The House of Peoples Representatives (HPR) announced 42 nominee commissioners for the National Dialogue Commission. They are selected from the submitted public nomination that was open for the populace.
The list of the nominees includes prominent individuals from various academic, leadership & professional backgrounds, among which women are Ambassador Tadelech Hailemichael, Hirut Gebreselassie, Ayrorit M/Diyasin (Ph.D.), and Zenebwork Tadesse.
The general public is invited to forward its comments on the nominated individuals for five consecutive days starting from Feb 4 through the House’s web portal. Out of the nominated commissioners, 11 will be screened to be finally presented to the HPR by the House’s Speaker for final approval.
The prospect commissioners have a three years term of office, which will be extended if necessary.
The nomination and selection process of the commissioners is handled by a committee established to undertake tasks from the process of nomination to their appointment. A consulting team to the committee is also set to ensure a transparent, fair, and participatory process, according to the HPR.
“Given a number of responsibilities laid on the consulting team, it is basically expected to advise the Speaker of the House in selecting the fittest candidates who highly qualify the requirements put in the proclamation.”
Led by the Speaker of the HPR, Tagesse Chafo, the consulting team includes the Speaker of the House of Federation, President of the Federal Supreme Court, representatives of Inter-Religious Council, and Civic Societies Consortium.
The bill to establish the National Dialogue Commission was approved by the HPR on Dec 29, with the rationale of paving the way for national consensus and keeping the integrity of the country.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government promised to create such a commission to establish a common ground on contentious issues.
Recently the government released political prisoners such as Jawar Mohammed, Bekele Gerba, and Eskinder Nega stating that it was a move taken to make the upcoming national dialogue more inclusive.
The international community had been calling for an inclusive national dialogue, since the conflict erupted in Northern Ethiopia killing thousands of civilians and displacing millions.
