Health Officials address constitutional inquiry council, hearing wraps up

Addis Ababa, May 21, 2020 (FBC) – The FDRE Council of Constitutional Inquiry has today finalized a hearing session on the constitutional interpretation submitted to it by house of peoples’ representatives.

The concluding session of the hearing involved commentaries from Minister of Ministry of Health Dr. Liya Tadesse, of Ethiopina Pubic Health Institution, Dr. Eba Abate, representative of COVID  19 Scientific Advisory Council, Professor Yemane Birhane.

Dr. Liya noted said coronavirus pandemic is posing devastating impacts on the world community disrupting all social, economic and political activities of the human race killing more than 300, 000 people worldwide.

Health Minister, Dr. Lia Tadesse, briefed the council that the transmission rate of the pandemic is getting worse in Ethiopia and recommending that further efforts are needed to reverse the situation.

She said legal instruments like state of emergency decree are crucial to enforce adherence to the precautions set to prevent COVID 19 impacts.

Following the announcement of the first case, the ministry started screening and surveillance works in points of entry and set let people enter the country from abroad to isolate themselves in mandatory quarantine centers for 14 days, Dr. Liya said.

Dr. Ebba Abate, Director of the Ethiopian Public Health Institute, his is part, emphasized the severity of the pandemic at the global and national level adding no solution is discovered to reverse the effect of the disease.

The pandemic has reached its adverse stage so that collective efforts are needed to stop it from spreading.

He said the country has built a capacity that enables to diagnose more than 7,000 cases in daily bases.

Meanwhile, responding to the questions raised by the chairperson of the Constitutional Inquiry council, Meaza Ashenafi, Chairperson of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, Birtuakn Midekasa said that the board conducted broad survey before it decided to suspend the election.

And the electoral board has continued other preoperational activities that are not prohibited by the state of emergency decree.

Birtukan added competing parties need additional time to refresh themselves for the election adding more than 40 million people are expected to be registered for voting.

Finalizing the hearing, Chairperson of the Council of The Constitutional Inquiry, Meaza AShenafi thanks all the participants, and said the findings will be posted on the official website of the council.