African Political Parties Must Turn Continent’s Potential into Productive Capacity – PP Vice President

Addis Ababa, November 6, 2026 (FMC) — Vice President of Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party Adem Farah has called on African political parties to move beyond electoral competition and take a leading role in building the ideas, institutions and productive capabilities needed to translate the continent’s immense potential into lasting prosperity.

Addressing the opening of the Second African Political Parties Summit in Addis Ababa, Farah said political parties must be at the centre of Africa’s transformation by developing policies, preparing capable leaders, reconciling competing interests and ensuring that national development priorities continue beyond electoral cycles.

He stressed that a political mandate carries an obligation to improve people’s lives, arguing that parties must provide credible choices and connect long-term national priorities with the everyday concerns of citizens.

Drawing on Ethiopia’s experience, Farah presented Medemer as the guiding philosophy of the Prosperity Party’s approach to national transformation.

He described it as a framework for bringing people, institutions, capabilities and accumulated achievements together around a common purpose, overcoming fragmentation and building prosperity across generations.

He said the Prosperity Party’s formation brought separate political organizations into a common national institution, with the aim of overcoming fragmented political participation and uniting diverse communities through shared citizenship.

The party now has more than 16.9 million members and nationwide structures linking its vision with communities across Ethiopia.

Farah, however, underscored that organizational reach must be matched by institutional quality.

He said the party invests in continuous capacity-building for its leaders and members, promotes a shared national narrative rooted in human dignity and unity in diversity, and applies regular performance evaluations to reward competence and integrity, identify weaknesses and enforce accountability.

He also emphasized the importance of building confidence in citizens’ efforts, private-sector dynamism and innovation as drivers of national progress. Political parties, he said, must provide clear direction, mobilize investment, develop skills and strengthen institutions capable of sustaining development across generations.

On the role of political cooperation, Farah said democratic competition should be balanced with collaboration and political ambition with accountability.

He cited Ethiopia’s engagement with other political parties through the Ethiopian Political Parties Joint Council and other dialogue platforms, noting that more than 275 leaders from competing parties with public responsibilities at different levels had been engaged through these efforts.

He said such cooperation should preserve the distinct identities of political parties, respect institutional mandates and maintain meaningful political competition while advancing shared interests in peace, development and democracy.

Farah called for the summit to serve as a platform for public dialogue and mutual learning, with the perspectives of women, young people, scholars and other sections of society represented in its deliberations.

He also invoked the 1896 Victory of Adwa, saying the historic achievement demonstrated what Africans can accomplish through unity and collective purpose. He argued that the task facing the present generation is to translate the solidarity that defended sovereignty into the productive capabilities and institutions required to sustain it.

He expressed appreciation to Ethiopia’s partners and participating political parties for contributing to the summit, and thanked Ghana for hosting its inaugural edition.

Farah concluded by urging African political parties to turn the spirit of continental solidarity into productive cooperation, democratic leadership and lasting prosperity that future generations can build upon.