ETHIOPIA-POLITICS: FROM THE WARPATH TO PEACEFUL TRANSITION

By IPS Correspondents Reprint | | Print |

ANACLET RWEGAYURA

ADDIS ABABA, Dec 13 1994 (IPS) - ETHIOPIA, BATHING IN POLITICAL TURMOIL AND BLOODSHED, HAS PASSED A NEW CONSTITUTION WHICH IS EXPECTED TO GIVE THE HORN OF AFRICA COUNTRY A NEW LEASE OF LIFE BY UPHOLDING HUMAN RIGHTS.

“HOWEVER POWERFUL THE GOVERNMENT OF ETHIOPIA MIGHT BE, IT WILL NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO VIOLATE HUMAN RIGHTS (ON THE BASIS OF THE NEW CONSTITUTION),” ANDREAS ESHETE OF INTER AFRICA GROUP, AN ADDIS ABABA-BASED HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH-DOG COVERING THE HORN OF AFRICA SUB-REGION SAID TUESDAY.

HE DESCRIBED THE CONSTITUTION AS AN INSTRUMENT “OF GENUINE UNITY OF OUR COUNTRY” WHICH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN ETHIOPIAN HISTORY, PROVIDES FOR EQUALITY OF WOMEN.

“THIS WILL HELP ETHIOPIA OVERCOME THE SCOURGES OF HUNGER AND POVERTY”, ESHETE ADDED.

“FROM NOW ON THE PEOPLES OF ETHIOPIA WILL NOT HAVE THEIR RIGHTS VIOLATED,” PRESIDENT MELES ZENAWI SAID MONDAY WHEN HE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE AMHARIC VERSION OF THE CONSTITUTION.

AMHARIC, THE LANGUAGE OF ETHIOPIA’S TRADITIONAL MONARCHS WHO RULED THE COUNTRY FOR ABOUT 2,000 YEARS, HAS BEEN ACCEPTED AS THE OFFICIAL WORKING LANGUAGE OF THE FEDERAL DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC TO BE USHERED IN BY THE NEW CONSTITUTION.

MELES HAS SINCE JUNE 1991 HEADED ETHIOPIA’S TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT, FORMED BY A COALITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES AFTER THE FALL OF THE MARXIST MILITARY REGIME OF MENGISTU HAILE MARIAM, NOW LIVING IN EXILE IN ZIMBABWE.

BEFORE CONCLUDING ITS SIX-WEEK TASK OF DEBATING, AMENDING AND RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION DRAFT, THE 548-MEMBER CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY MANDATED THE TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT TO PROLONG ITS STAY IN POWER FOR A MAXIMUM OF SIX MORE MONTHS.

A POPULAR GOVERNMENT IS TO BE INSTITUTED AFTER GENERAL ELECTIONS OF MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT, TO BE OFFICIALLY KNOWN AS THE COUNCIL OF PEOPLES’ REPRESENTATIVES, BEFORE THE END OF JUNE.

AFTER WAGING ONE OF THE MOST DEVASTATING WARS IN AFRICA THAT ENDED IN 1991, THE COUNTRY IS SET ON A RECONSTRUCTION PHASE THAT CALLS FOR JUDICIOUS USE OF BOTH HUMAN AND MATERIAL RESOURCES.

PRINCIPALLY, THE PEOPLE OF ETHIOPIA CROSSED SWORDS BECAUSE OF THE VIOLATION OF BASIC HUMAN RIGHTS BY THEIR RULERS.