PM Abiy smiles when asked how the liberalization of the Airlines and Electric Corporation would provide better services to the #Ethiopia|n public. He says, “we are in debt, we have to pay back but we can’t. And secondarily, we aren’t able to finish projects we have started." 
#Ethiopia: Live "The target is to create a market-led capitalist system. The private sector is crucial to help us develop this capitalist system. This is because the private sector is better at being profitable than the government.”
PM Abiy
PM Abiy
On the airlines:“African leaders want one airlines for the whole continent. This was one of the points of the economic integration. Following this, EAL has bought Malawi’s half airlines, and also Zambia’s AL, and also of Chad’s and Guinea, Togo. We will be buying more shares."
“Africa’s largest flag carrier will be Ethiopian Airlines. However, EAL itself, its local market is controlled via a monopoly. There are challenges. From one individual, EAL should not need to sell tickets.” PM Abiy
“Our logistics company, from the world's 160 nations - Ethiopia’s is 126th. Uganda 58th, Rwanda is also port-less, and has one extra country between it and the sea but is 62nd. But us, we are 400 times more expensive when we export goods in comparison to Vietnam.” PM Abiy
“We can’t continue whatever development we have had until now. Our economy is in deep problem. It is not just the Telecom that will be in question then, it may be the whole country. According to our plans, we should have gotten 18 billion USD. We aren’t meeting our own goals."
Afe Gubae has given the floor to Ato Mohammed, “We are seeing changes in the country. However we are seeing two sorts of activities. One is people are asking for more rights and on the other, we are seeing certain members of govt pushing people to further chaos. What do you say?"
"«ድንበር እና ወሰን ማምታታት ይታያል።» Ethiopia has borders with Kenya and Somali. Within Ethiopia, we do not have borders. We have a society who is not used to moving beyond punishing, arresting and censoring. So we can’t move past it.” PM Abiy.
«The federal system is not perfect. It is meant to prevent grand conflicts but not small issues. These small issues should not be driven towards bigger conflicts by officials. We are seeing what the issues of 100 years ago are doing today. They are our political agenda today.»
“Take the recent Gedeo and Gujji conflict- the Oromia system has removed officials because they were found importing ideas instigating conflict. People do not have problems with people. ሕዝብ ከሕዝብ ችግር የለውም።” PM Abiy
«ጸብና ግጭት ማውረሳችን ሳያንስ በዚያው ልክ ደግሞ እንወልዳለን። We don’t cooperate to fight against poverty, we dont cooperate to forgive. We get angry when people are freed. Ethiopia is enough for Ethiopians. We should seriously think of what we are leaving behind.»
Ato Meseret Jemaneh asks about the Ethio-Eritrea decision.
Somalia has agreed to be a part of Ethiopia in the near future and has agreed to immediate economic integration. Citizens can use their languages and cultures to live together. We need a grand idea. The border commission’s decision has been passed by the parliament and Meles.
"You know, and we know this is not a new decision. The peace offer considers long-term benefits for the countries and the region at large. This is not simple talk. This is ቅን sincere idea awaiting a sincere response. The Badme conflict was one that should have never happened."
“We have greatly sacrificed. Should we continue as we are? No worries, but you should know that let alone Ethiopia and Eritrea, North and South Korea are discussing. Eritreans are struggling, so are us. AA does not know this, but at the border, they’re in constant uncertainty."
“Our point is not about drawing a border. It is about bringing together brothers. We did not ask about one spot. Parliament has not raised this but people in Tigray have asked to release the soldiers. A whole generation is simply wasting away at the border.” PM Abiy
“We no longer need secret and opaque government processes. My job is to answer to the Ethiopian people’s needs. When were we asked to discuss about this issue then? Why are we fixating on open discussion on this now. When did we discuss then?” PM Abiy
“My brother, my friends died at Badme. Let us not make it seem like we are unaware of this sentiment. How can we be Eritrean, because we live and die Ethiopia is the next issue that was brought up. We shouldn’t forget it was Ethiopians who died at Assab."
"If we are discussing death, it wasn’t only at Badme that Ethiopians died. Plus, there are too many weapons bought on both sides for the sake of war. We should have bought tractors to help northern Ethiopia. Neither country benefits from this. We are wasting away money.” PM Abiy
“Now, if the Ethiopian public wants to continue paying tax and funding weapons, soldiers to keep the conflict with Eritrea going on, then our job is to abide. But we should inform the public the costs of this.” PM Abiy
Weyzero Mulu is speaking: “Finance law, Anti-terrorism law and so on are not being followed according to the law. Evidence is the audit reports. Why has the government been unable to follow through ensuring such laws are respected."
PM Abiy: "I’ll speak a bit about the anti-terrorism law and the anti-corruption law. What is terrorism, and who is terrorist? What have we gotten from this labeling and law?"
"Does the constitution demand people to be flogged, to be injured, to be kept in dark rooms no? That is the terrorist act of us, the government. This has been being done in Kebelles, Weredas. Its not just the federal that terrorizes. The police in the Wereda were terrorists."
“We have apologized. I have apologized. Our forgiving people have given us a chance. We should take this chance. Our people should have put us in jail. But that doesn’t benefit anyone. We continue what HIM did to Lij Iyassu. Our outlook should change. The law should reign."
"«ይቅርታ ድንበር የለውም። ሁሉም የይቅርታ አፕሮች ሕግን ተከትሎ የተሰራ ነው።» Once a person has been put in prison, he is no longer a terrorist. He is one to be corrected ታራሚ. The law doesn’t say we cannot forgive inmates. The government is allowed to do so."
«ልባችንን ሰፋ እናድርግ። የዘር እልቂት ሊያመጣ ነው። ፖለቲካ ብቻ አይደለም ሃይማኖትም። አየነው አየነው ኪሳራ ነው።» “We can’t achieve peace by chasing and arresting. This is a country for all Ethiopians. All citizens are allowed to participate freely."
"We are not the only ones who care about Ethiopia, it is everyone. When they care, we should ensure politically and expand the political space that people are not using victimization, past grievances to present their ideas of how best to contribute to #Ethiopia."
About corruption: “Why has corruption been growing despite our continued arrests of corrupt people? We are focusing on the branches, instead of the roots."
"«ሌብነት ከጫፍ ጫፍ ባህል ሆኗል።» In the religious institutes, in the health institutes, in the education institutes, there is theft on all fronts. Stealing from the people should be seen as a crime. Officials cant be part of the govt and stealing at the same time.” PM Abiy
ማሰር ያደግንበት የለመድነው ጉዳይ ነው። The house laughs at PM Abiy’s statement that arresting is our culture, we are used to it. Our fathers have been arrested and arresting, we do it and we will continue to do it. It benefits no one.
“Defense and security institutes should be open to officials and citizens. These are institutes that have no secret except that they protect the country. Transparency is necessary.” PM Abiy
“There are people who say we are Oromia we need to be independence. Same with Sidama. And Benishangul. On the other end there are those who claim Yemen and Djibouti. At the center are those who say, ‘how can you wish to secede from your brothers’. To the others, we say..."
“Ay, you cannot invade Yemen like the past. We can do it via economic relationships. Our people will definitely side with the center idea. But these ideas need to be brought to the parliament. Don’t we hear these outside the parliament? We should discuss them here."
“In Tigray, there is great resource and economic/political mismanagement to the people in Tigray. The people have not benefited at all. There is no need to punish Tigrayans in Wellega for the assumption that they have benefited."
“It is Ethiopiawinet to care for one another. TPLF is not the people of Tigray. The people are poor, they should be supported. Even if there is a mistake, forgiveness is much better.”
Mazengiya Yeto asks: “In certain areas of our country, there are forces who are not accepting the process of forgiveness. How can we ensure further conflicts do not occur in the ways that they have been unfolding recently?"
PM Abiy “Hate is at the center of this problem. Baseless hate, that benefits no-one and that which needs to be stopped. Gujji and Gedeo, people in power and those far from power should reconsider. Debub was the small Ethiopia. The beauty is Debub's brotherly lifestyle."
“I doubt anyone would be sleeping peacefully after chasing away an Ethiopian based on ethnicity. The foundation of hatred has history as well. In the palace I am in today, JanHoy [HIM] is buried a few meters away from where he ruled Ethiopia. It will be open to the public soon"
“Because we should show people that Mengistu killing Janhoy cannot be considered winning at all. People should move to forgiveness. This culture should go away, not to help EPRDF stay in power long. It is because it is old-fashioned. We have been disgraced on the global scale!”
“Our inability to respect and love one another has led to us fleeing, dying in the mediterranean, dying in South Africa, disgrace after disgrace. If we forgive one another, we can move towards having our name respected on the international scale.” PM Abiy
“When we started uniting, you see how much respect we are getting already in the last few months. Unity within us, leads to our respect anywhere." እኛ ስንዋደድ ማንም ያከብረናል። እኛ ስንናከስ ዓለም ይንቀናል። PM Abiy
Questions being asked from multiple people at this point, about contrabandists, Red Sea politics and Ethiopia’s relationship and so forth.
PM Abiy “Concerning release of inmates, We should classify between Yekirta and Mehiret. ETH gov't forgives, it does not ignore the person’s past crimes entirely. It only moves past it. Forgiveness is the declaration that if there are future dubious activities, we can reconsider."
“Not everything is the fault of evilness. We are also institutionally incapable of at times forgiving. We should start by admitting this. + There is no question that money is stored abroad, stolen. We have two options. We can put people in prison and then investigate. Or we.. "
“can investigate first. If Ethiopia continues in its internal strength that it is building on, other countries are willing to cooperate. We are working together with other nations to investigate and then lock people up instead of locking up people & investigating like we used to"
“Horn of Africa is the most decisive point in the world. Being here is crucial. China depends on that region for its trade. Borders should not limit us from pursuing to be dominant power in the horn of Africa region. We should expand our views as Ethiopians.”
“As a poor neighbor who has a rich neighbor who blasts music wont dare ask the rich neighbor to turn down the music, the same applies to countries.The idea is to unite and get stronger together. Thank you for listening.” The PM is done speaking. The speaker has announced the end.
End Thread and Parliament Session.
#Ethiopia
#Ethiopia
