Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, also the president of the Prosperity Party, stated that the Prosperity Party is the first party in Ethiopian political history to have developed a homegrown ideology. This statement was made at the opening ceremony of the party's second regular congress, held in Addis Ababa today.
Abiy Ahmed highlighted that Ethiopian party politics is relatively young, less than 60 years old. He emphasized that creating change requires more than just identifying problems; it necessitates finding solutions. He criticized past political practices in Ethiopia as focusing heavily on criticizing what was disliked, rather than articulating and promoting a positive vision for the future. He contrasted this with the Prosperity Party's approach, which aims not only to dismantle outdated systems and practices but also to build something new in their place, using the example of replacing, not just demolishing, Piassa (a major square in Addis Ababa).
He argued that a party's core is its ideology, and a party lacking a strong ideology, while capable of dismantling existing structures, may struggle to build a lasting alternative. He asserted that while the Prosperity Party introduced the concept of inclusivity as a solution for Ethiopia, for the past six years, no other individual, group, or party has offered a viable alternative homegrown idea. However, he reaffirmed Prosperity Party’s readiness to learn from competing Ethiopian parties if they present alternative homegrown ideas. However, it cautioned that parties lacking a strong ideology might achieve short-term victories but ultimately bring about long-term suffering.
The Prime Minister explained that the party's second congress aims to solidify its ideology, translating its stated goals into practical actions and cultural norms. He emphasized the congress's democratic and inclusive nature, noting that it's the first of its kind in Ethiopian history to represent all of Ethiopia's ethnic groups. The congress's theme, "From Word to Culture," reflects this commitment to translating words into tangible actions.