By Haimanot Desta
The National Dialogue Commission (NDC) has conceded it cannot see out its mandate in the three months it has left, with its officials pointing to the failure to include Tigray and several opposition political parties as the primary reason for the shortcoming.
The Commission was established in late 2021 with the mandate to finalize the national dialogue process within a three-year period. The initial deadline passed last year, and Parliament voted to extend the period by a year.
Today, with less than three months to go, the Commission’s officials say that despite the extension and preparations, they have been unable to launch a full-fledged dialogue as hoped.
They cited the absence of representatives from the Tigray region and several opposition parties as a major flaw during an event this week which saw CSOs, religious institutions, and other stakeholders gather for an overview of the Commission’s progress.
Deputy Commissioner Hirut Gebreselassie told participants that a nationwide dialogue cannot take place within the remaining three months.
She stated that while the Commission has held talks and collected input from the TPLF, university professors in Tigray, CSOs, and human rights bodies, attempts to approach the current and previous interim administrations in Tigray for dialogue have been unsuccessful.
The initial deadline extension was granted by lawmakers under the assumption that the Commission’s work in Tigray would wrap up, but this has not transpired. Commission officials say conducting the dialogue with the public in Tigray remains impossible, making it difficult to launch the overarching national dialogue.
Professor Mesfin Araya, NDC commissioner, said “We have finalized collecting inputs from different communities and representatives across the country. We are also in the final stages of our preparations and ready to launch the greater national dialogue. However, we are unable to do that because Tigray, some political parties, and armed groups are not included. Including them is critical.”
“We have been communicating with the Red Cross, embassies and the international community to provide trust and guarantees for armed groups to participate in the national dialogue. The foundation has been laid so they can participate without repercussions. This will start when the government approves it,” said Mohammed Drir (Amb.), deputy commissioner.
Direct dialogue with any of the armed groups has not yet begun, according to him.
During this week’s discussion, participants asked the commissioners why the national dialogue is underway while the country is mired in political uncertainty and insecurity. They also asked how the dialogue and the upcoming elections will proceed simultaneously, and wanted to know which had more priority.
The Commission is set to present its progress to Parliament at the end of the three-month period, after which lawmakers can vote to prolong its existence for a second time.
