil service. To add to that, the resistance from a significant number of people who are skeptical of the reform has complicated the whole process.
We will remain committed to the reform without giving in to the impediments as there is no other alternative to it. Heads of all institutions will be required to implement the reform program with ever-stronger dedication and commitment. Heads will be evaluated on their commitment and capability to deliver on the reform and if need be they will be reshuffled. The reform program will continue with enhanced know-how and efficiency drawing lessons from practices witnessed both locally and overseas. Special attention will be given to provide continuous support and training in addition to recruiting and retaining competent professionals capable of advancing modern civil service practices. Special attention will also be given to making the civil service an important tool to bring about change instead of being an impediment.
In order to fully implement the plan designed to promote public participation in issues pertaining to government performance in a sustained and organized manner, various governmental institutions have begun to work closely with various professional and mass organizations. This approach requires governmental institutions to constantly consult with these organizations representing a cross-section of the society. The experiences gained and the improvements made in this regard, will be implemented in every institution. In this connection, improving the laws governing non-governmental organizations was found to be crucial. A study undertaken to this end is almost completed. The revised draft law was expected to be presented to the House this year. However, as the study could not be completed, it will be presented to the honorable House, next year.
Along with the tremendous efforts being exerted to realize good governance at the federal level, the federal government is providing better support then ever to assist regional governments in their efforts to promote good governance. In this regard, special attention is accorded to the preparation and implementation of two rural and urban action plans on good governance. The action plans were discussed by relevant federal and regional organs at consultation forums organized at the end of last year and the beginning of this year in collaboration with regions. They have now been adopted and are under implementation.
Emanating from the strong conviction that training is crucial for the successful implementation of the program, government officials at each level are being provided with successive and extensive training. In addition to training programmes offered to urban engineers, officials who have been assigned to political posts were given training in government policies and management. For instance, not less than 400 youth with first degrees from various regions have started participating in programs designed to train urban development workers for second degrees in collaboration with the Civil Service College and other foreign institutions active in the same area. The program will also be vigorously continued next year. In short, although there are some occasional delays in connection with implementing the plan to realize good governance at the federal and regional levels, the overall performance is satisfactory and is progressing according to plan.
I thank you!