Ethiopia has now at its fifth National Election. It is of paramount importance for all stakeholders taking part in the electoral system to work cooperatively to establish a democratic government by the consent of the people of Ethiopia.

In the coming election all partners should carry out their past experiences and the rule of law should prevail in the whole process of the election. The decisive stakeholders of the election are the people of Ethiopia. The media is also a principal part of the coming election that need to learn a lot from past experiences and work in line with the interest of the people.

On the other hand, competing political parties need to adhere to the electoral proclamation, election code of conduct and other laws related to election. As the board is vested with the power to supervise the some of the administrative and political matters of political parties, it has taken legal measures on those who failed to adhere to the laws. Democracy is not a luxury for Ethiopia; it’s a matter of life and death. There exist diverse interests in a country of over 90 million people.

The only way these interests can be accommodated peacefully is through ensuring the prevalence of democracy everywhere in Ethiopia. Democracy is about citizens’ right to elect their representatives, to express their opinion, and to oppose, support or abstain. It’s a mechanism which assures respect for human and democratic rights, equality of citizens and the rule of law. Though democracy is a process which grows and flourishes over time, it cannot be put into practice without the active participation of the public.

Needless to say, any politician who claims to be committed to a peaceful pursuit of political objectives cannot have the moral high ground to sermonize about democracy if s/he lacks the courage or the willingness to resolve differences democratically. All actors on the different end of the political spectrum need to display tolerance and respect.

Needless to say, the board is established to address issues of all rallying parties. So, it is expected to welcome any sort of questions directed to form any party and serve all equally and impartially. It is not possible to say that political parties should not raise concerns and complaints but why can’t they do that in the manner that is proper and appropriate. Second, when complaints come forward they should be backed with tangible evidences. When this happens, the board and the parties could create smooth playing grounds during the coming election. Election 2015 will certainly be peaceful, democratic, free and fair. And all partners should consolidate their efforts to this end.