ETHIOPIA
Keep Calm and Carry On
Ethiopia’s government on Saturday approved a draft law that would lift its six-month-long state of emergency two months ahead of schedule.
Parliament, which is entirely controlled by the ruling party coalition, is expected to approve the law, the Washington Post reported.
Put in place following the resignation of Hailemariam Desalegn as prime minister in February, the state of emergency barred most gatherings and gave increased power to security forces amid widespread strikes over the slow pace of releases of political prisoners. The early relaxation of the restrictions indicates that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has helped bring greater stability since taking office in April, the paper said.
Prime Minister Abiy has freed thousands of prisoners, toured the country listening to people’s grievances and reached out to opposition leaders, prompting hopes that he aims to usher in genuine democratic reform.
The Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups, which make up two-thirds of Ethiopia’s population, demand better access to jobs and more political freedoms.
No comments:
Post a Comment