The various reforms on the social, political and economic affairs of the country proposed by the state last week are only superficial fixes and do not really address the root causes of the political impasse in the country, according to some figures in the opposition. They will also achieve little in ensuring the very survival of the nation, they claim.
Ethiopia’s President Mulatu Teshome (PhD) delivered a presidential address at the joint session of the House of People’s Representatives and the House of Federation on Monday, October 10, 2016. This year’s presidential address, in addition to officially commencing the annual sessions of the two houses, came at a time where the Council of Ministers had declared a state of emergency the previous day following months of violent protests in the country.
In a rather conceding tone, the President detailed major administrative shortcomings across government structure in serving the people that have elected them into office.
“Failures of governance, including nepotism and maladministration have further complicated the situation,” President Mulatu noted.
Unlike his speeches at joint sessions of the Houses in previous years, last week the President was less congratulatory and more focused on urging MPs to deliberate rigorously on finding lasting solutions to the problems that have plagued the nation in recent months.
President Mulatu also outlined the reforms the state will introduce this year to address the issues that have been the bone of contention, instigating and fuelling the recent violence.
“The youth make up half of our 100 million strong population; it is necessary that they should be at the centre of every aspect of ongoing national development efforts,” Mulatu noted, as he announced the establishment of a 10 billion Br revolving fund for the youth.
The President also said that the youth were highly active in the recent protests across the country.
“The demands made by the youth during the demonstrations are not economical,” Girma Seifu, the sole opposition MP during the 2010-2015 term – representing the Forum for Democratic Dialogue in Ethiopia, or Medrek – contends. “The young people are calling for regime change, the freedom to work and fair pay,” he added.
Abrha Desta, a member of the Arena Tigray party, also agrees with Girma.
“Though the questions of equitable wealth distribution and unemployment echo in the protests, the root cause of the grievances lies in the lack of freedom,” Abrha stated. “The youth have for months demanded those economic rights, but now they are pressing for more political freedom. The government’s economic response is too little too late.”
Girma and Abrha are in sync in expressing their reservations that the government’s planned revolving fund will address the root causes of the problem at hand.
“The government’s planned response does not correspond to the real problems of the youth,” Girma said.
Abrha, on his side, stated that “the government is desperate and is pulling every stunt to appease the youth”.
The President’s proposal to reform the electoral system of the country also does not hold any water, according to critics. In the last two elections, the ruling party and its allies have won 99.9pc and 100pc of the seats in Parliament.
“The result left a substantial number of votes given to opposition parties unrepresented,” Mulatu said.
The ruling party seems to have come to the belief that the current electoral system of first-past-the-ballot leaves out voices that may have been represented by the opposition. President Mulatu proposed legal measures to ensure that Parliament “best represents a variety of voices and provides for diverse political interests”.
“The issue of changing the electoral system from a ‘winner takes all’ to a proportional system is a secondary issue,” argues Mulugeta Aregawi, a lawyer. “The real question we should be asking is whether elections in the country are held in a manner that is considered free and fair.”
Abrha thinks the government’s proposal to reform the electoral system is a mere ‘diversion’ to refocus the public’s attention from the real issues of properly functioning democratic institutions.
“There should be democratic mechanisms to constitutionally limit the powers of the government through checks and balances, and ensure a free and fair election, before any talk of electoral system reform,” Mulugeta said. “The kind of electoral system would mean nothing, if the credibility of the election has question marks.”
Abrha also called on the ruling party to stop “meddling in the affairs of the electoral board, which should have been an independent body. If we cannot establish independent democratic institutions, merely switching between electoral systems just won’t cut it,” he said.
Mulugeta believes that “building democratic institutions is not an election season task and should rather be a routine project, where inclusive processes of checks and balances ensure protection of rights and fair representation.”
Abrha, however, welcomed the government’s renewed commitment to protect the economic wellbeing of farmers and pastoralists displaced from their lands due to development projects.
“If the government can walk the talk and pay sufficient amount of compensation, I think it’s promising,” he underscored.
President Mulatu acknowledged that the country’s rapid economic growth has resulted in accelerated urbanisation, which drove some people from their lands.
“Sufficient compensation and effective relocation plans should have been implemented,” he said, in relation to those affected, expressing the state’s stance to ensure utmost benefit for those dislocated from their lands due to development programmes.
However, Girma does not buy the government’s proposal on compensation for land.
“Farmers should own their land and should be left alone to decide on its fate,” he argued.
Girma is also pessimistic about the prospect of resolving identity questions as proposed by the President.
“The ruling elite should look for a new way out in resolving issues of identity and provide timely solutions,” he stated.
“The core of the problem is the ruling party’s ethnic-centred political philosophy and its failure to consider individuals as human beings and not as an ethnic entities,” says Abrha. “This political assumption, which undermines individual rights, cannot resolve identity issues.”
Both Girma and Abrha state that the public should be engaged in deliberate discussions before the government releases a proclamation to implement the special benefits of the Oromia State over Addis Abeba. The President had also said the issue will be resolved this year.
As the country remains under a state of emergency, most of the state’s proposals to address political, social and economic demands seem only to be skin deep, late or just a means to calm increasing dissent, according to Abrha and Girma who urge maximum public participation to bring about genuine reforms.
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