Federalism and the Constitution Debate

The party proposes replacing ethnic federalism with geographic and cultural federalism based on public consensus, potentially dividing large regions like Amhara and Oromia, and making Addis Ababa an independent city-state.

• Will replace ethnic federalism with geographic and cultural federalism.

  [19:45]

• Regions will be formed based on public consensus and cultural proximity.

  [20:21] [21:11]

• Large regions like Amhara and Oromia could be divided into two or three based on public agreement.

  [21:35] [22:15]

• Addis Ababa will be an independent city-state belonging to all Ethiopians.

  [24:54] [25:42]

The party believes border disputes should be resolved through referendums based on the choice of the local people and constitutional frameworks.

• Disputes like Wolkait and Tegede should be resolved through referendums.

  [26:21]

• The people of Wolkait and Raya will decide their own fate through public choice.

  [27:35]

The party wants to update the constitution to match the current societal level and specifically aims to amend Article 39 to remove the right to secession, fearing it could lead to the country's disintegration.

• The constitution needs to be updated to match the current economic and societal development level.

  [29:35]

• Wants to amend Article 39 to remove the right to secession, which promotes narrow nationalism.

  [29:49]

• Fears that the secession clause could lead to the disintegration of the country due to political elites misleading the public.

  [30:07]

The party supports keeping the parliamentary system but wants to transfer the power of constitutional interpretation from the House of Federation to a legal body like the Supreme Court.

• Supports keeping the parliamentary system.

  [33:04]

• The power of constitutional interpretation should be given to legal experts or the Supreme Court, not the House of Federation.

  [33:21]

• Will balance representation in the parliament to prevent the marginalization of minorities.

  [34:04]

The party believes constitutional amendments should not be dictated by the ruling party but must be based on public consensus achieved through an inclusive national dialogue.

• Constitutional amendments must be done through an inclusive and participatory national dialogue.

  [34:48]

• The party will not dictate which articles to amend; it depends on the public's demands and the national dialogue's outcome.

  [36:48]

• The current constitution has played a major role in managing diversity and building federalism.

  [35:39]

The party views Addis Ababa as the capital of Ethiopia and Africa, and believes that ongoing development in the city practically addresses the special interests of both Oromia and all Ethiopians.

• Addis Ababa is not just Ethiopia's capital but also Africa's diplomatic center.

  [40:15]

• Development in Addis Ababa directly benefits the surrounding Oromia region.

  [40:55]

• The special interest of Oromia and all Ethiopians is being addressed through ongoing development projects.

  [41:11]

The party argues that conflicts are not solely caused by federalism but by divisive narratives, incomplete state-building, and a lack of dialogue culture, noting that conflicts existed even before federalism.

• Conflicts are primarily caused by divisive narratives, not just the federal system.

  [42:02]

• Incomplete state-building and a lack of a culture of dialogue also contribute to conflicts.

  [43:15]

• Ethiopia experienced severe conflicts even before federalism, during the pre-1995 unitary state.

  [42:44]

The party states that disputes should be resolved based on the constitution, public decision, and justice, aiming for lasting peace without zero-sum outcomes.

• Disputes must be resolved based on the constitution and constitutionalism.

  [44:10]

• The public must be the ones to decide on administrative disputes.

  [44:16]

• Solutions must ensure justice, avoid zero-sum games, and bring lasting peace.

  [44:23]

The party views the creation of new regions as a response to democratic demands that must be respected if the public decides so, arguing that more regions can strengthen federalism.

• Regional statehood requests are democratic demands that the party must respect if the public decides so.

  [45:14]

• An increase in the number of regions is seen as strengthening the federal system, similar to India and Nigeria.

  [45:29]

• Issues of fairness and regional restructuring will be addressed through the national dialogue framework.

  [47:17]

The party explains that the constitution is a political document as well as a legal one, and the House of Federation is assisted by legal experts in the Council of Constitutional Inquiry.

• The constitution is both a legal and a political document.

  [47:44]

• The House of Federation works with the Council of Constitutional Inquiry, which includes the Supreme Court President and legal experts.

  [48:08]

• This issue can be discussed and potentially amended through the national dialogue.

  [48:27]

EZEMA opposes the current structure because it fails to deliver local democracy, as lower-level administrators are appointed by the ruling party rather than elected, and it fosters suspicion by being based solely on ethnicity.

• The current federalism fails to bring administration and justice closer to the people.

  [49:06]

• Lower-level administrators (woreda/kebele) are appointed by the regional ruling party, lacking local accountability.

  [49:24]

• The system is conflict-prone and fosters suspicion among citizens.

  [50:58]

EZEMA plans to restructure regions based on geography, settlement, administrative convenience, and resource distribution, which will likely involve dividing large regions like Oromia and Amhara.

• Will establish an independent expert team to study and propose regional restructuring based on geography, settlement, administrative convenience, and resource distribution.

  [56:02]

• Large regions like Oromia and Amhara should not remain as single regions and will be divided to ensure administrative convenience.

  [56:49]

EZEMA wants to replace it with 'We, the people of Ethiopia,' arguing that Ethiopians are one people with diverse cultures and languages.

• The phrase should be changed to 'We, the people of Ethiopia'.

  [58:14]

• Ethiopians are one people beautified and intertwined by diversity in culture, language, and religion.

  [58:48] [59:39]

EZEMA argues that including secession in the constitution encourages disintegration, and that the true guarantee against oppression is democracy and local self-rule.

• No country starts its formation by including a clause for secession; it encourages disintegration.

  [1:00:28] [1:01:34]

• The true guarantee against oppression is democracy and electing one's own leaders from the local level up.

  [1:01:49]

• Respecting cultural and linguistic rights at all levels prevents the grievances that lead to secession.

  [1:02:07]

EZEMA believes a presidential system allows the entire country to elect one unifying leader, unlike the parliamentary system where the Prime Minister is elected by a single constituency.

• Ethiopia needs a unifying figure elected by the entire population.

  [1:02:22]

• In the current system, the Prime Minister is elected by only one constituency but leads millions.

  [1:02:32] [1:02:58]

The coalition argues that the problem is not federalism itself but its flawed implementation, which has created large, oppressive regions. They aim to fix this implementation.

• The current federalism has implementation and structural flaws, not inherent flaws.

  [1:03:56]

• Flawed implementation has created large, oppressive regions that crush internal minorities.

  [1:04:26] [1:05:00]

• Will correct the implementation so that all ethnic groups are fairly represented locally.

  [1:06:24]

The coalition states that the number of regions doesn't matter; if an ethnic group demands regional status and meets constitutional criteria, their request must be answered.

• The exact number of regions is not the issue; respecting rights is.

  [1:08:06]

• If a group demands regional status and meets constitutional criteria, it must be granted.

  [1:08:29]

• Prioritizes human life and rights over economic concerns of having many regions.

  [1:08:50]

The coalition defines them as peoples with their own distinct identities and opposes situations where large regions suppress the distinct identities of minorities within them.

• Nations and nationalities are peoples with their own distinct identities.

  [1:09:56]

• Opposes the current situation where regions suppress the identities of minorities living within them.

  [1:10:17]

The coalition prefers removing the secession clause if the public decides so, arguing that oppressed groups want their rights respected within Ethiopia, not to secede.

• Prefers removing the secession clause based on public decision.

  [1:10:46]

• Oppressed groups want their rights and regional status respected, not to secede from Ethiopia.

  [1:11:00]

The coalition accepts the spirit of federalism but will correct the practices in both Houses to ensure they truly protect the rights and representation of all peoples.

• Accepts the spirit of federalism where all peoples have representation to protect their rights.

  [1:13:37]

• Will correct the current practices of both the House of Peoples' Representatives and the House of Federation to ensure they protect public rights.

  [1:13:47]

Prosperity Party states it is correcting past mistakes of EPRDF and building true multinational federalism. Constitutional amendments must be done through the National Dialogue to ensure public participation.

• Prosperity Party is different from EPRDF; it is correcting past exclusionary policies and building true multinational federalism.

  [1:17:36]

• Constitutional amendments must be done through the inclusive National Dialogue to ensure public participation and avoid elite bargaining.

  [1:16:38] [1:23:46]

• The party has already taken steps to strengthen constitutionalism by ensuring the executive is limited by law and building strong institutions.

  [1:20:25]

The party's ideology is 'Medemer' (Synergy), an indigenous approach focused on solving Ethiopia's problems. On the constitution, the party believes the public must decide through the National Dialogue.

• The party's ideology is 'Medemer' (Synergy), an indigenous philosophy focused on holistic prosperity.

  [1:25:28] [1:26:04]

• Constitutional amendments should not be a 'gift' from the ruling party but decided by the public through the National Dialogue.

  [1:23:28]

• The House of Federation interpreting the constitution is appropriate because the constitution is a political document and the House represents the nations and nationalities.

  [1:22:25]

The party states that accusations against EPRP are regime propaganda and that EPRP members were victims of the Derg. The party's current stance strongly opposes secession and supports unity.

• Accusations about the Red Terror are defamation; EPRP members were victims of the Derg, not perpetrators.

  [1:32:04]

• EPRP never signed any document supporting Eritrea's secession; this is false propaganda.

  [1:34:04]

• The party's current policy strongly opposes secession and advocates for Ethiopia's right to a seaport.

  [1:34:44]

• The party believes in the supremacy of ideas and peaceful political struggle.

  [1:27:09]

EZEMA argues the current system is top-down, with local leaders appointed by regional elites. They will ensure local leaders are elected and address ethnic oppression through multilingualism and respecting cultural rights.

• The current system is top-down; local administrators are appointed by regional ruling parties, not elected by the people.

  [1:35:59]

• EZEMA will ensure local leaders (woreda/kebele) are directly elected by their communities.

  [1:36:20]

• Will address ethnic rights by implementing multilingualism at federal and regional levels, unlike the current system which enforces monolingualism in diverse regions.

  [1:38:02]

The coalition explains that while the constitution grants self-rule, ruling parties have practically denied this right, forcing groups under oppressive regional structures. They will ensure constitutional rights to self-rule are implemented.

• The constitution grants nations and nationalities the right to self-administration.

  [1:42:06]

• In practice, ruling parties have denied this right, keeping groups oppressed under large regional governments.

  [1:42:28]

• If elected, the coalition will ensure that any group demanding self-administration according to the constitution will be granted that right.

  [1:45:27]