Academiejaar 2005 - 2006 Decentralisatie en etnische diversiteit in Afrika met casestudy Ethiopië Proefschrift tot het behalen van de graad van doctor in de rechten Bijlage: De federale grondwet van Ethiopië van 8 december 1994 Christophe Van der Beken Promotor: Prof. Dr. E. Brems Table of Contents Introduction.......................................................................................................................i Chapter 1. Ethnic Diversity: Concept, Features and Situation in Ethiopia…………………………………………………………………….....................12 1.1. Etnic diversity:concept and features.................................................................................12 1.2. Ethnicity in Ethiopia.................................................................................................. 17 1.2.1. Background to ethnicity................................................................................................. 17 1.2.2. Overview of ethnic diversity ......................................................................................... 21 Chapter 2. Constitutional Mechanisms for the Accommodation of Ethnic Diversity........................................................................................................................... 24 2.1. Introduction............................................................................................................... 24 2.2. Negation of ethnic diversity........................................................................................ 25 2.3. The protection of cultural rights and language rights ................................................ 30 2.4. Guaranteed representation ........................................................................................ 31 2.5. Autonomy .................................................................................................................. 32 2.5.1. Types of autonomy ............................................................................................... 32 2.5.2. Federalism............................................................................................................ 35 2.5.2.1. Concept and basic features.............................................................................. 35 2.5.2.2. Federalism and the accommodation of ethnic diversity ..................................... 38 2.5.2.2.1. National and multinational/ethnic federations ........................................... 38 2.5.2.2.2. Objections to ethnic federations................................................................ 41 2.5.2.2.3. Arguments in favour of ethnic federations................................................ 42 2.5.2.2.4. Conditions for the success of ethnic federations......................................... 48 2.5.2.3. Federalism in Ethiopia.................................................................................... 50 Chapter 3. Rise and Fall of the Ethiopian Empire........................................... 54 3.1.The early origins of the Ethiopian state....................................................................... 54 3.2. The founders of present day Ethiopia ........................................................................ 56 3.3. The regime of Haile Selassie: centralisation and Amharisation.................................. 65 3.3.1. The first phase of the regime.................................................................................. 65 3.3.2. The Italian occupation and the second phase of the regime....................................... 67 3.3.2.1. Africa Orientale Italiana ................................................................................. 67 3.3.2.2. The creation of the modern Ethiopian state: centralisation and Amharisation … 68 3.3.2.3. Contestation of imperial policy....................................................................... 72 Chapter 4. The Socialistist Period......................................................................... 81 4.1. Revolution, but little change....................................................................................... 81 4.2. Proliferation of regional and ethnic rebellions ........................................................... 89 4.3. The Derg under pressure: the creation of administrative and autonomous regions.. 101 4.4. The fall of the Derg .................................................................................................. 103 i Chapter 5. Political and Constitutional Evolution in Post-Revolutionary Ethiopia.......................................................................................................................... 107 5.1. The foundations of the new regime: the national conference and the Transitional Period Charter ............................................................................................................... 107 5.2. A decentralised state structure................................................................................. 113 5.3. The EPRDF accumlulates power, the regional and local elections of June 1992 .... 119 5.4. Drafting a new constitution...................................................................................... 124 5. 5. Assessment of the ethnic strategy ............................................................................ 132 5.6. The last phase in the transitional period: the federal and regional elections of 1995 137 5.7. The 2000 elections and further political developments ............................................ 142 5.8. Postscriptum: the elections of May 2005 .................................................................. 146 Chapter 6. The Ethnic Reorientation of the Ethiopian State: An Analysis of the Federal Constitution ..................................................................................... 153 6.1. The constitutional strategy of state building............................................................. 153 6.2. The right to self-determination: a core principle of Ethiopian federalism ................ 157 6.2.1. The right to self-determination and secession........................................................ 157 6.2.2. The definition of nations, nationalities and peoples................................................ 164 6.3. The territorial state organisation ............................................................................. 167 6.4. Regional autonomy: formal and informal aspects ................................................... 175 6.4.1. Constitutional and extraconstitutional elements..................................................... 175 6.4.2. Constitutional allocation of powers between the federal and the regional level ........ 176 6.4.2.1.Legislative and executive powers ................................................................... 176 6.4.2.2. Allocation of legislative powers .................................................................... 177 6.4.2.2.1. Powers of the federal government........................................................... 177 6.4.2.2.2. Regional powers.................................................................................... 181 6.4.2.3.Constitutional mechanisms to change the allocation of powers......................... 187 6.4.3. Extraconstitutional limitations of regional autonomy ............................................. 194 6.4.4. The distribution of fiscal powers: the fiscal autonomy of the regions ...................... 201 6.5. The federal institutional structure........................................................................... 209 6.5.1. General Observations .......................................................................................... 209 6.5.2. The parliament.................................................................................................... 209 6.5.2.1. The House of Peoples’ Representatives.......................................................... 210 6.5.2.2. The House of the Federation......................................................................... 217 6.5.3. The President, Prime Minister and Council of Ministers ........................................ 226 6.5.4. The judicial organisation ..................................................................................... 233 6.5.4.1. A parallel judicial structure? ........................................................................ 233 6.5.4.2. Constitutional review powers ....................................................................... 238 6.5.4.2.1. The alternative Ethiopian approach......................................................... 238 6.5.4.2.2. The Council of Constitutional Inquiry and House of the Federation ......... 242 ii Chapter 7. Constitutional Accommodation of Ethnic Diversity at the Regional Level ............................................................................................................. 249 7.1. Introduction............................................................................................................. 249 7.2. Constitution and accommodation of ethnic diversity in Amhara and Oromia….... 252 7.2.1. Ethnic composition of the population ................................................................... 252 7.2.2. Territorial organisation........................................................................................ 252 7.2.3. Regional institutional structure............................................................................. 253 7.2.3.1. The regional parliament ...............................................................................