Ethnic Federalism in a Dominant Party State: The Ethiopian Experience 1991-2000 Lovise Aalen r 2002: 2

Chapter 6:
The functioning of the Ethiopian
federal system
The purpose with this chapter is to answer the second of my major research
questions: what are the de facto relations between the federal and regional
governments in Ethiopia and what determines these relations? An essential part
of the chapter will be the exploration of the functioning and implementation of
a federal system within a dominant party system. Additionally, I will try to link
this part of the analysis with that of the previous chapter, by exploring how the
stipulations defined in the formal framework, the constitution and
proclamations, are implemented.
As Livingston (1956) and Tarlton (1965) point out, federations are products
of societies more than of constitutions. Despite the fact that the legal
framework is a precondition for a federal system to be established, it is the
economic, political and social conditions that determine how a federal system
actually works. Livingston’s and Tarlton’s ideas will be the point of departure
for the exploration of the Ethiopian federation de facto. I will look into how the
social, economic and political realities of the Ethiopian society are shaping the
operation of the federal system. Firstly, I will describe the various regional
units’ ethnic composition, the relations between ethnic groups with in the
regions, and their socio-economic situation. This will determine whether the
Ethiopian federation should be portrayed as a symmetrical or asymmetrical
system. Secondly, the fiscal relationship between the federal government and
the regional units is explored. Questions to be answered are whether the
various regional units have an independent financial base for governing their
own affairs, or to what extent they rely on the centre for carrying out their
responsibilities and duties. Thirdly, I will look into how the organisation and
structure of the political parties in Ethiopia affect federal-regional relations.
Does party rule enhance or decrease regional units’ abilities to govern their
own affairs and genuinely participate in the decision making at the federal
level? Here, it is essential to understand the linkages between the central and
regional structures of the ruling party apparatus and the roles played by central