🇪🇹EthiopiaEast Africa
Political influence in civil service discussed at GGA forum in Addis Ababa
via The Reporter Ethiopia8 min read
Concerns regarding political influence within Ethiopia’s civil service were a central topic at a forum organized by Good Governance Africa–Horn of Africa GGA in Addis Ababa. The discussion, part of a series leading up to national elections, involved representatives from the Prosperity Party PP, Ethiopian Social Democratic Party ESDP, and Freedom and Equality Party FEP. Mekuria Haile PhD, Civil Service Commission chief and ruling party representative, acknowledged challenges like a skills gap, weak work culture, and uncompetitive salaries, attributing them to structural and capacity limitations. He highlighted the Mesob One-Stop Service Center as a successful initiative for improving service delivery. Kemal Seid of the FEP argued that political considerations significantly shape the civil service, affecting promotions and benefits, and noted limited usage of digitalization efforts like Mesob due to few branches. Rahel Bafe PhD, chairperson of the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party, linked these issues to broader governance problems, criticizing frequent restructuring and alleging that recruitment and appointments are driven by political loyalty rather than merit. She also claimed that corruption has become institutionalized. Civil society and research institutions echoed concerns about political interference, with Yohannes Kidane of Pioneers of Change Africa warning of corruption and ruling party dominance. India Shafi from the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council question
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Reporter Ethiopia.
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