– Ethiopia’s National Election Board make it clear that it will not be able to organize Sidama referendum by the ultimatum date that Sidama Nationalist put forth
– National election board wants to know arrangement about the City of Hawassa before the referendum
borkena
July 16, 2019
Central Committee of Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM) – the party that is currently governing Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region which is one of the four parties that constitute the ruling coalition EPRDF – had been meeting for nearly ten days until Monday of this week and one of the controversial issues in the meeting was ethnic Sidama statehood questions.
As it turns out, and when the party issued a detailed statement about the just-concluded meeting, it failed to disclose what exactly was discussed in regards to Sidama question for statehood and what the decision party’s decision is on it.
And ethnic Sidamas who want to see their own ethnic state, through the agency of Ejeto (a radicalized Youth group who are said to have support from radical Oromo ethno-nationalists), gave an ultimatum for the government (both regional and Federal) that they will unilaterally declare statehood on July 18, 2018 should the government fails to organize a referendum by then.
It is under those circumstances that Ethiopia’s Election Board, which is mandated to organize a referendum, broke its silence and issued a statement on the issue of Sidama statehood.
The Board said that it has received Sidama Zone, which is under Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region, decision in November 2018.
And then it explained why it was unable to respond to the demand highlighting the reform (structural and others) that the board has been undertaking which culminated in the appointment of additional board members on June 2019.
Election Board also said that it had consulted with Zone and region level leaders as it relates to the question of Sidama referendum for statehood.
The election board is rejecting the ultimatum without indulging in a war of words with the radical groups. It is actually leaning on the constitution to do so – but the most the board can do is to extend the referendum by about five months and that is what it is doing. The Board cited section 47/3/b of the constitution to highlight that time frame granted for regions in connection with organizing referendum is also applicable to the election board.
In what it seems to be giving guarantee to Sidama ethno-nationalists, the board also stated that preparations (legal, budgetary, security arrangement, training officials, consultation with stakeholders and whatnot) are underway to carry out a referendum in the next five months.
Stakeholders that are likely to be involved in the process also need to have their own preparation time, noted the statement from the Board.
As well, the board went on to make three recommendations as part of the preparation for the referendum:
- Should the outcome of the referendum favors Sidama Zone decision for statehood, there has to be an arrangement between the regional state and Sidama zone of the issue of the city of Hawassa on matters related to the distribution of wealth, and that the election board should be notified about it.
- Federal, regional and Sidama zone police to prepare detailed cooperation plan to ensure electoral security and work with the election board
- Council of Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region to make a legal and administrative arrangement regarding rights protection of other ethnic groups in Sidama zone after the referendum and notify election board about it.
As implied in the third recommendation, the election board seems to convinced that ethnic Sidama is poised to be the tenth ethnic-based Federal regional state in Ethiopia.
The problem is, among other things, nine other zones in the region have demanded statehood status just like ethnic Sidama and the election board will have to treat them all in the same way.
If that happens, most Ethiopians tend to think, it is the beginning of the disintegration process for Ethiopia.
Political analysts, with a skeptical view of radical Oromo nationalists (both those in the government position and in the opposition), say that the latter has interest in the disintegration process in South Ethiopia as they would get political advantage in the short and long terms over those communities and over contenders from elsewhere which remain to be seen. What is clear for now is that radical Oromo ethno-nationalists are aggressively working behind radical Sidama groups and supporting their cause for statehood.
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that is the reasonable answer
While Oromo radical groups lead by Jawar and Arrarsa have been working overtime to fracture the unity of the country, the government has been setting and doing nothing to contain the treat except the occasional warning it makes now and then. At the end of the day either the government has to use an overwhelming force to contain it or it has to let this bunch of anarchist ran amok. The Abey Administration could have avoided all this mess had the government taken a legal action against this kind of dangerous threat. But like the United States of America the war between Unionist and secessionist will settle it as it should if this anti-Ethiopian elements continue to push their luck to the detrimental of the whole country.
Major issue is Tribe based organization which will continue to be a headache for society. There is no evidence to show it is an ideal and workable structure. It is not Federialusm at all. The US is Federated in the best way…Ethiopia unfortunately is Tribal based structure alone.
The self determination of sidama is the beginning of the Ethiopian fructure.As the world will see,the assurance of this ethnic self determination will end up with sever ethnic conflict in the region ,particularly in hawasa. The world will see the horrific ethnic conflict in the world.small ethnic groups will be exterminated,their home will burn down.
PM abey bss choosen a tactical silence as it will will persu the succession of oromia from the federal government. The promo elites are working tierlesley for the sessession of oromia which will ended up another armageddon that the world has never seen before.
Looking at the picture, wherever it might be, the urgent issue what the people need seems to be improving their livelihood. To talk politics of any fashion, in the midst of poverty is foolishness.
Well. The Federal system Ethiopia currently has is the best for the country unless proven wrong. It gives equal rights to every Ethiopian. Trying to go back to the old ruling system will disintegrate. Abiy is intentionally or unintentionally, not sure, giving the green light for extremists trying to dismantle Ethiopia. The fate of Ethiopia seems unfortunate for the future. I think the Tigrayans handled it really well despite their bad governance.