March 19, 2026
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
Henok Tsegaye
As I present this article, my intention is that it serves as an initial idea for political intellectuals. In particular, I ask you to understand that this is not a text I wrote by granting special political privilege to Addis Ababa alone, or to Addis Ababa over the rest of Ethiopia’s regions. Rather, I am presenting it because, amid the political crisis we are currently in, it can serve as a national solution.
This is a time when the residents of Addis Ababa are being severely marginalized and exploited economically, socially, and politically. This issue exists in the life and household of each and every Addis Ababa resident and is being lived every day, so I will not take time now to explain it in detail. Therefore, we have reached a stage where it is not only necessary but urgent to bring Addis Ababa out of the crossroads as quickly as possible, and to build a city that gives light to the rest of Ethiopia by being led by Addis Ababa residents who have risen above religious and ethnic favoritism, who avoid hatred, and who have competence.
Given the time and conditions we are in now, there is no organized political force or any other organized body that can solve these urgent and dangerous problems of Addis Ababa, nor is there a strong force organized at a national level that can bring change. This has forced both the Ethiopian people and the residents of Addis Ababa into a despairing life; and this situation has created a highly favorable path for the Prosperity party.
In the circumstances of this year’s 7th general election, the situation has unfolded as usual, such that the overall outcome, or a result heavily tilted toward the Prosperity party, is taken as a given. This is because, among many other reasons, the weakening of society and the loss of hope, and the absence of a strong organized alternative force, can be cited as primary reasons.
This situation is a deep fracture created after the 1997 election (E.C.) and, up to now, has continued to accumulate and worsen in a severe way without healing. This fracture has especially pushed Addis Ababa from bad to worse, and has created a favorable condition for its residents to become thoroughly irrelevant in social, economic, and political matters. Therefore, if residents remain in this fracture and cannot stand for themselves in an organized and united way, not only will the community lose its standing, but history itself will leave it no chance to exist. This is because the plan has been improved and is being carried out in a coordinated and rapid way, aiming not merely to render the city irrelevant, but to render Addis Ababa residents irrelevant.
For this reason, using this year’s 7th general election as an opportunity to reverse political problems is necessary and a duty, and it is possible. However, as I explained above, because there is no political party or civic association that carries the desire and purpose of the Addis Ababa community as well as the rest of Ethiopia and leads in an organized manner, it becomes necessary for a newly organized leadership to be created. Since, due to the closeness of the election and the political environment in Ethiopia, it is not possible to establish a new political party or civic association, the only option is to form a strong committee made up of individuals.
This committee, by setting a shared community goal, and by designing pathways that can bring that shared goal to fruition and carrying out inclusive and comprehensive work, and by being ready to pay the necessary sacrifices for implementation, should play a leadership role for society and create the capacity to remove the Prosperity Party from the administration of Addis Ababa through an election.
The aim of the committee is to remove the Prosperity party from the administration of Addis Ababa and bring a new group, or a collection of individuals, into the Addis Ababa city council. The purpose of this group or collection of individuals coming to power is to make it possible, within only one year, to conduct another election that is conducive, fair, and credible. In short, it means creating a transitional administration for Addis Ababa through an election.
This group, once elected, will create the transitional administration by enabling the Addis Ababa community to identify, from among political parties and individuals who have expressed willingness to conduct another conducive, fair, and credible election within one year and willingness to implement it, those individuals who can serve the public, who have political capacity, and who have commitment, and by ensuring that the public votes for the selected candidates at each polling station, thereby making the Addis Ababa city council independent of Prosperity.
The reason it is called a “transitional administration” is simply that it is named according to the foundational purpose for which it is established; it helps remind them of the people’s desire and purpose, as well as the pledges they made to the public. The elected city council body, and the administration established by that council, are legal and are entities recognized by the people.
If they win the election, it may be asked why the parties or individuals would hold another election and why they would become a transitional administration. But if we speak honestly: in the current situation, given the capacity and standing of political parties and candidates, even setting aside whether they can win the people’s vote, it is difficult even to name a party or individual that the residents of Addis Ababa would choose with hope and confidence. My answer is: it is not possible. Therefore, the main and fundamental reason they can gain public acceptance and be able to win this 7th general election is only if, once elected, they declare to the public that they intend and are willing to hold another conducive, fair, and credible election within one year.
Thus, by publicly committing to hold another conducive, fair, and credible election within one year, and by effectively carrying out the transitional process that will lay the foundation for the next public administration; they will energize the community’s voter participation in the 7th general election and greatly expand the chance of winning the people’s vote. After being elected, when they put their promises into practice, the political environment will become more conducive; society will participate widely both as voters and as candidates, creating political awakening. The elected individuals and parties will be strengthened for the next election in ideas, membership, and finances. Above all, by honoring their word and managing the transition competently, they will earn the public’s trust.
For the transitional administration to gain acceptance among parties and society and for an effective transitional administration to be established, the committee members must understand Prosperity’s party political game, work for the people’s goal, have capacity for political work, and hold a firm position toward their goal. This is because repairing society’s hope and trust through tangible work and action, empowering and leading society to stand for its rights, strengthening society from active election participation to defending rights, and creating an alliance framework where electable parties and candidates work together for a public purpose, and implementing a coherent and coordinated plan and execution to realize the goal, is the biggest and primary work. In addition, providing solid and steadfast leadership in the face of direct and indirect pressure, suppression, illegal actions, and violent measures that Prosperity party may employ to prevent the people’s shared objective from being achieved is expected of the committee.
In general, the committee will create, in coordination with the media, intellectuals, businesspeople, diaspora communities, and other actors who work or can work for the community’s shared objective, a working method that ensures broad-based community participation; and it will create strong capacity for the effectiveness of the objective.
Another question that may be asked as primary is: how is it possible to win an election under Prosperity’s party nature and authoritarianism? Even now, it is possible to win an election. It is true that saying the Prosperity party will conduct a conducive, fair, and credible election is a joke. But the public, by participating actively, can force the holding of a conducive, fair, and credible election. For the public to understand the power it has when it says “enough,” it is sufficient to remember only the 1997 election. Learning from the situation in which the leadership gap made the 1997 outcome ineffective, in this election it is possible to ensure effectiveness by bringing capable leaders forward. If they openly rig the election, since the world will openly see it, the struggle can shift to an effective, peaceful, popular civil resistance, and the people will declare their freedom.
How should expected and unexpected problems be solved?
First, for expected problems: thoroughly investigate them, present solution options, and be able to keep the solution ideas confidential from the Prosperity party.
Second, for unexpected problems: to the extent possible, try to know them in advance before they occur, whether through information or various methods, and set solutions; and when unexpected problems arise, establish a system where responses can be fast and effective. This is very necessary.
As I present this initial idea, I admit that simply by presenting it, I could be imprisoned. But I wrote it after deciding to create a starting forum for discussion and idea development by presenting what I believe, and to create a space to contribute.
Even now, the people will win. What is needed is unity and capable leadership.
Let save Addis Ababa and Ethiopia, by making Addis Ababa residents relevant through elections and their legal rights.
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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