Local Elections in Ethiopia: Law and Practice in Oromia Regional State
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Date
2022-05
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Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Abstract
In local elections, citizens participate directly by themselves to elect their local representatives. When they participate, how elections are held, and the laws that regulate elections matter. Local elections should be held freely and fairly following the principles of universal, periodic, free, fair, equal, and secret voting procedures. More importantly, the elections should be held competitively and inclusively. In this regard, the laws governing local elections play a pivotal role in establishing a fair level playing field. The laws governing the elections are primarily guided by the standards set by international human rights instruments and national constitutions.
Although not yet realized, in Ethiopia, the reform toward local decentralization and democracy was initiated in 1991. Since then, six national elections and five local elections have been carried out in the country. Particularly, in the Oromia region, local elections have been conducted to elect local representatives to the woreda, kebele, and city administration councils. Though the elections were conducted at a different level, the laws governing local elections in the region do not seem consistent with the standards and principles of election set forth in the international human rights instruments and the national constitution. The laws, in particular, limited the democratic rights of citizens in city council elections by reserving a significant number of seats solely for the dominant groups in the region. In addition to this, the practice of local elections in the region also reveals that elections have not been free, fair, democratic, and competitive and that the ruling party has always dominated the elections. Moreover, the practice also implies that local elections have gotten very little attention from many stakeholders.
Therefore, this study examines the law and the practice of local elections in the Oromia region in line with the standards and principles of elections set by international human rights instruments and the FDRE constitution. By combining doctrinal and non-doctrinal research methodologies with a qualitative approach, this paper advocate for the revision of some provisions in the regional laws and enhancing local election practices in the region.
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Election, Principles of Election, Local Government, Local Election, Oromia Region