KEYIR NEWS - The issue of dual citizenship has been formally submitted to the Ethiopian National Consultation Commission by members of the diaspora community, Chief Commissioner Prof. Mesfin Araya announced in a recent statement reviewing the Commission’s 2017 performance and 2018 plan.
Mesfin noted that extensive agenda-gathering consultations were carried out across the country and abroad, including in North America, Canada, and South Africa. He said the diaspora provided a detailed agenda calling for the government to prioritise dual citizenship, an issue also raised in domestic consultations.
The Chief Commissioner emphasised that the forums, held at both federal and regional levels, with the exception of Tigray, were transparent and democratic. The process also included the selection of participants for the upcoming National Consultative Assembly.
Commission spokesperson Tsebu Tadesse said around 4,500 representatives are expected to take part in the assembly, which aims to bring together women, youth, people with disabilities, pastoralists, farmers, elites, and political leaders for inclusive national dialogue.
He stressed that the assembly will serve as a historic platform for consensus-building on Ethiopia’s most pressing national questions, describing it as a new chapter in the country’s state-building process.
Tsebu likened the significance of the upcoming assembly to that of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, saying it represents an opportunity to “record new history” by uniting Ethiopians around shared priorities.