በቀላሉ የመሥሪያ ማገናኛዎች

Ethiopians say Economy is Vital Issue for Voters


Berhane Belay is a retired school teacher in Woldiya in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. Since he retired from the classroom, he has watched the price of a quintal of teff surge from 400 birr to 1400 birr. He says the cost of living is higher in Ethiopia, but "the country is making progress."

"The government is doing all it can to build the economy," says Berhane. "The challenges today are tremendous and the government cannot provide for all."

Berhane is among an estimated 30 million registered voters preparing to cast May 23 ballots for who will make the laws and determine economic policy in Ethiopia's parliament. Several of those voters told to VOA the crucial decisions the successful candidates must make.

Teshome Zewdie, a young voter preparing to cast his first ballot in a national election, will choose the party that he thinks will unite the country and establish sound economic policies. "The economy matters," he says.

"We see roads and dams being built and the price of commodities going up at the same time." Teshome says shortages in sugar and electric supplies indicate that the government needs to do more to serve the people.

When the Ethiopian economy hit rock bottom with national foreign currency reserves plummeting and inflation skyrocketing following the global financial crisis, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the country recovered from what was a "perfect storm. We are now cleaning up house and collecting the debris," Meles said.

The government limited borrowing, rounding public sector borrowing to zero, and said those measures brought about a quick recovery.

Opposition politicians argue that Meles' analysis does not sink with the realities in the country.

Voters will decide the future path of the Ethiopian economy in less than three weeks.

Listen to this Amharic report

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