Civil Service Reform and Contested Issues in Ethiopia Debate

Advocates for a balanced approach based on proportional federalism, prioritizing merit but also including diversity and empowering marginalized groups.

• Will use a balanced approach based on proportional federalism.

  [20:12]

• Recruitment will primarily be based on merit, but a merit system that includes diversity.

  [20:22]

• Will empower and elevate marginalized groups to maintain proportionality.

  [20:51]

Rejects ethnic quotas entirely, advocating for a citizenship-based politics where recruitment is based solely on professional competence and experience.

• Rejects ethnic representation and quotas in the civil service.

  [21:34] [22:17]

• Prioritizes professional competence, readiness, and work experience.

  [22:10]

• In case of tied scores, additional exams will be used to determine the candidate, without considering ethnicity.

  [23:10]

Believes merit and diversity do not conflict. Recruitment will be merit-based while taking diversity (ethnicity, language, gender, disability) into consideration.

• Believes merit and ethnic representation do not conflict.

  [24:02]

• Civil service will be organized based on merit while considering diversity (ethnicity, language, gender, disability).

  [24:36]

• Will use merit-based behavioral and technical exams, with a separate consideration for diversity.

  [25:37]

Completely rejects ethnic-based recruitment, prioritizing merit, education, and experience, while ensuring inclusion of women, youth, and people with disabilities.

• Will completely free the civil service from ethnic-based systems.

  [26:56]

• Prioritizes merit, educational background, and work experience over ethnicity.

  [27:16]

• Will include women, youth, and people with disabilities, but will not use special ethnic quotas.

  [27:52] [28:47]

Proposes a presidential system to separate the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, preventing arbitrary interference.

• Will establish a presidential system to clearly separate government branches.

  [29:28]

• Will implement balanced federalism to separate administrative and political powers.

  [31:01]

Argues that political independence requires restructuring the political system, preventing federal interference in regions, and ensuring separation of powers.

• Will create 34 autonomous regions to free the political structure from central interference.

  [32:25]

• Will prevent political appointees from interfering in civil service placement and administration.

  [32:39]

• Will ensure the separation of executive, legislative, and judicial powers.

  [32:51]

Claims the civil service is already free, though individuals can have political views. Asserts that political discussions in the workplace are about national agendas, not partisan campaigning.

• Believes the civil service is currently free, though individual public servants can have political affiliations.

  [33:35]

• Ensures public servants do not use their positions for partisan political purposes.

  [34:03]

• Workplace discussions focus on national agendas or government reforms, not party election campaigns.

  [34:31]

Will allow civil servants to organize to defend their rights, establish an independent commission to investigate corruption, and make the civil service accountable to the Senate.

• Will allow civil servants the right to organize and demand their rights.

  [36:01]

• Will establish a commission to investigate officials who gain unfair advantages.

  [36:33]

• Will make the civil service accountable to the Senate under a presidential system.

  [38:03]

• Will stop forced salary deductions for funds without employee consent.

  [37:28]

Plans to improve salaries through institutional and structural reforms, eliminating corruption, and implementing a progressive social democratic system.

• Will undertake overall institutional and structural reforms to address role confusion and corruption.

  [39:02]

• Will implement a progressive social democratic system to direct development benefits to the people.

  [39:38]

Argues that salary increases depend on fixing the macroeconomic policy to grow national wealth and reallocating the budget towards productive sectors.

• Will fix the distorted economic policy to grow the national economy, which will allow for salary increases.

  [40:20]

• Will increase budget allocations for social sectors like education and health.

  [41:02]

Highlights recent massive salary increases for civil servants, claiming it's the largest in Ethiopian history, demonstrating their commitment.

• Increased the minimum wage from 1000 to 6000 birr and degree holders' starting salary from 5358 to 11500 birr.

  [42:11]

• Allocated 176 billion birr for salaries out of the 575 billion birr regular budget.

  [42:45]

• Claims this is the largest salary increase in volume and amount in Ethiopian history.

  [43:39]

Plans to reduce the cost of living through macroeconomic policy changes, specifically by reducing taxes on civil servants and providing free social security and health services.

• Will reduce the high tax burden currently imposed on civil servants.

  [44:28]

• Will facilitate free access to housing, social security, and medical services.

  [44:40]

Acknowledges Ethiopia's diversity but insists civil service should focus on service delivery, using translators where necessary, rather than ethnic quotas.

• Will provide translators for citizens who do not speak the working language to ensure they receive service.

  [46:34]

• Will establish systems to collect feedback and ensure services are accessible to all, including people with disabilities.

  [46:58]

• Rejects using ethnic quotas as a criterion for service accessibility, arguing it divides the country.

  [47:37]

States that civil servants are already organizing through professional associations (e.g., engineers, health professionals) and does not see the need for a separate general civil servants' union law.

• Civil servants are already organizing through their respective professional associations (e.g., engineers' or health professionals' associations).

  [48:57]

• Will continue to support organization based on professional fields rather than creating a new law for a general civil servants' union.

  [49:43]

Explains that proportional federalism means avoiding extremes and ensuring citizens get jobs based on merit and inclusive criteria, leading to fair compensation and accountability.

• Proportionality means avoiding extremes and ensuring citizens get jobs based on merit and inclusive criteria.

  [51:05]

• Will ensure citizens receive fair salaries and benefits based on their professional service and accountability.

  [51:37]

Details reforms focusing on institutional building, legal framework revisions, merit-based deployment, and technology adoption to improve service delivery.

• Revised legal frameworks based on research to remove operational bottlenecks.

  [52:32]

• Deploying human resources based on knowledge, skills, ethics, and inclusive diversity.

  [52:42]

• Using technology to increase speed, quality, and prevent corruption.

  [53:08]

• Achieved 98% satisfaction in the newly launched "Mosob" service centers.

  [53:37]

Argues that ethnic quotas are a political tool that harms the country. Inclusivity should be achieved by building institutions and empowering marginalized groups through education, not by placing unqualified people in jobs.

• Rejects ethnic quotas, arguing they are used for political manipulation rather than genuine empowerment.

  [56:11]

• Will focus on empowering marginalized groups by building institutions and providing education in their areas.

  [57:09]

• Believes placing unqualified individuals in positions based on ethnicity destroys the country.

  [57:20]

Defends political appointees as standard practice for a ruling party to execute its mandate, but notes they have included opposition members in leadership.

• It is standard practice globally for a ruling party to use political appointees to execute its policies in government institutions.

  [57:52]

• Has implemented an inclusive system by appointing members of competing political parties to leadership roles (e.g., Ministry of Education, Innovation and Technology).

  [58:19]

• Is implementing reforms and technology to address systemic issues and corruption in service delivery.

  [59:04]

Argues that civil service is a professional institution where ethnic representation is irrelevant and counterproductive. The focus should be on merit and fighting corruption.

• Argues that ethnic representation is irrelevant in a professional institution like the civil service.

  [1:00:10]

• Believes prioritizing ethnic quotas over merit is like letting an unqualified person fly an airplane.

  [1:00:24]

• Will focus on merit, good ethics, and fighting corruption rather than ethnic quotas.

  [1:00:58]

Defends the 98% satisfaction rate as specific to the new "Mosob" centers. Explains that housing for teachers is being handled through associations where the government provided land and loans. Claims Black Lion Hospital has been significantly upgraded.

• The 98% satisfaction rate is specifically from the 43 new "Mosob" service centers, measured by an AI system.

  [1:03:54]

• For teachers' housing, the government has provided land and facilitated bank loans; construction is up to their associations.

  [1:04:46]

• Black Lion Hospital has been upgraded with better facilities, and cancer/radiation treatments have been expanded to regional referral hospitals.

  [1:05:32]

Rejects the premise that ethnic quotas are necessary, arguing that all groups have educated members who can compete on merit. Reaffirms the use of translators when needed.

• Argues that since all ethnic groups have educated professionals, they should compete based on merit rather than quotas.

  [1:09:15]

• Will focus on building institutions and empowering citizens to compete equally.

  [1:09:39]

• Reaffirms that translators will be provided for citizens who do not speak the working language.

  [1:10:27]

States that the primary solution is to completely free the civil service from political loyalty and interference, establishing accountability and legal systems.

• The primary solution is to completely free the civil service from political loyalty and dependence.

  [1:11:05]

• Will establish a system of accountability to improve service delivery and reduce public grievances.

  [1:11:15]

• The ruling party must release its grip on the sector and let it operate based on scientific principles and law.

  [1:11:31]

Clarifies that Mosob centers will be expanded nationwide. Employees there get special benefits because they are selected through rigorous merit-based exams. Defends the proclamation as necessary to remove corrupt employees who abuse the public.

• Mosob services are currently in 43 centers but will expand to 250 by year-end and nationwide in two years.

  [1:14:01]

• Mosob employees receive special benefits because they are rigorously tested and selected based on merit and ethics.

  [1:14:46] [1:15:23]

• The new proclamation legally dismisses employees who commit severe disciplinary violations and abuse the public, which does not violate the law.

  [1:15:52] [1:16:14] [1:16:48]