The Ethiopian House of Federation has made a decision regarding disputed electoral constituencies between the Amhara and Tigray regions, leading to strong opposition from Tigrayan parties who deem the decision unconstitutional and an abuse of power, while some view it as a necessary intervention.
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Now their Lord Reda is proud. In this, he and his former
colleagues share the same position.
On the contrary, people in and around Aben are in a state of triumph.
The letter led one to victory, one to defeat, one to triumph, one to triumph, one to triumph, one to triumph.
We will present a short letter to the House of Federation and then
about informing us of the decision regarding the disputed constituencies in the Amhara and Tigray regional governments.
It is known that the National Election Board of Ethiopia has announced to the public the list of constituencies and polling stations where voter registration is being conducted on January 22, 2018, in accordance with the timetable for the seventh general election. Following the list of constituencies and stations issued by the same board, on
January 25, 2018, the House of
Federation, in a letter to the Board under number Fedem Efe Ezba Est Ezba 138,
138,
informed the Board that the House had decided to hold separate elections for the House of Peoples Representatives in the Humera, Adimemofla, Tselemet and Raya Elmata constituencies outside the Tigray Regional State until the dispute over the five constituencies that have been in dispute between the Tigray and Amhara Regional States is resolved. The House also informed the Board that it had decided to hold the regional
council elections at a
suitable time when the constitutional issues raised in the areas are resolved. Therefore,
Therefore,
the Board hereby announces that it will implement the Seventh General Election in accordance with the decision of the Council of the Federation, in
accordance with the above-mentioned laws and regulations.
This is the full content of my letter. Next,
The case
concerns a request for a review of the decision of the Federation Council on electoral regions.
The decision of the National Election Board of Ethiopia on January 25, 2018, based on a letter received from the House of Federation, regarding the constituencies located in disputed areas between the Amhara and Tigray regions,
violates the institutional independence of the country's constitutional system and declares the constitutional system to be
unconstitutional. Article
2 of the Federal Constitution of Ethiopia states that the powers and functions conferred on the House of Federation shall
not extend beyond resolving disputes over the interpretation of the Constitution and the delimitation of regional boundaries. The Council has no constitutional authority to establish electoral regions or
to decide whether regions should be placed under the federal government outside their existing administrative structure.
This decision shows that the House has declared itself above the law
and that the federal system is being abused in broad daylight.
Any territorial boundary dispute
should be resolved only in accordance with Article 48 of the Constitution. The
order to hold the election by the federal government without completing the legal process and without the people's decision being finalised
is an attempt at administrative annexation, an attempt to forcefully seize the power of the regional administration. The National Election Board is an
institution that is accountable to the House of Representatives and must be free from any influence. The Federation Council's
interference in the board's work guidelines and organization, driven by political interests, has not only made the institution politically exploitable, but has also
made the election integrity questionable. This so-called
decision of the Federation Council and the subsequent
actions of the Electoral Board are a clear abuse of power
and are null and void before the law.
Democratic Unity Tigray will firmly oppose this illegal act. The
House of Federation urges the President to
immediately stop the legislation he initiated and submit to the supremacy of the Constitution.
Our organization understands that there is no solution to this lawless political scene, and we want the entire Tigray people to know that they will not participate in any
illegal activities, whether in elections or demonstrations, until corrective measures are taken.
statement issued by Arena Tigray for Democracy and Sovereignty Party. Based on the
letter received by the Ethiopian National Election Board from the House of Federation, we consider the decision and statement issued today, 160 06 2018, to hold
separate elections in five constituencies under the Tigray region, which are recognized by the Constitution and where legal elections have been held five times before, to be an unconstitutional decision not
only of the House of Federation but also of the Ethiopian government.
According to Article 62 of the Ethiopian Constitution, the authority of the Federation Council is
limited to resolving disputes over the interpretation of the Constitution and the boundaries of states. The Union
Union
has made this constitutional decision, which does not apply to the existing administrative structures of the regions, by going beyond its powers. The decision of the governor is a provocative decision that will
destroy the relative peace and stability achieved in the Pretoria Agreement and lead to serious conflict.
Therefore, we, Arena Tigray
for Democracy and Sovereignty Party,
strongly urge the federal government to take immediate corrective measures.
come to Alula Solomon's idea for democracy and sovereignty.
Prosperity does not require the cessation of war. In a
statement issued on behalf of the Election Board, the government has shown that it has no intention of returning the displaced to their
homes, disbanding the
militants, and peacefully handing over Western Tigray to the
Tigray region, as well as overthrowing the illegal administration it has established in Western Tigray by forceful invasion.
This is a tragic act of prosperity that has saddened all peace-loving citizens and has
become a major blow to war mongers. The act is
continue to support the idea and follow the ideas of individuals who were pleased with the letter, as
Yonas Zewde wrote.
One of the most contentious topics in Ethiopian politics is regional boundaries, census seat allocation,
and budget allocation. He didn't understand why today's election board decision was something
new to many.
I was assigned to Gondar for 23 days of training to conduct elections in 2013, whether it be the 2021 or 2025 elections.
Aden Farah, the Speaker of the House of Federation at the time,
and a woman from the House of Federation were assigned to me. I remember that Molla, the
then Mayor of Gondar City and the then President of the Amhara Regional State,
and Colonel Demeke
Zewdu, who was having lunch at the Goha Hotel, were discussing this issue.
Wolkait Raya and other
areas are embroiled in conflict. The dispute is not
just about border land or identity. Since the
seats in the House of People's Representatives are allocated based
on the population of each region, the number of representatives
increases with the population of a region, as the number of seats in the House of People's Representatives affects the federal budget allocation and other resources
. Apart from this,
one of the factors that is taken into account in federal division is population size .
This means that
the region that legally administers areas like Wolkait will receive additional seats in the House of People's Representatives. In
connection with this, it also
receives an additional share when the federal budget is distributed. Therefore, the boundary dispute is
primarily a dispute over the delegation of power and the distribution of wealth. If we
compare this situation to a cake, it means that every region
wants to get the biggest piece of the cake that is offered.
However, since these areas are completely destabilized, the
idea that they should be managed under the control of the federal government and the Ethiopian National Defense Force
cannot be beyond debate and question. When the federal government
takes over the administration of a region, the people of that region may feel,
or may be perceived as having been, violated their right to self-government under the Constitution.
Furthermore, this situation creates a
new debate regarding the division of powers between the federal and regional levels. Some
Some
liken this to a major family conflict. They say it's similar to when brothers argue over property, where the elder
intervenes and temporarily takes possession of the property.
But I think it should be emphasized that even though the elder is omniscient and impartial,
his decision must be accepted by both parties.
I think the permanent solution should be based on the constitution and the will of the people. The remaining decision is what I
know from 2013.
Tayir Mohammed continues, "
The party that was expressing its joy that Wolkait and Raya were included in the Tigray region after seeing the list of constituencies issued by the Election Board based on the previous organization was a conspiracy group hiding in the name of the Amhara Struggle." The
day of truth is coming. The cry of freedom is visiting our people, who have paid a great price for centuries.
They will conduct the election outside the Tigray region where they were forced to. To be honest, the
House of Federation and the Election Board
deserve credit for their wise decision.
This is the argument between two opposing sides and the overall
theme of the letter. Which side of the argument do you support, and
what is your opinion about the letter? Share it with us in the comments.
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