Sarah Vaughan and Kjetil Tronvoll. The Culture of Power in Contemporary Ethiopian Political Life. Stockholm: Sida, 2003. 177 pp. Annexes. Tables. Notes. Bibliography. Price not reported. Paper (original) (raw)
Related papers
The Culture of Power in Contemporary Ethiopian Political Life
2003
Introduction: perspectives on power and culture CHAPTER 1 . 'Wax and gold is the formula used by the Amhara to symbolize their favourite form of verse. It is a form built of two semantic layers. The apparent, figurative meaning of the words is called 'wax'; their more or less hidden actual significance is the 'gold' […] (this terminology is developed from the work of the goldsmith who constructs a clay mould around a form created in wax and then, draining the wax, pours the molten gold into that form)' (Levine :)
Political culture in Ethiopia: a balance sheet of post-1991 ethnically-based federalism
The political transition in Ethiopia in 1991 came at a time when there were high hopes among Africans, civil-society organizations, the international community and scholars for processes of democratisation. The process of political change in Ethiopia has been a subject of research at the African Studies Centre (ASC) since the early 1990s as part of a broader project on transformations in politics and society in Africa and how they relate to the global order.
The Mêlée of Power Quo Vadis Ethiopian Elections 2020
Respublica Litereria , 2019
PM Abiy has thrown a blowlamp into the heart of the Horn of Africa society and polity, nerve-wracking the terms of engagement of martial titans and thrown the centre of gravity of the Red Sea arena of war into unprecedented peace trajectory. The way he deconstructed the power monsters of the Horn is purely ontological. This strategy of conjectural rise of political liberalisation in a rough neighbourhood is going to be a seminal lesson in international relations and in political science. On the other hand, resistance to change remains strong and the new openness has led to the flaring of ethnic tensions in some regions. Notwithstanding the doubts and worries, it has raised in the public, ethnocentric devolution i remains the bedrock of the constitution. The strategy appears to have been effective not only in allowing the political order to carry out its specific political agenda and ideological goals, but also in setting the tone for the political organisation and activities of alternative and opposition groups-decidedly channelling their activities along ethnic lines. True, political dispute is a necessary force, desirable because parties speak for varied needs and interests and valued because, if managed judiciously, conflict often serves as a midwife for a society pregnant with change. Nonetheless, the political exploit of the élite raises serious questions on their commitment to pluralism. Noxious activists resist sensibleness, idyllically unmindful of the toxic impact that they have on citizens and seem to derive redress from creating chaos. Pernicious people cloaked as politicians and activists defy reason deriving carnality from sadomasochism, ecstatically oblivious of their deleterious violence-ridden mission. Nevertheless, to reduce Abiy's actions to some power-mongering aim as constructed by the 'supermen' is too simplistic. There was a sense of aggravation among Ethiopian citizens that have not seen democracy and he seems to be tending to this vexation with gales fuelling the inferno of political liberalisation. There are costs to be paid but as is usual with such change, it enters politics and society in relatively abstract and plain form, yet pundits expect it to land itself to the immediate and vital local polity's socio-political experience. It suggests itself, and seems within reach, only to elude and appears readily practicable only to resist realisation-while he appears unbowed in his drive for democracy, but the jury is still out on whether he can see it through.
Failures of Ethnic Politics in Ethiopia: A Machiavellian Way Out
2019
This paper attempts to assess Ethiopian political situations particularly 2018 onwards. First, there is a short introductory part concerned with appointment and disappointment of newly Prime Minister which is outstanding of public interest and exhibits recent political conditions in Ethiopia. Within this short treatise the author addresses ethnicity in relation to politics and its effect. And, there is an attempt to identify what are possible signs of ethnic based politics which distinguishes from ideology centered politics. There is an effort to convey failures of politics that based on ethnicity, language, religion, and others personality. In some extent actors of democratization particularly activists, media, and competent party’s significance are treated by stating their influences in Ethiopia politics regarding ethnic politics. And, implication of morality on politics is important or not, is assessed in this paper and for which society groups are morality appreciated in relatio...
Respublica Litereria, 2018
The Executive Committee has found that their shortcomings in providing strategic leadership at the time are widely felt. It has been held that the senior leadership has lacked the ability to manage effectively the complex national platform because its ability to identify, analyse, and resolve accordingly. On this basis, it apologises to all citizens of our nation and members of our organisation for not only maintaining the momentum of our nation's hard-fought victories, but also taking full responsibility for the damage caused by our organisation to our country. West. With the rise of populism and hate politics in relation to immigration, religion and colour. Three types of threat to democracy: coups, catastrophes and technological takeovers. While coups will become less common, other forms of "coups" will constrain elected governments even while they remain formally in power. Further, looming threats to civilisation, (environmental crises and nuclear warfare) could make democracy seem like an unaffordable luxury. Social media we have become dependent on is an arena that we neither control nor fully understand. Nevertheless, while influential voices contend that democracy is in decline worldwide, the global proportion of democracies is actually at or near an all-time high. Republican democracy is the active participation of politically conscious citizens with the requisite understanding of the meaning of democracy, as citizens of a political society in a polity endowed with political rules and institutions. It is a system for choosing and replacing the government through free and fair elections and one that protects the human rights of all citizens and a rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens. Democracy creates losers as well as winners. When the losers are powerful enough to undermine democracy, this is why the fate of many democracies has been precarious. Today, while PM Abiy inherits a spectacular economic and infrastructure growth, hundreds of thousands graduating yearly from hundreds of vocational schools, universities, a ten-years increase in life expectancy in a decade and meeting the MDGs. Nevertheless, because of the frustrated populace he has now emerged to transform the security situation, which predicated a martial law to silence it, after his historic speech focused on Ethiopianness and the need to act together as citizens of a single political society. The remaining agenda is to fix the economic and social governance and the livelihood of Ethiopia's youth. I see unquestionable genuineness in PM Abiy's moves to widen the political space and to make his ruling party a competitive political organ that can win the spoils of power using political participation and political competition. The party has declared it will widen the political space but whatever his party chooses as a strategy remains to be seen. Abiy has given another life to a party that had transformed the economic infrastructure and education of the youth of Ethiopia; but had at the same time, lost the confidence of the same youth it had meticulously enlightened to question its governance strategies.
Respublica Litereria , 2019
Precisely because multiparty elections threaten incumbents with the potential loss of their power, they generate strong incentives for current office-holders to exploit available resources to prevent their replacement by challengers. It proposes itself, and seems within reach, only to evade and appears readily realistic only to resist insight. Ethiopia's democratic challenges augurs on the ideological leanings of the ruling party that dominates politics (100% in parliament), social and economic life, hence, the objective of the study is to analyse its centrally planned developmental state and glean evidence of trajectories that can advances or suppress democracy. The research question undergirds if the 'democratic developmental state can advance democracy. The failure of central planning in socialist countries pointed to government failure as more insidious than the market failure that policies had purportedly been designed to correct. The neo-Weberian critique has focused on the failure of states to establish themselves as rational-legal institutions and to rise above the party apparatchik, regardless of their ideological claims and the moral rectitude of leaders. Its neo-patrimoni-alism hinge is a fusion of the party that wins all elections (legal-rationalism) and absolute dictatorships and monopoly on citizens that have constricted competition, swelled cartels, reared syndicates and chopped business at its bloom. Korea is considered a rare example achieving economic growth with democratisation, while this had had many positive effects, repressive measures dealt suffering on civil society, who fought for and won democratic rights. Ethiopia had an eventful year with PM Abiy, throwing a blowlamp into the heart of society and polity, nerve-wracking the terms of engagement of martial titans and thrown the centre of gravity of politics. The way he deconstructed the power monsters is purely ontological. At Davos, he has tried to re-brand Ethiopia, but, unless the overall nation branding strategy rings true to its and about its people, there is little chance that it will be believed or endorsed by outsiders. The dearth of critical re-examination of ethnicity means Ethiopia is virtually set to be the laboratory for testing it out, irrespective of the lessons of the Soviet and Yugoslav ordeal. Pernicious tribalists cloaked as politicians and rights activists defy reason and derive carnality from sadomasochism, ecstatically oblivious of their deleterious violence-ridden mission. Whether it is ruthlessness or just plain idiocy, such reckless agent provocateurs find it tantalising to waste the intellect of cognoscenti as their emotive cesspool. Abiy has to slug it out with these creatures. 'Conventional approaches to developmental states stress the autonomy of state from society and limit the contingency of social forces seen as affecting developmental strategies. Nevertheless, it is within the reconfigured political space created by democratisation, and shaped by the demands of progressive forces that effected democratisation, that developmental state reform must be situated. Within current projects of political reform, democracy is conventionalised or sterilised on terrain of theory and often vacuously formalised on the ground of practice. It enters politics and society in relatively abstract and plain form, yet is expected to land itself to immediate and vital Ethiopian polity's socio-political experience. Let this stand as a testimony to an open invitation of a renewed commitment to contribute to stemming the tide of famine, displacement and human distress. Nevertheless, unless we bury ethnic politics and state-party dominance, it will submit itself, seems within grasp only to elude, and appears readily doable only to resist fulfilment. Key words: ‘Developmental’ State, Democratic ‘Developmental’ State, Post-Developmental’ State, neo-patrimonial party, Korean miracle, Ethiopia, Abiy,
Contested Politcs in Ethiopia, Post of 2018: Challenges and Prospects of the Ruling Party
Preface: The theme of this paper is highlighting the political, economic, democratic, historical dilemmas and realities that occurred in the Ethiopian political system in 2010 through popular rebellion; futuristic hinders and chances of the ruling party to sustain its popularity and prosperity of the country. Talk of Ethiopia conjures a whole range of metaphors and contradictory perceptions and misconceptions. With the ascendance to power of Dr. Abiy Ahmed, as