Government of Ethiopia
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2013) |
Formation | 21 August 1995 |
---|---|
Country | Ethiopia |
Website | Official website |
Legislative branch | |
Legislature | Federal Parliamentary Assembly |
Speaker |
|
Meeting place | |
Judicial branch | |
Court | Federal Supreme Court |
Seat | Addis Ababa |
The government of Ethiopia (
History
Ethiopia has always oscillated between centralisation of power, this was accelerated under the 19th century emperors Tewodros II (1855–68) and Yohannes IV (1872–89).[1] This was replicated in modern times under the Stalinist Derg regime, after the fall of the Derg, the federalism introduced in 1991 by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).[2]
Historically, the Ethiopian Empire, known as "Abyssinia" and "Ze-Etiyopia" called prior to the mid-19th century, consisted mainly of the Amhara and Tigrayans. These are northern people who share a similar language, culture and customs, who now make up c. 24% and 6% respectively of modern Ethiopia. Tewodros II reunified Northern Ethiopia from 1855, while his successor Yohannes IV embarked on a series of brutal military campaigns between 1880–1889 to conquer and annex the southern and eastern regions, namely western Oromo, Sidama, Gurage, Wolayta and other groups, leading largely to the current national borders.[1]
The inhabitants of these Southern states had different languages and customs; mostly Muslim and Pagan, but particularly the most populous group, the
The conquest involved mass killings, which would now be termed genocide, enslavement, land confiscation and forcible conversion to Ethiopian Orthodox Christianity, motivated by a cultural contempt for what were considered inferior peoples.
The centralised
Following the dissolution of the Derg in 1991, by the TPLF, which ended the Ethiopian Civil War and established independence for Eritrea, Ethiopia formed a transitional government along federal lines which lasted until 1995. The 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia was promulgated by the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which enshrined a form of ethnic-based federalism, consisting of 11 ethno-linguistically defined regional states and 2 chartered cities. The states are: Afar; Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz; Gambela; Harari; Oromia; Somali; the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region; Tigray; Sidama; and South West Ethiopia. The chartered cities are Addis Ababa, the country's capital, and Dire Dawa. The federal structure was intended to alleviate the persistent historical ethnic tensions by establishing regional autonomy and a degree of self-rule. Article 39, Section 1 states: "Every nation, nationality and people has an unconditional right to self-determination including the right to section."[6] Each ethnic territory was thus given the right to secede, which was welcomed by those federally-minded but proved controversial amongst supporters of Ethiopian nationalism and its diaspora, especially the previously dominant Amhara, who feared it would decentralise government and induce ethnic tensions.
After the 1995 general election,
Legislative branch
The
Judicial branch
The president and vice president of the Federal Supreme Court are recommended by the prime minister and appointed by the House of People's Representatives; for other federal judges, the prime minister submits candidates selected by the Federal Judicial Administrative Council to the House of People's Representatives for appointment. In May 2007, the Ethiopian Federal courts received the Technology in Government in Africa (TIGA) award that is provided by Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and the Canadian e-Policy Resource Center (CePRC).[10]
With regard to the legal profession, although organizations such as the Ethiopian Lawyers' Association (formerly the Ethiopian Bar Association) and the Ethiopian Women Lawyers' Association (EWLA) are in existence, there is no clear indication as to how demographic groups, such as women, have fared in the legal field.
Executive branch
Office | Name | Party | Since |
---|---|---|---|
President | Sahle-Work Zewde | Independent | 24 October 2018 |
Prime Minister | Abiy Ahmed | Prosperity Party | 2 April 2018 |
The president is elected by the House of People's Representatives for a six-year term. The prime minister is designated by the party in power following legislative elections. The
Administrative divisions
Ethiopia is divided into 12 ethno-linguistically based
References
- ^ JSTOR 3993156.
- ^ "Ethiopia: Ethnic Federalism and Its Discontents". 4 September 2009.
- .
- ^ "Land Grabbing in Ethiopia".
- ^ "Ethiopian-Somali War over the Ogaden Region (1977–1978) •". 21 March 2016.
- S2CID 127578424.
- ^ "Ethiopia: Parliament session on Meles succession delayed". BBC News. 22 August 2012.
- ^ "Ethiopia is Africa's fastest-growing economy".
- ^ Albin-Lackey, Christopher (9 May 2005). "Suppressing Dissent: Human Rights Abuses and Political Repression in Ethiopia's Oromia Region". Human Rights Watch.
- ^ Ethiopian federal court receives TIGA award[permanent dead link]