Consociational Democracy Without Minority Veto? Power-sharing in Ethiopia

The chapter discusses the law and politics of power-sharing in Ethiopia. It investigates the segmental autonomy the constitution provides, the elements of proportionality that the constitution includes and the guarantee that the constitution provides for ensuring representation in central institutions. Although territorial autonomy within the framework of federalism has wide support in Ethiopia, the ethnic variant that the constitution has adopted continues to be a major bone of contention. The disgruntlement with the current constitutional and political dispensation is compounded by the fact that the federal government, albeit ethnically diverse in its composition, does not reflect a true representation of the diverse ethnic groups and the political formations that claim to represent them. The constitution, with the exception of self-determination rights whose amendment requires the consent of all the states that make up the federation, does not allow minority groups to veto proposals that undermine their interests and rights.