Worancha ወራንቻ

Addis Abeba, July 07/2021 – The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on Monday announced election in more continuities in both Oromia and Amhara regional states. In addition, the NEBE announced results in a number of constituencies in both Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and Sidama regional states.  In Amhara region, the opposition still holds the lead as a total number of 8 seats of which 5 are for the House of People’s Representatives and 3 are for the regional council. National Movement of Amhara (NaMA) won 3 seats in the HoPR including the seat for Bahir Dar constituency and will be representing the regional capital at the federal parliament. The seat went to Desealegn Chanie (PhD), the party’s former chairman. However the ruling party leads in regional council as they have won 2 seats out of the 3 announced seats.  In Oromia where the ruling Prosperity Party (PP), New Generation, Ethiopian citizens for Social Justice (Ezema) ran most candidates for various cons

The country's largest industrial park has managed to bring in over 114 million dollars in revenue so far this year. Manufacturers at Hawassa Industrial Park, which began operating in January 2017, are mainly engaged in exporting textile and garment products. The Park holds twenty-three textile companies from the US, China, India, and Sri Lanka as well as six local manufacturers. Global brands like Calvin Klein, Levi's and H&M are among those that source products from the 37 factory sheds at the Park. The Park runs a one-stop-shop service centre to avail easy access to government services to investors and employs a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) system that enables it to recycle 90pc of water disposed of through its sewage system.

By Etenesh Abera @EteneshAb Addis Abeba, July 03/2021 – Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM) is one of the oldest political parties in the country formed during the Derg era to fight for the right to self-determination for Sidama people. The Derg regime at that time answered the demands of the Sidama people like its neighbouring people by using force to quell their demands. Forceful induction of children into the national army, the mechanism of village formation and other related methods explained by adherence to the socialist ideology, led the people of Sidama to rebel against the Derg government. The term ‘ Ejeetoo’ was introduced at the time to distinguish youth fighting against the regime from the rest.  In 1978 a year before the official formation of SLM in Somalia, Sidama fighters and Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) fighters entered an agreement to fight beside each other due to shared political, social and economic interests of the two people. From 1979 – 1983 heavy fighting was going

ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Voters in Ethiopia’s Sidama region went to the polls a day late on Tuesday as officials counted ballots from other regions in an election marred by an opposition boycott, war and reports of irregularities in some areas. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed hopes the national and regional elections will show the success of democratic reforms he launched after being appointed by the ruling coalition in 2018. But the vote also reflects a messy reality in the country of 109 million people. Authorities could not hold polls on Monday in four of Ethiopia’s 10 regions including Sidama, where there were logistical problems, according to the election board. “Democracy is not built in a day. We are laying it brick by brick,” Abiy said in a written statement late on Monday. “No matter who wins, Ethiopians from all over the country have voted for whomever they choose, without any fear and without any kind of pressure. And because of that, Ethiopia is triumphant,” said Abiy. There was n

Voters in Ethiopia’s Sidama state are getting a second chance to cast ballots on Tuesday after officials there ran out of voting papers a day earlier, when most of the rest of the country voted for the country’s next legislature. The second day of voting in Sidama started at 11 am (0800 GMT). The head of Ethiopia’s electoral board, Birtukan Mideksa, told reporters late on Monday that there were no significant security problems witnessed during the election, though she noted some disturbances in the Amhara and Oromia regions. She also noted some polling stations that didn’t open at all due to security fears. “Generally, it was a peaceful election. There were no security or other challenges that could affect the outcome of the electoral process,” she said. Some polling stations have started posting results. Preliminary results are expected within five days, and final ones are expected within two weeks. An African Union observer mission, led by the former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasa

Election officers at different polling stations such as Gudu Malle-5, Piazza and Menaherya told The Reporter that the election is going peacefully and they have not faced any shortage of materials.    Representatives of competing parties namely Prosperity Party (PP), All Ethiopian Union Party (AEUP) and Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (EZEMA) also confirmed that the election is going smoothly and they haven’t notice any shortage of election materials.    Administrator of the newly established Sidama Region, Desta Ledamo and General Manager of the Addis Ababa City Admiration, Tiratu Beyene, casted their ballots in different polling stations established in the city and planted a tree as part of this year’s green legacy initiative.

Although Sidama region’s creation answered a long-standing autonomy demand, for many, the status quo remains unchanged. Gudumaale is a sacred spot for the Sidama people. It marks a gathering place for the celebration of   Fichee Chembellalla,  Sidama’s distinct New Year celebration.   For years,  thousands assembled  at Gudumaale, adorned with their traditional best, to eat, dance, and welcome the new year. Gudumaale is also where Sidama elders come together to resolve disputes, and, at times, make important decisions for the community. In July 2019, the Gudumaale square in Hawassa, seat of the Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples’ Regional State (SNNP), was poised to serve as the place where the Sidama people unilaterally declared their statehood. After a protracted struggle for self-determination that spanned over a century—and in the absence of government response to a constitutional referendum request—thousands made their way to the square in the early morning of 18 July 2019