Electoral Participation as a Fundamental Political Right of Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia; Critical Examination of the Law and the Practice
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Date
2011-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
In the 21" century where people are becoming the ultimate sources of political power, it is hard
for a country to call itself as a democracy without maintaining participatory and inclusive
political environment in its polity. Though it is apparent that politics and political participation
starts at home and ends elsewhere at different levels, active involvement of citizens as voters and
candidates in elections and effective participation as members of different political parties can
be seen as a commonly known manifestations of political participation.
With these points in mind, this paper is intended to scrutinize the political role of persons with
disabilities that account around 10% of the total population in the Ethiopian politics only to the
extent of their participation as voters, candidates for elections and as members of different
political parties. Accordingly, the research identifY that people with disabilities have not peen
participating in the past four elections conducted in the recent years history of the country. All
these marginalization are altributed to the altitudinal, legal, institutional, financial,
inpastructural, technical and related faclors as barriers. Though there are conceptual
transformations in approaching disability pom the medical and charity perceptions to those of
social and human rights approaches at the internalionallevel, the countly does not seem to cope
up with such changes. Again, though there are human righls instruments recognizing the
political participation in general and electoral rights of PWDs at different level, these
instruments are not serving as effective guaranlees to ensure Ihe rights oflhese groups of people.
Taking inlO consideration of Ihese challenges, the author suggesled valuable recommendaliol1s.
Most importantly, the need to come up wilh accurate and well researched disability census dala
record syslem, the enactment of disability specific national election law thaI can accommodale
Ihe specific needs of these people in exercising Iheir elecloral rights, inlroducing the quota
system, special funding incenlives and Ihe general awareness and altitudinal changes are the
primwy steps that the counlly has to employ so as to alleviale the political participation of these
people one step forward in the future electoral tournaments of the country.
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Keywords
Fundamental Political, Right of Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia