Empirical Assessment of Regional State Constitutions of Federal Ethiopia: A Case Study of Amhara National Regional State
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Date
2018-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The thesis attempts to examine and investigate the Practical aspects of Ethiopian regional states
Constitution in general and Amhara National Regional state (ANRS) Constitution in particular,
which constitutes one of the sub-national units in the Ethiopian federation. This is done first by
attempting to place theoretical and empirical investigation and discern aspects of theory and
practice of regional state Constitutions in Ethiopia. The study critically asses the empirical
evidences about the ANRS Constitutions and identify the possible strategies that has been used to
enhance the visibility of the regional state Constitution.
The study applies qualitative research method. In doing so, both primary and secondary data
employ as a research process to study the various issues involved in the paper. To get the
primary data, interview, Focus Group Discussion and key informants purposely selected from
ANRS residents were used as means to get data for the study. The secondary data were collected
from different published and unpublished documents such as relevant theoretical concepts, text
books, journal Articles, scholarly works and bar reviews, as well as websites.
Finally, this paper investigated the following major findings. In the drafting and adoption
process of ANRS Constitution, there was no pre-Constitutional and post-Constitutional
negotiation and discussion with the people of the region about how to draft and adopt. Which
means there is no consensus creation among the various societies and political/ interest groups.
In the development of Constitutionalism in the region, the government of Amhara region was not
done special and tangible support for those researchers, scholars, lawyers and academicians
and at the same time there is no any research that is conducted about the regional Constitution.
Under the role of Justice Professional Training and legal Research institute of the Region in the
creation of Awareness about Constitution of the region, the training center primary objective
was to support the justice system of the region and to fill the gap that existed in the provision of
justice system all over the region. But, there is no any awareness creation and research means
which is conducted about the ANRS Constitution. With regard to the inclusion of the regional
state Constitution in primary civics and ethical education text book, detail contents and
information of ANRS Constitution is not made part and parcel of civics and ethical education at
primary education of the region at elementary schools (5th
-8
th). Finally, in ANRS, there is an
institution which was established in 2007 E.C. which is responsible to interpret the regional state
Constitution. This institution is an organ found in the region empowered to interpret the regional
state Constitution and to review the Constitutionality of laws and decisions of regional state
government institutions.
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Keywords
Federalism, Constitution, Constitutional making, Sub-national Constitution, Constitutionalism