Revolutionary Democracy Defying Genuine Federalism in Ethiopia: Scholars

Ena December 8/2019 ‘Revolutionary Democracy’ that the ruling EPRDF party was pursuing in Ethiopia has failed to nurture genuine federalism and ensure supremacy of law, scholars said. 
On Saturday Ethiopian News Agency hosted a half-day discussion on federalism in the context of constitutional practices.

Law experts who participated in the discussion said revolutionary democracy has been a source for assorted human right and constitutional violence over the past two decades in Ethiopia.

International Law Expert, Yonas Tesfa, who presented paper for discussion pointed out that the political and constitutional challenges Ethiopia currently facing is emanated from the philosophy of revolutionary democracy.

Revolutionary democracy encourages ‘vanguard’ party system which deprived the implementation of genuine federalism in Ethiopia and ensures supremacy of law, he stated.

“We have failed to recognize real federalism and the recurrent constitutional dispute is because of the ‘revolutionary democracy’ philosophy that EPRDF has been pursuing. This ideology made the party to consider itself as vanguard of politics and denies diversity of views.”

Ethiopia’s constitution is one of the best constitutions in the world, he said adding that ideological matters, however, have negatively affected the democratic and constitutional discourse.

As a result, reforms have to be reinforced on the federal system and the constitution in order to realize a prosperous Ethiopia, he urged.

A Lawyer and Law Expert, Wondimu Ebisa, said the philosophy of revolutionary democracy failed to fit in Ethiopia’s modern political system, and disregarded for global phenomenon.

Speaking on the constitution, Wondimu pointed out that Ethiopia needs to bridge the gap between constitutional design and constitutional practice as the existing is serving for the very interest of the ruling party.