For Ethiopia’s democratic experiment not turn out to be a flash in the pan, a lot of hard work, commitment and determination is required to put in place strong and independent democratic institutions and culture among the public.
No one can doubt the remarkable change that has been taking place in the country following the reforms of last year that mainly aspire to realize democracy and liberty. And the sustainability of the reform will only be ensured by building strong democratic institutions and culture. While installing or building a democratic culture is a long term process, the foundation for doing so is laid by building strong and independent democratic institutions.
So far, Ethiopia’s so-called democratic institutions such as such as private and public media outlets, Ethiopian Institution of the Ombudsman, National Electoral Board, Human Rights Commission and Federal Ethics and Anti-corruption Commission have not been strong and independent to support the democratization process in the country.
On the other hand, what was expected of these institutions was to enable the people to engage actively and voluntarily in the decision making process of what matters to their lives and check abuses of public power. They were also expected to facilitate the democratization process by implanting in the people the values of democracy.
Then again, though Ethiopia has now a government with a genuine commitment to democracy, what is lacking is the institutionalization of this good gesture. That is why the ongoing reform in the country has given due emphasis to revitalize these institutions so as to enable them to discharge the mandates given to them. And the initiatives go as far as reviewing and amending laws and proclamations and reforming overall structural setup.
Repressive laws that are against independent civil society, freedom of the press and free and fair elections are being amended or reformed. These include the Charities and Societies Proclamation, the AntiTerrorism Proclamation and the election law. There are also ongoing reforms in the justice sector, and Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
It is no doubt that the above mentioned bold reform moves would help the institutions depart from the long held tradition and become instruments of serving the interests of all Ethiopians. As part of the legacy, the major hurdle in achieving the ongoing reform goals is the absence of strong democratic institutions that swiftly address public grievances and check abuse of power.
As James Madison Jr put it in the best possible way, “if angels were to govern men, no controls on government would be necessary”, it would be impossible for the government of men to allow checks on power willingly.
It is a must that there must be institutions that exercise checks on power to have power over corruption, mismanagement of public property and above all abuse of power that goes as far as violating citizens human and democratic rights. Hence, the reform initiatives have to give due emphasis to creating strong and democratic institutions that echo the public’s voices.
The Ethiopian Herald, January 10/2019
BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
