The Last Post-Cold War Socialist Federation: Ethnicity, Ideology and Democracy in EthiopiaAfter the fall of the Berlin wall and the disintegration of the former USSR and Yugoslavia, it has widely been assumed that socialist federations have become a thing of the past. Ethiopia’s ethnic federal system however is essentially a socialist federal system based on the notion of the ’right to self-determination of nationalities’ and a Marxist-Leninist organization of the state and party. This book assesses the Ethiopian ethnic federal system from the perspective of the principles of socialist federations and other Marxist oriented policies pursued by the ruling Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF). Exploring how the application of these ideological principles has impacted on the structure and function of the Ethiopian federal system, the research examines the ways in which these ideological policies of the ruling party affect national consensus, protection of human rights, the rights of minority groups, separation of power principles and the relationship between the federal and regional governments. It also explores the extent to which ideological principles have had an impact on the democratization process, rule of law and in building up institutions such as parliamentary democracy, the judiciary, the media and civil society organizations in the country. Approaching the Ethiopian federal system from the perspective of the fundamental ideological principles of the party in power allows a deeper insight into the structure and function of the ethnic federal system. |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 Federalism and the Accommodation of Diversity | 7 |
2 Socialist Federations and the Accommodation of Diversity | 47 |
3 Introduction to Ethiopian Constitution and History | 69 |
4 Development of Ideological Radicalism and Ethnoregional Movements in Ethiopia | 93 |
5 The Fundamental Ideological Principles Governing Ethnic Federalism in Ethiopia | 123 |
6 The Principle of the Right to Selfdetermination in the Ethiopian Ethnic Federal System and its Implications | 153 |
7 The Implications of Party Ideology in the Structure and Function of Ethiopias Ethnic Federal System | 189 |
8 The Role of Party Ideology in the Democratisation and Protection of Human Rights in Ethiopia | 235 |
Concluding Remarks | 253 |
| 259 | |
| 275 | |
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Common terms and phrases
accommodation According accountability achieve addition administration adopted Amhara application approach argue attempt autonomy become central government challenges civil claims concept consensus constitution courts created cultural decisions demands democratic centralism Despite diversity dominance economic elections elites emerged Eritrea established Ethiopian Ethiopian federal ethnic groups ethno-regional executive existence fact federal system forces former fundamental granted historical House human rights identity ideological important independent individual institutions interests issues judicial language largely leaders Liberation limited linguistic maintain major Marxist means mechanism military minority mobilisation movement multicultural nationalist nationalities officials opposition organ organisation Oromo particularly party political practice principle problems protection provides question regime regional governments relations representatives Republic result revolutionary democracy rhetoric right to self-determination role ruling secession separation significant social socialist federations society structure Tigray TPLF TPLF/EPRDF units various