Ethiopia is characterized by great linguistic, cultural and religious diversity. The country is home for more than 80 different ethnic groups with different languages.
The 1995 constitution of Ethiopia has established a federal system that is organized on the basis of the right of Ethiopia’s ethnic communities to self-determination.
As to the constitution the recognition of the right of self-determination has become imperative to establish peace and democracy in the country and has demanded the reconstitution of the Ethiopian state on the basis of a federal political system that guarantees the maintenance and promotion distinctive ethno-cultural identities while building a common polity that allows them to pursue their common interests.
In as much as ethnic federalism institutionalizes the self-rule and shared-rule of Ethiopia’s territorial ethnic communities by guaranteeing their representation and participation in the governance process, it is a viable constitutive means to democracy.
The federative arrangement in Ethiopia is not only aimed at enabling ethnic communities to maintain and promote their distinctive collective identities and their particular forms of life. It is also directed at building one political and economic community for the promotion of common interests collectively, in a mutually supportive manner.
According to Faji Chala Political Science and International Relations lecturer at Dire Dawa University as Ethiopia is a home of different nations and nationalities with different identity, interests and history, Federalism is the viable option for the country to ensure democratic unity.
In fact, he added over the past two decades, a great shortfall was observed in implementing the system,
Following this gap, ethnic conflict has been witnessed in some parts of the country due to various intrinsic and extrinsic factors, which some groups and individuals used to connect it to the country’s federal system.
As to him lack of good governance, unfair distribution of resource and power between states, prevalence of corruption and the prohibition of citizens from exercising democratic rights like the right to express own political feeling and lack of press freedom were causes for these conflicts in the country.
He noted that there is lack of awareness among the citizens of the country towards the advantage of federalism mentioning that there are people and groups who consider federal system as fragmenting the country into different parts.
According to him, before the establishment of federalism in the country Ethiopian Nations and Nationalities suffered to develop and promote their cultures, languages and religions. But under the current regime, beyond using their languages, they start to raise the question of having more than one federal language. This is one of the fruits of federalism.
Dr. Asnake Kefale Political Science and International Relations Lecturer at Addis Ababa University on his part said that labeling federalism as cause for fragmentation is a wrong attitude and if it is implemented in a proper manner it is a feasible option to ensure national unity irrespective of ethnic diversity.
He argued that in Ethiopia under the current regime the structural formation of federal system by itself is not a cause for occurrences of ethnic conflict but, the failure to work on unity can be a cause for it.
As to him there are groups, individuals, politicians and activists who instigate such conflicts to achieve their political goals. So, cautioning such people from their decadent act is a paramount solution instead of blaming the formation of the system.
The Ethiopian Herald October 16, 2019
BY TAMERU REGASA
