A Beginning from Dead End: Consolidating Achievements and Making Smooth Transition to Democracy in Ethiopia

Abstract

Ethiopia has been experiencing extreme and repeated mass protests, uprising and society-government relationship crisis over the past two to three decades. The absolute dominance of a single vanguard party, EPRDF as well as the absence of fair representation of Ethiopian nations, nationalities and peoples at federal institutions resulted power dominance by single ethnic group, deterioration of institutions and political opposition. After many sacrificed their lives, new chapter is opened that new leadership came to the position of prime minister as a measure of how the EPRDF tried to convince Ethiopians that it is renewing itself. The new leadership started taking reforms. The reforms introduced by the new leadership were unthinkable not so long ago. However, as reforms started, different challenges are obstructing it. This study shows that the current Ethiopian condition requires going forward and strongly firm on securing rule of law and justice. Finally, if Ethiopia is going to be surviving as a state in the future, it highly demands encouraging the existing reform through institutionalizing hand in hand with democratic federalism; otherwise it is impossible to bring national unity and stability.

Keywords: Protest, Reform, Ethiopia, Transition to Democracy, Revolution in Ethiopia

DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/74-04

Publication date:July 31^st 2019