Chairman of the Blue Party delivers a speech in Addis Ababa

Eng. Yilkal Getnet, Chairman of the Blue Party delivers a speech at the annual “Partners group” meeting in Addis Ababa American embassy compound, the meeting was organized by the U.S Embassy in Addis Ababa. Diplomats from more than 35 countries attended this year “Partners group” meeting.

Thank you Ambassador Booth for inviting me to speak here today. I am honored to be here at the U.S. Embassy.

I also want to thank all of the distinguished diplomats who are here for this meeting. I appreciate the opportunity to be here with you.

Let me say that it is a distinct honor and a special privilege for me to come before you on behalf of the Blue Party of Ethiopia to introduce our Party and share our values goals and objectives.

You might say we are the “new kids on the block” and many people in Ethiopia and abroad do not know much about our Party. That is partly because we have been in existence as a party for a very short time.

The Blue Party is very young party, by that I mean, it is a party of young Ethiopians, by young Ethiopians and for young Ethiopians. But I want to make it clear that it is also a party for all Ethiopian. As you know, the majority of Ethiopia’s population, some say up to 70 percent. Is under 35 years of age, so when we talk about the suffering. Hardship and despair of Ethiopians, we are mostly talking about the situation of the youth. Ethiopian youth today face enormous problems in their daily lives. They also experience deep anxiety everyday about their future.

Far too many of our young people carry with them not only a deep sense of hopelessness but also powerlessness. They feel they cannot change anything that affects their lives. Many of Ethiopian’s youth are denied educational opportunity which could lead to employment opportunity which in turn could lead to self-sufficiency and contribution to Ethiopia’s growth and development. Youth unemployment in Ethiopia by some estimates exceeds 40 percent there are fewer and fewer job and educational opportunities for Ethiopia’s youth as their share of the population increase’s year after year. Read more…

Political Opposition Has New Energy in Ethiopia

(VOA News) ADDIS ABABA — Ethiopian opposition supporters carried out their first peaceful protest against the government in eight years last week.  The demonstration has raised hopes the ruling coalition will give political opponents more room to operate.  Three opposition leaders from the past said that no matter what happens, the opposition faces major challenges.
Thousands of Ethiopians took to the streets last week in the capital, Addis Ababa, in a demonstration against Ethiopia’s government.  It was the first time authorities had allowed such a protest since the disputed 2005 elections and was organized by the Blue Party, a relatively new party with many young active members.

Thousands of Ethiopian opposition activists demonstrate in Addis Ababa, June 2, 2013. 

Hailu Shawul is one of the opposition leaders imprisoned following post-election demonstrations in 2005 that turned violent.  He said last week’s demonstration was a huge success but he questions the long-term effect.

“I can assure you, not much will change, but it encourages us to probe the people into action,” Shawul said. “The whole point of the demonstration is for people to steam off, it’s for the government to listen and maybe change their policies, but here, this has never happened.”
Ethiopia has been ruled by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) since 1991.  The four-party coalition controls virtually all of the seats in parliament, and critics have accused it of turning Ethiopia into a one-party state.
Opposition leader Asrat Tassie shared his prison days with Hailu and is still politically active as secretary-general for UDJ (Unity for Democracy and Justice), the only opposition party with a seat in parliament.  He too believes the demonstration was a big achievement.
“I hope this new spirit after 2005 will gain momentum, and hope all the others will follow.  There is no choice for the opposition parties but to keep on pressuring the government,” stated Tassie.
Beyene Petros, an opposition leader since 1991, also applauds the efforts of the Blue Party and its young members, but said there are many challenges ahead.
“It may sound like it is an easy road to ride on; they need to be seasoned.  They need to be addressing these complex Ethiopian political parties within a broader perspective, and not only narrow interests,” Petros said. “I see their likes simply pick one line of thinking and then try to harp it.  And that will not be a solution.”