Ethiopian Review

Addis Ababa – The Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front says the past 18 years has seen a nation in which citizens have come to be beneficiaries of ongoing development as democratization come to take root.

The Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has called on political parties to conduct their activities responsibly and in such a way as to contribute for the growth of democracy in the country while vying for votes in the upcoming elections. The fourth parliamentary and regional elections is due to take place about this time next year.

The office of EPRDF made the call in a statement it sent to ENA in connection with the 18th anniversary of May 28.

The statement said the day is special not only because it saw the total demise of the dictatorial Derg regime, but because the peoples of the nation entered an era of development and democratization under the leadership of EPRDF.

It said the development strategy, which had come once under criticism by many for being too ambitious has proved itself right now that it has produced millions of millionaires in rural areas.

It said this accelerated development would be enhanced and the country would attain the Millennium Development Goals as well as the government’s objective of making the country one of the middle income nations in the coming couple of decades.

It said this year’s May 28 would be celebrated by setting up youth and women leagues which it said are key to ensure the continuity of the struggle.

It said the youth and women had paid great sacrifices of the May 28 victory.

The statement said EPRDF’s executive committee in its recent meeting recently has resolved to see to it that the upcoming elections are conducted democratically and credibly.

The goal of EPRDF in its participation in the general elections as set in the resolution of the executive committee meeting is to get majority votes so as to ensure the continuity of the development and democratization works it has jumpstarted.

According to the statement, the front thus recognizes the need to take strong stance both in terms of organization and outlooks towards the realization of its election goal as it participates constructively in it.

The front is of the strong conviction that the elections should see the all-out participation of the public, who should take part at all stages of election processes with a sense of ownership.

EPRDF, thus, called upon elligible political parties that vie in the elections to take part with due sense of

- ENA