The inability of Ethiopia’s previous centralized forms of government to accommodate the country’s diversity led to extended armed struggles and conflicts. The peoples of Ethiopia have struggled and sacrificed their lives in their quest to realize freedom.
That is why Ethiopia became the Federal Democratic Republic by adopting a multi-national federal system with the view to create one political and economic community while at the same time respecting diversity. The multi-national federal system and decentralized form of government are here to address the age-long questions of Ethiopians.
And, it is no doubt that federalism is the best and ideal form of government to manage diversity. Hence, it would not be practical to think the rights of such a diversified group of people would be ensured through a unitary form of government. This makes federalism in Ethiopia a choice without option.
However, those who question Ethiopia’s federal system do also have a cause. First, they claim the identity and language-based federal system is a threat to Ethiopia as it resulted in ethnic conflicts. Second, the constitutional federal system in the past has just been a paper tiger.
Though the constitution grantees the right to self-determination to the nations, nationalities, and peoples of Ethiopia, the reality on the ground was different. This is because; in the last 27 years, a single group of people directly or indirectly controlled the affairs of the peoples of Ethiopia.
However, the basic idea here is that it is the inability of Ethiopia’s previous centralized forms of government to accommodate the country’s diversity that led to extended armed struggles and conflicts in the first place. The peoples of Ethiopia have struggled and sacrificed their lives in their quest to realize freedom.
It has been said that the Ethiopian federal-state system is designed based on the historical dialectics in the country. Various ethnic groups believe that they had been oppressed by some others that had been in power for centuries. The federal system is believed to solve this historical injustice among the peoples of Ethiopia through promoting democracy and tolerance is a matter of argument.
Obviously, one can also claim that the federal system has not been implemented in Ethiopia as has been stipulated in the constitution. Hence, blaming federalism as a scapegoat for the recent turmoil every here and there could no longer be sound.
Since the start of the reform, there is a general consensus that what has been practiced in Ethiopia for the past 27 years is pseudo-federalism. The centralized decision-making system of the ruling party EPRDF has prevented states from enjoying true federalism. Hence, we have not had enough experience in the system to claim that it is not working for Ethiopia.
The reform seems to address these concerns. Now, the people have just started to experience the change in the application of the federal system. The Sidama question of self-determination that has been oppressed for the last 27 years is the best case to demonstrate this.
The Sidama People’s age-long statehood request has gained momentum following the start of the reform over the past year. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said it has finalized preparation to hold the referendum on November 22/2019. Nearly, two million people have also been registered to take part in the referendum. The referendum has so many implications, but most importantly it is the fulfillment of the constitutional right of self-determination.
The Ethiopian Herald November14, 2019
