The UK Foreign Secretary, Jeremy Hunt on Friday announced a € 15.5 million assistance to Ethiopia to help the horn Africa country conduct transparent, free and fair elections in May next year.
Speaking at the 2019 World Press Freedom Day celebration which concluded on Friday in the African Union, Hunt said UK will offer the necessary assistance to Ethiopia to run transparent, free and fair election next year.
According to the foreign secretary, the money will enable the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) to run transparent elections and enhance communications and the engagement of the board across the country.
He said UK is also committed to supporting the conduct of the elections to be without any electoral violence through enhanced monitoring.
“If successful and peaceful, the elections in May 2020 will be a major step towards building a democratic culture in Ethiopia and will lay a platform for a continuation and deepening of the inclusive reform Ethiopia has been making,” Hunt underscored.
The foreign secretary appreciated the current Ethiopian leadership under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmad who transformed the political discourse by allowing the creation of hundreds of websites, blogs, and newspapers.
“Since the Prime Minister assumed office last year, Ethiopia has climbed the World Press Freedom Index faster than any other country, rising 40 places and showing just how much can be achieved when the political will exists,” he added.
Hunt also announced a new Chevening Africa Media Fellowship program that will provide 60 exceptional African journalists over the next five years to gain experience in the newsrooms of Britain’s leading media organizations.
MG/as/APA