BY LAKACHEW ATINAFU
Ethiopia has been tasted with temptation after the adoption of Ethno-lingual federalism following the demise of the Derg regime. The country has passed through fears of state disintegration which appeared to be acute in deeply divided societies with politicized ethnic interactions.
Federalism might be a better mode of government for a country with diverse ethno lingual groups; however, the Ethiopian federalism over the last 30 years was pseudo which has been crawling to reach nowhere.
National Communities of Afar, Somali, Benshangul Gumuz, Gambela, and Harari had no representation in EPDRF’s committee where grand decision and fate of the country was passed.
Before the reform in Ethiopia, Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, South Nations Nationalities and Peoples (SNNP) states had made a pact and formed a coalition Ethiopians People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) as a political legitimacy to rule the country.
The four parties that made up the EPRDF were the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, the Amhara Democratic Party, the Oromo Democratic Party and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM).
The first three parties, respectively, represented the Tigray, Amhara and Oromo peoples, which together are more than 70 percent of Ethiopia’s population. The Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement represented a regional state composed of numerous smaller national communities. On the other hand, large ethnic groups like Somali, Afar, Benshangul Gumuz, coupled with relatively minor groups, Gambela and Harari were marginalized from the political arena particularly in EPRDF committee though they have representation in the House.
Such trend and mode of governance has tremendous impact upon populaces’ social, psychological makeup and other sorts of psychometric factor as nations could not develop a sense of belongingness if they do not have a right to decide over affairs of the country. Following the reform, states that had never been practically practicing their political right states have decided to dissolve and merge with the Prosperity Party. This was a great step for a country in fixing social complication.
The reform and the effort to merge the EPRDF and involve the then partners is a mile stone to build society of democracy and a cure for parts of societies that have no active role in the governance system, claimed a scholar.
Sisay Asemrie, Assistance Professor of Political Philosophy at Gonder University, in a short stay with The Ethiopian Herald said that before the reform the then EPRDF had been labeling significant ethnics groups of the country as emerging states with low political consciousness.
The coalition has impacted adversities on social dynamism of the nation and snatched away the right to self-determination and governance against the law of the land. These Ethnic groups had no active role in the political sphere and decision making process in the EPDRF Committee; they rather merely remained to be affiliate or partner, said Sisay.
This inequitable power decentralization might have been one of the factors for the down fall of Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF) that had concentrated power and steer the country under the guise of EPRDF.
The TPLF led EPRDF leadership previously had argued that those largely pastoral regions (Somali, Harari, Afar, Benishangul and Gambela) lacked the agrarian class structure that revolutionary democracy presupposed. For almost three decades these groups were relegated to the status of partner parties; they were part of the federal government but could not vote in EPRDF committees, where the group reached all of Ethiopia’s major political decisions. The denial of political competence of such ethnic groups is an insult and manipulation the psych of and prohibiting them from the feeling patriotism and other national feelings, said Sisay.
EPDRF leaders have also been argued that this nation are incapable of shouldering revolutionary democracy as their political consciousness is infant so that they need the mentorship of others though the very reason behind was believed to have been economic conspiracy, as to the political scholar.
Sisay, further said that the implementation of Pseudo Federalism in Ethiopia over the last 27 years was about ridiculing and belittle the Afar, Somali, Benshangul, Gambela and Harari peoples. The situation has also been ushering a sense being marginalized with no national feeling. It underestimated and humiliated the right of target groups by creating social strata of decision maker and partner.
One of the swift reforms Abiy Ahmed’s Administrations under take was the merger of EPDRF and the establishment of Prosperity Party (PP) involving all states and the ones that have been marginalized before. As to him, the active participation of the then emerging states in core political issues of the country enable them to be a proud citizen as the current reform permits them to compete to the position of the country’s chief executive.
Previously, the chair of EPRDF never been elected out of the four parties that were supposed to be politically conscious, discriminating others. Now, the time is changed for the better and all Ethiopians are allowed to deliberate on the affairs of their country and make decision at equal level. This paves the way to build better future for the country as nations that have been marginalized for ages are enjoying political equality, self-determination and right to get votes for the Prime Ministership.
The coalition before the reform had no constitutional background to rule the country. This resulted in social grievance among neglected nations nationwide. For instance the Benshangul Gumuz State had never administered itself for ages and that is why the State remained to be one of social chaos in the country, as to Sisay.
However, the system lacks acceptance from two sides both from the marginalized states and wide publics in Amhara, Tigray, Oromia and SNNP. When the situation geared up with the age-long queries of the public, accumulated grievance, mal practice in government, state robbery, corruption, excessive human right abuse and violation reform has been incepted and realized with leaders that yearn for change.
The Ethiopian Herald April 2/2021
