German diplomat urges Ethiopian parties to resolve wrangles peacefully

Dec 3, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Former German Ambassador to Ethiopia, Helga Strachwitz, said political parties should resolve their differences through peaceful means and that they should not engage in street acts.

Democracy dwells in the parliament, not in the streets, the former ambassador said, adding the opposition political parties should join parliament taking it as the only option.

Strachwitz served first as director for Africa of her government, and then ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti. She gave her opinion in an interview at Langano with the Ethiopian Television.

She said street violence would not bring anything to the growth of democracy, adding all the parties should take dialogue as the only option to resolve differences.

She said democracy is a process and not something which can happen overnight. She appealed to political parties to ignore their differences and work for the development of the country.

Asked to comment on Ethio-Eritrea relations, She said the two countries should not have engaged in war in the first place leading to enormous loss of lives. She said, the two countries should resolve their problems through only dialogue.

She said after her Ambassadorial tenure in Ethiopia, she decided to remain in the country at the Langano resort area which she described as calm and beautiful.

(ENA)