Lidetu Ayalew (MP-EDP) criticized the salary and benefits afforded to them as being too low, even when compared to Somaliland, which has yet to gain international recognition

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, July 17, 2010 – Bittersweet words were spoken by opposition MPs on Wednesday July 7, 2010, when Teshome Toga, speaker of the house, presented a five-year report to Parliament during their last session.

The parting words from opposition MPs of the third Parliament to have included a large number of opposition seats (174 out of 547) were both appreciative and cautionary, as they gave way to the next Parliament which will be almost entirely comprised of the ruling party and its affiliates.

As has often been the case in sessions of this Parliament, the house came to life as familiar faces from the opposition camp took the floor to have their last say, once the speaker of the house finished his report.

This Parliament, unlike its predecessors, has incorporated diverse political parties with different political views and inclinations, Lidetu Ayalew (MP-EDP) said, pointing out the strengths of the outgoing Parliament.

However, he voiced his concern over the future usability of a few provisions of the regulation on parliamentary conduct, which were designed with the presence of opposition parties in mind. He cited Opposition Day, the formation and function of the Business Advisory Committee of the House, and the procedure of presenting questions as examples.

Echoing other opposition MPs, Lidetu also raised the issue that the time allotted for opposition parties to speak in Parliament was not enough to address complex issues raised in the house.

As one of those MPs who have sparked some life in Parliamentary debates, Lidetu thought that the house lacked dynamism and interaction, except for when the Prime Minister showed up.

He especially criticized MPs for lacking bipartisanship, noting that they rarely if ever stood against the positions of their respective parties, as MPs in other countries sometimes do.

This is one of the biggest challenges in Ethiopia’s Parliament and will be aggravated during the next five years, since it is now dominated by one party, he said.

Being an MP seems not to have been an easy ride for Lidetu, as he criticized the salary and benefits afforded to them as being too low, even when compared to Somaliland, which has yet to gain international recognition.

His salary concerns were shared by Legesse Biratu (MP-CUDP) who mocked the incoming Parliament as being the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (EPRDF’s) council rather than a proper Parliament.

The major contribution of this Parliament compared to its predecessors was the enactment of a code of conduct for Parliament, Temesgen Zewdie said, crediting the opposition camp for its formation.

He voiced his disappointment over the lack of opposition MPs at the helm of the house.

“Even though we requested that the speaker or the deputy speaker of the house be appointed from the opposition camp, our demands did not bear fruit,” Temesgen said.

He also mentioned the improvement in the attitudes of MPs from the ruling party, who used to give him the “silent treatment” whenever he argued with or criticized the incumbent, he said.

The house really came to life when Bulcha Demeksa (MP-OFDM) took the floor. Bulcha, who has decided to retire, having cited the brutality of politics in Ethiopia, is one of the MPs who are never to return to Parliament. His remarks were cynical as well as entertaining.

“The only good thing I see that is worth mentioning is the presence of Parliament in Ethiopia [at all],” he said. “However, it is impossible to say that it is discharging its responsibilities [properly].”

He expressed disdain for the way opposition MPs were treated, like common criminals, at the security check; while MPs from the ruling party just walked in.

“In other African countries, like Tanzania, Malawi, and Kenya, MPs are highly respected, because the people have cast their votes for them,” he said.

He especially criticized the speaker of the house for not having impartial standards in conducting his duties.

“The members of the EPRDF are very nice fellows, unlike their leaders who are hot-tempered,” Bulcha said. “So, I am happy that we got along without getting into physical brawls with each other.”

It will be a long time before such sentiments and words will be uttered in Parliament again, as MPs of the opposition party make way for the next Parliament which will not likely see the notable back and forth tug-of-war seen in the past five years. MPs of the incumbent are known to never contest the positions held by their party.

By ZEKARIAS HADDUSH

FORTUNE STAFF WRITER

Source: Addis Fortune

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