Fana Medrek Apr 3, 2026 · 1h 58m

Urban Infrastructure and Digital Economy Debate

Urban Infrastructure and Digital Economy

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Q1 · Transport Finance · Moderator

What kind of financial support will you provide to the private sector to solve transport problems, and to whom?

1:13:23 1:23:12

Will provide specialized loans to private investors focusing on mass transport and electric vehicles.

  • Will facilitate specialized loans for private investors in mass transport and electric vehicles.

Q2 · Infrastructure Targets · Moderator

How much road, rail, and airport infrastructure do you plan to build in your 5-year term?

1:23:12 1:30:11

Avoids giving specific numbers, emphasizing long-term planning and providing affordable housing through cooperatives.

  • Will focus on long-term 50 to 100-year urban planning rather than deceptive short-term numbers.

  • Promises to provide affordable housing through facilitated cooperatives for all citizens.

Q3 · Housing Construction · Moderator

How many houses will you build for low-income citizens, and how does your plan differ from the current condominium program?

1:30:11 1:40:29

Will prioritize those who have been saving since 1997 and promises to build 300,000 houses in five years.

  • Will give priority to citizens who have been saving for houses since 1997.

  • Pledges to build 300,000 houses within five years to address the backlog.

Q4 · Housing Debt · Moderator

How will you handle the 56 billion birr debt owed by the Addis Ababa city administration to the Commercial Bank of Ethiopia for housing?

1:40:33 1:46:30

Will rely on international aid and specialized financial institutions focusing on housing to resolve the debt and fund construction.

  • Will seek support from international organizations like GTZ for housing projects.

  • Will encourage financial institutions to specialize in and fund residential housing development.

Q5 · Slum Upgrading · Moderator

What is your solution for the 90% of houses in Addis Ababa that are substandard and located in slums?

1:46:25 1:55:18

Will renovate aging cities in place without demolishing homes or displacing the poor.

  • Pledges to renovate aging cities without demolishing houses or displacing poor residents.

  • Will allow residents to stay in their locations and benefit from developers during renovations.

Q6 · Land for Real Estate · Moderator

How will your provision of land to real estate developers differ from the current system that leads to exorbitant housing prices?

1:55:14 1:58:47

Will ensure fair land distribution, giving special attention to the diaspora and locals, and correct the current system.

  • Will provide land with special attention to the diaspora and local citizens to ensure fairness.

  • Promises to correct the current system where investors sell houses at exorbitant prices.

Q7 · Urban Expansion · Moderator

How will you build cities based on modern plans and reconcile urban expansion with the need for land without displacing rural farmers?

Will ensure balanced urban growth based on land use policy and provide fair compensation when land is needed for expansion.

  • Will implement balanced urban growth based on land use policy to prevent haphazard expansion onto farmland.

  • Will ensure fair and proportional compensation for landholders when land is taken for development.

Q8 · Housing Shortage · Moderator

How will you address the urgent housing demand of 2.1 million citizens in major cities?

Will create balanced growth and job opportunities in other areas to reduce migration to major cities, and provide land based on professional studies.

  • Will create balanced urban growth and job opportunities in other areas to reduce migration to major cities.

  • Will provide land to citizens based on professional studies rather than political decisions.

Q9 · Infrastructure Priorities · Moderator

Which infrastructure networks will you focus on and how much will you build in the next five years?

Will prioritize roads, electricity, and water based on local needs and eliminate nepotism in infrastructure development.

  • Will prioritize essential infrastructure like roads, electricity, and water based on specific local needs.

  • Promises to eliminate nepotism and political bias in infrastructure development.

Q10 · Property Rights · Moderator

You promised to allow citizens to sell, exchange, or rent their properties. Isn't this already allowed? How will you change the current system?

Will remove bureaucratic hurdles and ensure the rule of law so citizens can freely sell, move, and invest without fear of arbitrary displacement.

  • Will correct the current system where citizens are displaced without consent and fear selling their properties.

  • Will ensure the rule of law so citizens can freely move, sell their properties, and invest in different areas.

Q11 · Free Land Provision · Moderator

To whom will you provide free land, and how will you manage this given there are 1.8 million government employees alone who need housing?

Will provide free land to low-income citizens based on professional studies, not to everyone.

  • Will provide free land to low-income citizens who cannot afford lease prices.

  • Land provision will be based on professional studies to prioritize those truly in need, not a blanket giveaway.

Q12 · Housing Targets · Moderator

Your 10-year plan aims for 4.4 million houses, but your chairman promised 1.5 million in 5 years. Which is the correct plan, and how will you build 300,000 houses annually?

Both figures are correct; 1.5 million refers to low/middle-income housing. Will achieve this by shifting to PPPs, cooperatives, and new construction technologies.

  • Clarifies that 4.4 million is the 10-year plan, while 1.5 million is the 5-year target specifically for low and middle-income housing.

  • Will meet targets by shifting from government-only construction to Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) and cooperatives.

  • Will introduce new fast construction technologies and housing factories to increase capacity.

Q13 · Housing Backlog · Moderator

When will the 600,000 citizens who have been saving for houses since 1997 and 2005 receive their homes, given your shift away from government construction?

The government has delivered 150,000 houses recently and will provide homes for the remaining savers within 2 to 2.5 years.

  • States the government completed and transferred 150,000 houses in the last five years.

  • Promises that registered savers will receive their houses within 2 to 2.5 years from ongoing and planned projects.

Q14 · Unfulfilled Housing Promise · Moderator

Where are the 1 million houses in Addis Ababa that you promised to build during the last election?

Built over 380,000 houses and shifted strategy to PPPs and cooperatives, with many currently under construction.

  • Claims over 380,000 houses were built in the housing program over the last five years.

  • States 120,000 houses are currently being built in Addis Ababa through Public-Private Partnerships.

  • Notes over 60 cooperatives are building more than 6,000 houses with government-provided land.

Q15 · Corridor Development · Moderator

How do you respond to criticisms that the corridor development is a superficial project that displaces citizens and destroys their livelihoods?

Corridor development represents their inclusive development philosophy. Displaced residents are beneficiaries moved to better areas with infrastructure.

  • Argues corridor development is an inclusive initiative that solves basic urban problems and expands infrastructure.

  • Claims relocated citizens are beneficiaries moved from undignified conditions to better areas with infrastructure, like Gelan Gura.

  • Pledges to ensure relocated citizens maintain their economic security and living standards.

Q16 · Railway Expansion · Moderator

Your 10-year plan promised to increase railway coverage to 4199 km, but no new railways were started in the last 5 years. Why?

Previous projects lacked feasibility and finance. Focused on improving existing lines for multimodal transport and expanding non-motorized transport in cities.

  • States previous railway projects lacked proper feasibility studies and financial planning.

  • Focused on improving the Ethio-Djibouti railway to support multimodal transport and efficient freight movement.

  • Expanded non-motorized transport options like walking and cycling paths in cities.

Q17 · Housing Strategy · Moderator

What is your solution for the housing shortage, and how does it differ from the Prosperity Party's plan to use real estate developers and individuals?

Will shift from government-only construction to PPPs and cooperatives, treating private developers as partners by providing them with incentives like tax breaks and land.

  • Will move away from government-only construction and utilize PPPs, cooperatives, and self-building options.

  • Will provide private developers with the same incentives (loans, tax-free materials) previously reserved for the government.

  • Will partner citizens who own land with investors who can build, to solve land cost issues.

Q18 · Housing Finance · Moderator

How many houses will you build in 5 years, and how will you finance the estimated 1 trillion birr needed?

Plans to build 1 million houses in 5 years and will establish a dedicated Mortgage Bank to provide low-interest loans.

  • Pledges to build 500,000 houses via the government and 500,000 via PPPs, totaling 1 million houses in 5 years.

  • Will establish a dedicated Mortgage Bank to mobilize resources and finance housing projects.

  • The Mortgage Bank will focus on facilitating housing with low-interest loans rather than maximizing commercial profit.

Q19 · 20/80 Housing Scheme · Moderator

When will the 600,000 long-term savers get houses, and how will you make the 20/80 scheme work when the government can't afford the 80%?

Will prioritize long-term savers and fund the scheme by eliminating corruption and inefficiency that wasted billions.

  • Will give priority to citizens who have been waiting a long time and fulfilled their saving obligations.

  • Will fund housing by eliminating corruption and inefficient government practices that wasted over 50 billion birr.

Q20 · Infrastructure Plans · Moderator

Why is there no clear infrastructure plan in your manifesto, and what specific roads, rails, and airports will you build in 5 years?

Has a separate infrastructure policy. Will expand inner-city roads, review unfeasible projects, and modernize the Addis Ababa Light Rail.

  • Has a dedicated infrastructure policy as part of their "Smart City" covenant, separate from the summary manifesto.

  • Will expand alternative inner-city roads to reduce transport problems by 50%.

  • Will review and fix politically motivated, unfeasible infrastructure projects.

  • Will modernize the inefficient Addis Ababa Light Rail using local technology and fixing flawed contracts.

Q21 · Digital Economy · Moderator

Is there sufficient basic capacity and infrastructure to build a digital economy in Ethiopia?

Yes, by utilizing the Universal Access Fund to expand telecom access to unserved rural areas.

  • Will use the Universal Access Fund to collect money from profitable telecom operators to expand access to unserved rural areas.

Q22 · Prosperity vs Reality · Coalition for Ethiopian Unity Party

Where is the prosperous Ethiopia you claim exists, given the ongoing war, displacement, and poverty?

Prosperity is being built through job creation and improving living conditions, such as through corridor development.

  • Created 17.4 million jobs across various sectors in the last five years.

  • Corridor development improved undignified living conditions, such as the lack of toilets in Addis Ababa.

Q23 · GERD Legacy · Coalition for Ethiopian Unity Party

How can the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam be considered Prosperity Party's legacy when you reduced turbines and compromised national interests?

While acknowledging it was started earlier, PP fixed the project's corrupted management and design flaws to successfully complete it.

  • Acknowledges the GERD was started before PP took power.

  • Claims PP fixed corrupted project management and design flaws to successfully complete the dam.

Q24 · Infrastructure Beneficiaries · Coalition for Ethiopian Unity Party

Who are you building infrastructure for, given the conflicts in Amhara and Oromia and the isolation of Tigray?

Infrastructure is built for all Ethiopians nationwide, citing increased road networks and projects across various regions.

  • Increased the national road network from 144,000 km to 182,000 km.

  • Implemented major projects like Koysha, Halala Kela, and Gorgora across different parts of the country.

Q25 · Identity Politics · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

The PM's book criticizes identity politics, yet in Dire Dawa you divided leadership 40/40 based on ethnicity. When will you stop practicing identity politics?

PP accommodates multinational unity and implements non-discriminatory development nationwide, aligning with the book's unifying narrative.

  • PP accommodates multinational unity and power-sharing among regions.

  • Corridor development in over 76 cities demonstrates non-discriminatory, nationwide development.

Q26 · Rural Internet Access · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

Fixed broadband penetration in rural areas is only 1%. How will you increase access and make it affordable?

Telecom expansion is reaching farmers, and the introduction of Safaricom has lowered prices, making Ethiopia's tariffs among the lowest globally.

  • Telecom expansion has enabled farmers to access market information.

  • The introduction of Safaricom lowered prices, giving Ethiopia the 3rd lowest telecom tariffs globally.

Q27 · Digital vs Ethnic Politics · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

How can you advance a digital policy that shrinks geographic differences while promoting village and ethnic politics?

PP builds a multinational federation where cities belong to residents, and the digital economy and irrigation projects benefit millions nationwide.

  • PP promotes a multinational federation where cities belong to all residents, fostering mixed identities.

  • The digital economy has reached 97 million mobile users, 57 million internet users, and 30 million digital IDs nationwide.

  • Irrigation projects like Rib, Gidabo, Megech, and Tana Beles are distributed across the country.

Q28 · PP vs EPRDF · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

Isn't Prosperity Party just a replica of EPRDF with a name change?

PP is different, having introduced the digital economy, digital IDs, and one-stop services, and it pursues a diversified, pragmatic economic approach.

  • PP introduced new initiatives like the digital economy, digital IDs, and one-stop services that didn't exist under EPRDF.

  • PP is a pragmatic party that believes in a diversified economy.

Q29 · GERD Credit · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

The GERD was started by previous regimes. Why does Prosperity Party claim it as its sole achievement?

PP doesn't claim sole credit; its "Medemer" philosophy builds on the past. PP fixed the project's problems and completed it with the people.

  • PP's "Medemer" philosophy involves taking the good from the past and building upon it, not claiming sole credit.

  • PP successfully fixed the project's problems and completed it in collaboration with the Ethiopian people.

Q30 · Corridor Development Scope · Ethiopian Social Democratic Party

Is the corridor development only in Addis Ababa to impress international visitors, or is it for all of Ethiopia?

Corridor development is a nationwide initiative implemented in over 76 cities to build a generation and improve residents' lives.

  • Corridor development goes beyond roads to include playgrounds and cycle paths, aiming to build a generation.

  • The initiative is being implemented in over 76 cities nationwide, including Hosaena, Sodo, Jimma, Dire Dawa, Harar, Gondar, and Bahir Dar.

Q31 · Demolitions · Prosperity Party

An EZEMA member in Mercato said "demolish our houses". Is it your party's stance to demolish houses and displace citizens if elected?

EZEMA supports the original scientific concepts of river/corridor development but will correct flaws by ensuring development happens without displacing residents.

  • Acknowledges corridor and river development concepts originated from scientific studies at AAU 20 years ago.

  • Will continue the positive aspects of the development but correct flaws by ensuring citizens are developed in their own neighborhoods without displacement.

Q32 · Regional Infrastructure · Prosperity Party

You claimed PP builds roads in regions to appease them. Why do you think regions don't deserve infrastructure?

EZEMA supports infrastructure for all regions based on feasibility and social justice, not as political appeasement for identity-based conflicts.

  • Believes in democratic federalism and that all regions deserve infrastructure based on citizenship rights.

  • Will build infrastructure based on feasibility studies and social justice, rather than as political appeasement for identity politics.

  • Plans to build "region-linking cities" to foster national unity.

Q33 · Rural Roads · Prosperity Party

PP provided rural road access to 12 million citizens. What will EZEMA do, since it's not in your policy?

The rural road program predates PP. EZEMA will continue it but correct engineering and project management flaws.

  • Notes the Universal Rural Road Access Program predates the Prosperity Party.

  • Will continue the program while correcting previous engineering and project management flaws.

Q34 · Smart City vs Corridor · Prosperity Party

You called corridor development "superficial", but Smart Cities require the basic infrastructure (power, water, telecom) that corridor development provides. Do you misunderstand Smart Cities?

Smart City involves IoT, AI, and digital services, which must be reconciled with social justice. Will end the government monopoly on power distribution.

  • Defines Smart City as utilizing IoT, AI, and digital services, which must be reconciled with social justice and bridging the digital divide.

  • Will implement an open data policy and ensure cybersecurity while protecting personal data.

  • Will end the government monopoly on power distribution to speed up Smart City development and lower costs.

Infrastructure should prioritize human dignity. Criticizes PP for forced evictions and using national projects for party propaganda.

  • Argues infrastructure development must prioritize human dignity and not involve forced evictions or destroying livelihoods.

  • Criticizes PP for destroying existing infrastructure through wars to maintain power.

  • Condemns the use of national projects like the GERD and roads for party political propaganda.