August 4, 2026
By Staff Writer
(Nairobi, Kenya) — The Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission (ENDC) has launched a structural clarification initiative aimed at resolving procedural ambiguities and consolidating participant recommendations into unified national agenda items, according to reports from Addis Maleda.
The Commission confirmed that specialized working groups are refining proposals—addressing everything from terminological precision to conceptual frameworks—to build consensus among delegates before advancing to the broader plenary phase.
National Dialogue Commissioner Dr. Yonas Adaye explained that recent sessions brought together 500 delegates to identify and resolve points lacking operational clarity.
As part of the procedural design, 25 representatives selected from 250 strategic group members were tasked with consolidating long-debated proposals. These strategic groups subsequently reviewed the compiled drafts, requesting adjustments for items perceived as omitted or inaccurately captured during initial synthesis.
“The primary objective of these sessions is to remove technical ambiguities, allowing participants to make knowledge-based decisions with full transparency and confidence,” Dr. Yonas stated in an interview with Addis Maleda.
Dr. Yonas emphasized that strict attention is being paid to word usage and linguistic precision to ensure fairness and prevent misinterpretation, noting that “words possess the power to wound, heal, or destroy.”
The 25 designated representatives were selected from participants who previously engaged in 10-member and 50-member consultation tiers. Their finalized recommendations will be validated first by the 500 primary delegates, before moving forward to a broader body of up to 4,000 national participants—ultimately preparing key issues for full consensus or a future national referendum.
Messoud Gebeyehu, Director of the Ethiopian Human Rights Organizations Coalition, noted that current sessions are structured to refine issues, narrow ideological gaps, and synthesize disparate viewpoints into actionable recommendations.
“Not every standalone proposal will advance to the full dialogue stage,” Messoud explained, highlighting that the Commission’s methodology relies on merging overlapping ideas while creating structured avenues for reconciliation on divergent issues.
While the 500-participant plenary dialogue was initially slated to commence late last week, the Commission deferred the opening to allow technical experts and strategic consolidators to complete the harmonization of the eight primary agenda categories. The finalized proposals are scheduled for presentation to 16 strategic groups—comprising 250 members each—prior to full validation by the plenary assembly.
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