Will
TesfaNews post this and others and allow for mature and relevant discussion
between compatriots with different views but for the good of the nation?
If you really care about real debate on hot Eritrean
Affairs/Issues, I kindly challenge you to post the response of
Ato Tewelde Ghebre of Asmara online, side by side with the Prof
Fikre's Article as I found it to be very interesting and
realistic and unbiased, compared to that of Prof Fikreyesus.
Am sure meskerem.net will do it for us but there will be no
chance to debate on it.
Please visits Asmaraonline and enjoy this:
"Notes of “Some Notes on Eritrea’s Economy”: "A response to Dr.
Fikreyesus"”
Different views on Eritrean economy from
a veteran of Badme wars via
asmara-online and
a member of the national service via
Madote
Notes of “Some Notes on Eritrea’s Economy”: A response to Dr. Fikreyesus
Teweldeberhan Gebre
02-24-2017 On growth In his recent article titled “Some Notes on
Eritrea’s Economy” posted by madote.com, Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion tried to
convince his readers that there is a functioning economy in Eritrea. In doing
so, he used gross domestic products (GDP) estimates and projections of the
Global Economic Prospects […Read
More]
Some
Notes on Eritrea’s Economy
Dr. Fikrejesus Amahazion
02-21-2017 According to the recently published Global Economic Prospects, a
World Bank Group flagship report, the year 2016 was marked by stagnant global
trade, subdued investment, and heightened policy uncertainty. For 2017, a
subdued recovery is expected, with receding obstacles to activity in commodity
exporters and solid domestic demand in commodity importers. Additionally, weak
investment i....Read
More
The
National Assembly of Eritrea (Hagerawi Baito) has 150 members, 75
members appointed (consisting mostly of representatives elected by the
general population, of whom at least 11 must be women, and 15 members
representing Eritreans living abroad) and 75 members representing the
members of the Central Committee of the People's Front for Democracy and
Justice (PFDJ), the sole legal political party of Eritrea.[1] According
to the IPU, parliament has 150 indirectly elected members. The National
Assembly was composed in February 1992. AFP reported that Eritreans have
elected 399 representatives in the country's six regions in a lengthy
process that will lead to the formation of a constituent assembly. The
regional elections began on 4 January 1997 in some parts of the country
and were completed in others by 1 March 1997. The National Assembly is
located in the capital Asmara.
WhileEritreawasfederated
to Ethiopia, and later annexed from 1952-1962, the Eritrean Assembly
was the legislative body. Eritrea has a one party national Assembly
governed byPeople's
Front for Democracy and Justice(PFDJ)
(originally theEritrean
People's Liberation Front) (EPLF). From the time of independence
since May 1991, the country has been continuing with a transitional
government elected during the elections in June 1993. The scheduled
elections in 2001 has been postponed indefinitely.[2]The
regional and local elections are conducted on a periodic basis on a
restricted framework. All men and women of any ethnic or religious
background are eligible to vote. Only individuals, not parties, are
allowed to contest and the elections are presided by representatives
from PDFJ. Policy decisions should be centered around the party mandate
and opposition and dissenters have been imprisoned.[3]
Qualification
The composition of the 150 members of the National Assembly is members
from the Central Committee members of the ruling PFDJ and 75 others
elected from the 527 member Constituent Assembly in 1997. The elections
were held for a transitional government to discuss and ratify the new
constitution. The stipulation set for the 75 elected members were: a
minimum of 11 women members and minimum of 15 members representing expat
Eritreans.[4]
Constitutional
powers
The President is elected by the members of the National Assembly for a
five-year term and a maximum of two terms. The members of the National
Assembly are elected directly by popular vote. In May 1997, a new
constitution was adopted, which enabled only the 75 elected members
needed in the Assembly, while 75 others from the PFDJ were nominated
from Central Committee. The members of the transitional assembly were
allowed to continue until next elections were held.[5]The
National Assembly is scheduled to meet every six months or at points of
emergency at the behest of President and two-thirds of the members.
The
Council of State reports to the Assembly. Assembly is set as the top
most legislative body of the Constitution of Eritrea that needs to
assure the fundamental rights of the citizens of the country and to
ensure justice, peace and stability. The National Assembly was also set
to oversee the Executive branch of the constitution during the regime of
the transitional government.[6]The
other major functions of the National Assembly include approval of
budgets, governing domestic and foreign policies, and regulating the
policies of the council.[7]
Presentation by Mary
Harper, BBC Africa
Editor @ Birkbeck
University!
Published on Feb 25,
2017
Published on
Feb 25, 2017
Possessing years of journalistic experience, particularly across Africa,
Harper’s coverage of Eritrea has been a reinvigorating breath of fresh air; she
avoids the tired clichés, nauseating stereotypes, and longstanding assumptions
and distortions to provide an accurate, contextualized, more reliable account of
Eritrea. Harper notes that “Eritrea…is very complex.” While this perspective and
approach seems academic and straightforward for the exploration of any country,
it is notable here because its acknowledgement is frequently lacking from most
mainstream discussions about Eritrea.
These responses underscore how the discussion of Eritrea has long been framed
and tightly controlled, with dissenting views and perspectives being sidelined,
silenced, ignored, marginalized, or disregarded. However, rather than
restriction, a broader range of views and perspectives, such as Harper’s, should
be encouraged toward promoting constructive dialogue, increasing accuracy,
enhancing reliability, and improving and enriching overall understanding.