Ethiopia’s GDP to witness double-digit growth – Meles
By Tesfa Alem Tekle
April 13, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopia sees its economy growing by 10.1 percent this fiscal year to what Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi said was the result of his government’s effective developmental led state policy.
Presenting the country’s performance report to the parliament on Tuesday, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said that his country is performing promisingly managing to control high inflation while keeping its economy growing.
“We will be seeing an economic growth rate of 10.1 percent this year, while inflation is downed to 3.9 percent. This is due our sound economic policy,” he told parliament
Law makers were divided over the economic growth expectations forwarded by the Ethiopian prime minister, with Opposition parties expressing doubt over his figure.
Opposition officials said that the economic statistics are unreliable and far from reality on ground.
Ethiopia has kept a double digit economic growth for the past seven years in a row. Opposition party members today raised a question of why country’s economy stood at around 10 % for years and not pushing ahead.
The premier however gave detailed explanation and said “this is because of the nature of an overheated economy”.
The reports presented by Meles also heated debates on political, economic and social concerns.
Following the report, opposition groups raised various complaints of harassment in the run-up to the country’s national election.
They said intimidation and other forms of abuse being growing against their members and candidates in regions by members and officials of the ruling party.
Opposition lawmakers further complained that election code of conduct signed by parties being implemented only in the capital and not in regions.
The premier promised to investigate such claims and promised to take legal and political measures for those responsible members of his party. He said his party will expel those responsible from party membership if opposition groups could come up with at least convincing evidence.
“No one will escape from facing the consequences if found guilty be whether our party member or not,” he warned, referring to his Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) party.
Prime minster Meles Zenawi repeatedly advised and warned political groups from attempting to turn elections in to violence or instigate chaos or will face a severe consequence. He reaffirmed that his government’s dedication to conduct a democratic, fair and free elections.
Over 29 million Ethiopians will go to polls to cast their vote in May23, the first parliamentary elections in Ethiopia since 2005, when the post-election period was marred by controversy and bloodshed. The violence then saw nearly 200 protesters killed in the streets of Africa’s political capital.
(ST)