NEBE empowering political parties: capacity building training on electoral debate

NEBE orchestrated an intensive training program on electoral debate for politicians hailing from various political parties in collaboration with the Netherlands Institute for Multiparty Democracy (NIMD).

This training aims at strengthening the capacity of political parties as part of a process of enhancing their debating skills to showcasing their respective manifestos to the voters duly.

Voters access to information through debates between rival candidates can significantly improve their knowledge and increase democratic participation culture.

On her remark, Mrs Melatwork Hailu, chairwoman of the National Election Board of Ethiopia, emphasized that this training is crucial for effective campaigning ahead of the upcoming 7th round general election, which will be a year away. She stated that it aims to hone politicians' debating skills to present their policy alternatives convincingly and inform voters.

Key issues covers during the training includes the essence and principles of political debates, the power of communication, debate persuasion model, strategies and tactics for successful debating and crafting effective manifestos.

The training encourages participants to focus on issues and arguments rather than hate speech, personal attacks or inflammatory rhetoric can help create a more productive and engaging environment.

Through such training, politicians set an example of constructive communication in an otherwise polarized climate.

The training for political parties on electoral debates can be an essential part of ensuring that these organizations effectively engage with the electorate and remain competitive in today's rapidly evolving political landscape.

A four-round training schedule will follow, including mock electoral debates for practical drills. The first round of the training has been scheduled to take place from May 7-9, 2025.