The Ethiopian National Dialogue is fundamentally designed to determine the country’s collective destiny through mutual consensus rather than serving as a traditional political debate aimed at declaring winners and losers, according to Chief Commissioner Professor Mesfin Araya. Providing a comprehensive update on the dialogue's progress, Professor Mesfin announced that the historic forum has successfully concluded its pre-dialogue phases and finalized preparations to transition into full-scale operations starting next Monday.
The process, which officially opened at the Addis International Convention Center, has brought together over 4,000 delegates representing districts, regional states, the two city administrations, federal institutions, the diaspora community, and international diplomats. Since the opening ceremony, these participants have undergone extensive training regarding the dialogue's core principles and its unique decision-making methodologies. Professor Mesfin emphasized that unlike conventional political frameworks resolved by a simple majority vote, this process is anchored entirely in reaching an all-inclusive, national consensus.
To achieve this, delegates have been divided into eight specialized groups tasked with examining eight primary consensus agendas and their respective sub-topics. The Chief Commissioner noted that participants now possess a profound understanding of how their localized group discussions will shape the broader national agenda and drive the consensus-based decision-making process.
Crucially, the dialogue's framework ensures equal and fair interaction among all participants through a specific methodology designed to guarantee that existential and fundamental questions raised by various regional states are addressed proportionally. This structural design aims to create a secure, equitable environment where any party can negotiate without fear.
As the dialogue process demonstrates encouraging early results, several political parties that initially refrained from participating have since expressed interest and officially joined the discussions. Seizing this momentum, Professor Mesfin renewed his open invitation to all remaining political entities and armed groups that have yet to participate, assuring them that the door remains open and urging them to accept the national call to join the peace-building effort.
Reaffirming the commission's commitment to absolute inclusivity, the Chief Commissioner called upon all delegates to fulfill their historic obligations in a spirit of unity, stressing that this ongoing dialogue is the ultimate foundation for building a better Ethiopia for tomorrow.
