Ethiopia’s parliament determines terms for enquiry panel membership
Dec 6, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopia’s House of Peoples Representative has approved recommendations of Legal and Administrative Affairs Standing Committee of the house on members of the independent enquiry commission and two other bills.
In its eighth regular meeting held on Tuesday, the House approved the recommendations presented by the Committee on list of members of the independent enquiry commission that would investigate the riot erupted in Addis Ababa and some other places with majority vote.
The Commission comprises 11 members including a Chairman and a Deputy Chairman.
Members of the Commission were drawn from various religions and sections of the society as well.
The Legal and Administrative Affairs Standing Committee of the house, in its recommendations, said that members of the Commission were elected based on four criteria.
Political neutrality, professional competence and efficiency, social acceptance as well as ethical behavior were the criterions set for the selection of members of the Commission.
Debating on the membership of the Commission, some members of the House commented that as the Commission would investigate issues related to human life, property damage and national affairs and that it demands high caution.
They commented that members of the Commission should have been chosen by the public.
The house should thoroughly look in to the matter as three of the people nominated to be members of the Commission were inefficient and did not meet the requirement set for the selection of members of the Commission, they said.
Some members of the parliament on their part commented that the committee, in accordance with powers vested on it by law, had recruited members of the Commission, and added that members of the Commission were efficient.
Responding to the comments forwarded by members of the Parliament, members of the Legal and Administrative Affairs Standing Committee said it selected members of the Commission after thoroughly evaluating efficiency and competence of people including those nominated by opposition political parties.
Members of the Commission were elected based on their competence and taking ethnic diversity in to consideration, they said, and added that they are not members of the ruling party, EPRDF.
As the Commission should include lawyers, some of the people recruited to be members of the Commission were judges, it was indicated.
The House has approved the recommendation with 279 votes, 99 objections and five abstentions.
Meanwhile, more than half of members of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) who won the May 15, 2005 national elections have joined the federal parliament. The House said 59 of the 109 CUD members who were elected as member of the house have already joined the parliament.
(ENA/ST)