Nat'l Dialogue Agenda Gathering Forum Will Next Move to Regional States: Commissioner Mahmoud Derir

Addis Ababa, May 29/2024 (ENA) The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission, which officially launched the first phase of the dialogue processes for agenda gathering in Addis Ababa today, disclosed that the dialogue will next move to the regional states. 

In an exclusive interview with the Ethiopian News Agency, National Dialogue Commissioner   Mahmoud Derir said that the dialogue began in Addis Ababa because it is the capital of the country and an incubator for different societies and Ethiopian pluralism in terms of religious and ethnic cultures.

''We have begun the journey of the national dialogue from Addis Ababa. This means that Ethiopia has decided to consult and solve its problems on its own through a peaceful, civilized, comprehensive national dialogue in which different groups participate and all the people from different groups become involved to present their agendas."

The commissioner explained that the National Dialogue Commission does not present or give any agendas to citizens, but rather collects the agendas that the communities initiated through their dialogue; and this procedure will continue until these agendas are collected.

Then they will choose who will represent them in the next stage in the national dialogue.

Commissioner  Mahmoud said that this stage concerns the administration of the city of Addis Ababa. After that, the dialogue will move to the other regions.

He stated that preparations have been underway to begin same missions in all regions of Ethiopia, including Tigray and Amhara regions.

According to him, the commission is in contact with the leaders in the Tigray region as well as in the Amhara region. 

"We have begun training those who help the National Dialogue Commission in preparing the conditions for selecting citizens who represent the regions."

Commissioner Mahmoud pointed out that there are no limits to presenting agendas and no interference from the commission

"They (the participants) have absolute freedom to express their opinions and present their agendas, which they believe will contribute to building national reconciliation among peoples."