The government had enough once criticized by the opposition for its development cooperation with the regime in Ethiopia.
But the Conservatives and Christian Democrats are internally disagreed with how high they should disclose their demands for human rights and democracy.
The government had enough once criticized by the opposition for its development cooperation with the regime in Ethiopia. It happened in a debate in Parliament on Tuesday. But the Conservatives and Christian Democrats are internally disagreed with how high they should disclose their demands for human rights and democracy. Photo: Hege Opseth
A few hours before the Norwegian focused on assistance to repressive regimes in other programs in the TV series on Norwegian aid history, debated Holmås democracy and human rights in development policy of opposition parties. The reason was an interpellation from Conservative aid policy spokesman Peter Skovholt Gitmark.
"What role does the Minister that the realization of human rights and democracy will be in Norwegian development policy?" , asked Gitmark.
Ethiopia-criticism
Right-delegate criticized enough once the coalition government's good relations with the regime in Ethiopia. He noted that the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was invited to an energy conference in Oslo in October 2011, where he "praised and congratulations from both the Prime Minister and the Minister." It happened while opposing Ethiopians protested loudly outside the detention of a hundred dissidents and journalists.
- Had this been a single example, the criticism including from the Conservative Party was milder, but it is not. It is part of a pattern, said Gitmark.
He believed that the government has chosen to focus on the positive aspects of Ethiopia as economic growth and poverty reduction, and not the lack of democracy and repression.
- I think we need to be able to do both and turn our support so that we under no circumstances are part of neither supporting the regime or to legitimize it. Is it impossible, must cease support to Ethiopia, stated Gitmark.
3 billion
Ethiopia received 163 million in aid from Norway in 2011. Since 2000 it is given just under 3 billion in aid to the country. Assistance has declined somewhat in recent years, but the coalition government has announced a new escalation in bilateral cooperation, related to energy initiatives.
In response to the Ethiopia-criticism pointed Development Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås that Norway has had pointed out major human rights violations in Ethiopia through its work in the UN Human Rights Council.
- Square Right
SV Minister received indirect support from the Christian Democratic Dagfinn Hoybraten who warned against placing Norwegian measure of political and civil rights as the basis for development cooperation.
- If we do, we will deprive the people of these countries some other basic human rights is about their right to life, health and education. Therefore it is not possible to be as square as it may be tempted to pull out of the Gitmark have said here today. We can become so politically correct and square in our struggle for fundamental human rights that the result is that fewer people feel that their human rights - in the broadest sense - is safeguarded, said added.
Central theme
- That's the meaning of democracy to promote the development will be key in the White Paper that we are going to present in the spring, which deals with precisely this: distributive justice, democracy, transparency and the importance of these things to create economic growth , lit Development Heikki Eidsvoll Holmås.
He stated that Norway has and should have a human rights-based development policy.
- The human rights-based assistance to ensure that individuals are included and not discriminated against when it comes to political participation and distribution of benefits, said Holmås.
He noted that this was about "all human rights", both the political and the social. Among the latter, he referred to the right to life, right to food and the right to education.
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