ADDIS ABABA, 4 Jan 2018:
The Ethiopian government has ordered the release of all its political prisoners and the closure of its notorious Maekelawi prison camp, which used to be home for several dozen high-profile figures.
Prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn issued the order yesterday as part of what he said was an effort “to create a national consensus and widen the democratic space for all.
The move came following widespread anti-government protests which engulfed much of the country’s Oromia and Amhara regions (provinces) and spread to other towns and cities recently.
“This happened due to the violent protests, which witnessed one of the nation’s most serious ethnic clashes between the Oromo and the Ethiopian Somali ethnic groups,” the PM said.
“Political prisoners, who are facing prosecution and are already under arrest will be released. Also, the notorious prison cell that was traditionally called Maekelawi, will be closed down and turned into a museum.”
Separately, the Mozambican government will no longer rent houses for its high-ranking officials – but will instead provide them a rent allowance, which may not exceed 30% of their basic wages.
The government decree, dated 27 Dec 2017, but only published this week in the official gazette the Boletim da Republica is part of the package of measures to reduce the privileges of senior officials promised by finance minister Adriano Maleiane in early December.
Maleiane estimated these measures will result in savings of about 7.2 billion meticais (about US$123 million) in 2018.
The government does not have enough houses of its own to accommodate senior officials and has been accommodating them in hotels, or private, rented accommodation at enormous cost.
The new decree will make it impossible for these officials to go on living indefinitely in five-star hotels.
However, the government recognises that it cannot throw the officials out of their current accommodation immediately and the decree says the state will guarantee payment of the current rent for the maximum period of a year (for 2018), after which the officials will receive the rent allowance.
The allowance will end immediately when the official leaves office.
The Ministers of Economy and Finance and of Public Works and Housing must set a ceiling on the rent to be paid in 2018 per province, which must not exceed 120,000 meticais a month.
The state may rent buildings for purposes other than the housing of its officials, but the decree sets a limit of 1,800 meticais per square metre.
The decree applies to ministers, deputy ministers, provincial governors, vice-chancellors of public universities, top-ranking defence and security officials, mayors, chairpersons of municipal assemblies, senior managers of state and public companies, heads of public institutes and funds, ambassadors, judges, and a limited list of other senior officials.
– Bernama