Political Market Threatening Nation Building Efforts Unless Halted Through Swift Actions: High Ranking Government Officials

Addis Ababa January 14/2023/ENA/ 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 an exclusive interview with ENA, Minister of Planning and Development, Fitsum Assefa and State Minister of Finance,  Eyob Tekalign pointed out that various features of political market  are manifested in Ethiopia including corruption and extremism bent on abusing rules and regulations of government institutions 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 by ignoring the peace alternative is also the other manifestation of political market bent on creating uncertainty and instability in the country, she further elaborated.

In this regard, a country like Ethiopia, which is in transition or reform, is exposed to political market, she sated.

Recall that Ethiopia has undertaken massive reforms in various spheres. For Fitsum, foreign elements have their hands in the political market  to thrive in Ethiopia.

Foreign and local forces work together to achieve their interest in the name of the people. 

Highlighting that the political market is a 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 market actors 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 only pursues individual and/ or group interest, not the interest of the nation,” she stressed.

Developed countries have already completed their jobs in nations building and institutions. So, they can ensure accountability by their strong institutions.

However, countries with ample resources in Africa, in geopolitical strategic location, and countries which are in the process of nations building and in the process of institution building are vulnerable for political market, it was indicated.

For instance, when we see the colonialists, they targeted weak countries to realize their ambition of partition of Africa as local mercenaries played major roles, Fitsum elaborated.

“The biggest lesson is that by resisting the pressure of the political market, it is crucial to  reduce our vulnerability. One of the areas which exposed us to groups or extremists, corruption and other wrong doings is —backwardness, so  reducing poverty is extremely important.”

The minister further said that embarking on poverty eradication could massively reduce the vulnerability of 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 to transactional politics, actors of  political market are causing problems, resulting in the sufferings of the people and undermining the country’s development, and growth, to  ultimately  dismantle  the nation.

Simply, the political market is a market where politics is used in transaction to advance  individual interest as a priority at the expense of  the interests of the general public.

Eyob further stated that in the nation building endeavours, conducive situations are created to resolve the backlogs of political issues which were not settled for many decades through the National Dialogue Commission.

Apart from this,  advancing political market is unacceptable and needs swift and collaborative actions. “We have to fight and stop such trend once and for all.”

One of the major targets of the political market actors in Ethiopia is disrupting all the positive beginnings of the reforms which are being undertaken in various sectors.

Eyob stressed that all segments of the society including the media, scholars, and the people at large have to fight such devastating trend nationwide, halt the threat and realize the  long-term ambitions of the nation.

The government of Ethiopia has undertaken bold reforms that have given hope to millions in Ethiopia and beyond despite internal and external challenges.