Thursday 27^th May 2004

Celebration of May 28th by Ethiopians all over the World

The following press release was issued by the London Embassy of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

May 28th is a landmark occasion in the history of Ethiopia. That day in 1991 signalled the demise of the military “Derg” regime, the removal of which opened up opportunities for establishing peace, democracy and participatory development, which have been the backbone of public life ever since.

Ethiopia has now had a Federal Constitution in place since 1995 and, based on this constitution, a Federal Parliament as well as regional parliaments have, through elections, been established and they are all functioning very well. The rights of all nationalities are protected, along with freedom of expression, freedom of association and freedom to pursue material interests without fear.

Democratic participation is manifest in the functioning of political parties, the private press and civil society associations which all play a role in strengthening the democratic life of the country. Two successive elections took place in 1995 and 2000 and a third will take place next year. The building of democratic institutions such as an independent judiciary and police force help to guarantee people’s rights and address their grievances.

As a result, Ethiopia has enjoyed internal peace and stability in the past thirteen years. Civil service reforms, which are now fully applied, are transforming the way that the state operates. There is now accountability and transparency in public services. Obstacles, such as corruption, that hamper development and economic reform have been dealt with. As a result, development has increased and the economy has grown and is diversifying.

Agricultural reform and rural development are the top priority, related as they are to food security and Agricultural Development Led Industrialisation, which puts due emphasis on its linkage with industry and exports, so that Ethiopia can better benefit from the international market.

Economic development is an urgent matter for Ethiopia and Ethiopians. The cycle of dependency has to be broken. The government has, accordingly, launched programmes of water harvesting, voluntary resettlement, generating income outside agricultural activities and continuing the regular extension programme as the principal means of finding solutions to the problem of food insecurity at household level. The government is giving due emphasis to matters related to capacity building. Efforts are underway to bring about significant changes in educational and training programmes.

By promoting dialogue, Ethiopia has played its part in helping to bring durable peace and stability in the country and in the region and, with its partners, it is helping to fight terrorism.

Ethiopians all over the world are proud of all their achievements in the last 13 years and are committed, more than ever, to continuing their relentless efforts to reduce poverty and bring about sustainable economic development that will surely benefit all our citizens.

ENDS