President Calls on Citizens to Restore Dignity of National Flag

Addis Ababa  October 14   /2019 President Sahlework Zewdie has urged Ethiopians to restore the respect and dignity that was accorded to the national flag of the country.

Opening the National Flag Day ceremony in the premises of the House of People's Representatives today, the president said citizens used to honor the national flag.

During my childhood, pedestrians stood on sidewalks and vehicles halted during flag-raising and flag-lowering, she added.

Sahlework, however, noted that due respect and dignity is not being accorded to the Ethiopian flag nowadays.

In this respect, the National Flag Day should be celebrated with the view to restoring the dignity of the flag.

Stressing the importance of the flag in strengthening unity, President Sahlework said, “We should protect the flag from being a tool for political polemics.”

With this in mind, the new generation should be taught about the national flag, she underscored.

Also speaking on the occasion, Deputy Speaker of the House of People's Representatives Shitaye Minale said the dignity of the flag would be adequately respected “when we stand for our unity and development.”

Good governance, human rights and federalism are among the main areas of discussion during this year's National Flag Day celebration, she added.

The theme for this year’s National Flag Day is: “Our flag is the total sum of our diversity and a pillar of unity.”

The National Flag Day is celebrated every year early October.