May 11, 2026
Solomon Dawit Woldessye
Democracy is not only about elections; it is about accountability.
Ethiopia today feels like a nation standing at the edge of its own patience. This is a country built on history, resilience, and sacrifice, yet ordinary people are increasingly weighed down by corruption, ethnic federalism, and a political space that feels tighter by the day.
There was a time when many of us believed change would bring something better. We hoped for a system that sees citizens as individuals, not categories. We believed in reform, in fairness, in a future where opportunity is not filtered through identity. But for many, that hope is fading. The absence of meaningful effort to revisit and improve the constitutional and governance structure has left people questioning whether real change was ever truly intended.
Even more worrying is the shadow of conflict. The mere idea of returning to war, whether within our borders or beyond them, is exhausting. Ethiopians have already paid with lives, livelihoods, and lost years. The cost of another conflict would not be measured only in money, but in broken families, interrupted futures, and a deeper sense of national fatigue.
At the same time, corruption continues to eat away at trust, while inflation quietly erodes dignity. For many households, survival has become the main goal. Prices rise, incomes lag behind, and the gap between effort and reward grows wider.
And then there is the issue many feel but struggle to say openly: the sense that who you are matters less than where you are placed within an ethnic framework. In workplaces and institutions, merit and professionalism often feel overshadowed by identity. This reality creates silent frustration, quiet resentment, and a growing feeling that fairness is slipping away. A system originally meant to address historical injustices now risks deepening division, leaving individuals feeling unseen as citizens and reduced to labels.
Speaking about these realities is not betrayal. It is not negativity. It is the voice of people who still care enough to expect better.
Because democracy, in the end, is not just about casting a vote. It is about being heard, being treated fairly, and believing that your country belongs to you, fully, equally, and without conditions.”
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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