Browsing by Author "Yalelet Gashaw"

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    The Dynamics of Pan-Ethiopianist and Ethno-Centric Political Elites Contradiction and Transition to Democracy in Ethiopia since 1991
    (Addis Abeba Universty, 2025-04-01) Yalelet Gashaw; Yonas Ashnie
    The politics of transition to democracy in Ethiopia between 1991 and 2024 has been marked by the interplay of two competing ideological frameworks: Pan-Ethiopianism and ethno-centric nationalism. This thesis explores the contradictions between these ideologies, their impact on political elites, and the challenges they pose to transition of the country’s politics. The paper has empirically examined the nature of elite political contestation and its implication on the contemporary political transition in Ethiopia. Specifically, the study comparatively analyzes the nature of elite contradiction from historical and ideological point of view, explored the nature of elite contradiction and power struggle and examined the impact of those elite contradictions on transition to democracy in Ethiopia.Theoretical literature reveals that contestation between the elites in terms of ethnicity, history, ideology and symbol politics hinder the democratic transition in the country. The study has employed the qualitative comparative exploratory research approach to address the research questions that deal with pan-Ethiopianist and Ethno-nationalist elite’s contradiction and the possibility of democratic Transition in Ethiopia under the study period. Primary data is collected from purposely selected key informants and first hand documents. Secondary data is collected from plethora of written documents available on internet and AAU Kennedy library. Thematic discourse analysis method is used to analyse the collected data. The study shows that pan-ethiopianist and ethno-centric group of elites in Ethiopia have their own ideological and historical roots. Secondly the two elites contradict each other in a number of agendas including Ethiopian history, national symbol politics, constitutional making, nation building, the federal structure and power sharing. Then the research reveals that though pan-ethiopianist and ethno-nationalist group of Ethiopian elites tactically collaborated to cause leadership change within EPRDF regime, strategic cooperation and bargaining is a never possible development because of division, polarization, war political culture, politically motivated killings, political instability, fragile democratic institutions, constitutional crisis and gripe of power among others. Hence, the contemporary political ecology of the country is not conducive to transition to democracy given extreme ideological difference between elites. Therefore, reconfiguration of the national politics and inclusive political bargaining on critical national agenda are paramount important as far as Ethiopia as a nation state is concerned.