Building Democratic Institutions in Ethiopia

By Hailegebriel Biniyam

The year 2016 has been declared the African Year of Human Rights with Particular Focus on the Rights of Women. It continues to be an issue for the continent in the coming fifty years. One of the aspirations for Agenda 2063 is to see an Africa of good governance, democracy, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law. Africa shall have a universal culture of good governance, democratic values, gender equality, respect for human rights, justice and the rule of law.

In only two decades, Ethiopia has come a long way in deepening institutionalized advocacy on human rights. The current pronunciation of Human Rights in the continent would help Ethiopia to adopt thoughts and interventions in the years to come. It is a short pass since the concepts of democracy, human rights, and democratic institutions become an emerging discourse in Ethiopia. The sophisticated nature of the concepts and zero experience of the country has led Ethiopia to go through the hard way to popularize them. Because of the undemocratic nature of the previous regimes, the people of Ethiopia had been denied to nurture democratic values and exercise their fundamental rights.

However, when the dictator Derg regime was ousted, the then transitional government undertook major transformative measures overhaul the political landscape and orientation, civil service, and economic policy of the nation aimed at redressing past injustices, tyranny and ailing economic conditions.

The challenging journey of democratization process along with the long awaited thirst for development had posed unbearable challenges for the then authority. Since then various development programmes and plan have been designed and implemented.

Today, the government has taken a strategic direction in its development goals to ensure democratic governance in the country focused on strengthening and deepening good governance and democratic institutions to ensure the rights of citizens. Many institutions were established with the mandates to implement its development, democratic and good governance programmes. The growing demand of the promotion and protection of citizens rights has made the establishment of democratic institutions is mandatory.

The government has set up democratic institutions responsible to promote and protect the rights of its citizens. Though the reasons vary for the establishment of the institutions in many countries for Ethiopia the setting up of the democratic institutions has come about from the constitutional text, which guarantees the permanence of the institutions.

Ultimately, the underlying principle for establishing watch dog institutions such as the Ethiopian Institution of Ombudsman, the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, the General Auditor, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission among others is to monitor the effective implementation of constitutional responsibilities.

These democratic institutions, as the parliamentary institutions are instrumental in the control of the occurrence of maladministration to bring about democratic order and enhance citizens’ socio-economic development. They serve the government as easily accessible means for the prevention or rectification of administrative abuses arbitrarily committed against citizens by the unjust decisions and orders of executive organs and officials.

For citizens, the existence of these institutions help redress their want for an institution before which they may complain and seek remedies with easy access when they exposed to maladministration and violation of their rights.

The wide range of anti-poverty policies and strategies as well as development and good governance programmes would be successful if there are strong institutions and able to shoulder to ensure transparency, accountability, impartiality, the rule of law and shortened red tape.

If the governance system is unhealthy and fail to address the human and democratic rights of citizens it would undermine the efforts of the government to improve the livelihood and welfare of the society and eventually the process of building democratic state.

Years ago, in an effort to address the rights of citizens good governance packages and civil service reform programmes have been implemented across the nation aimed at installing transparency and accountability system where citizens could get the responses given to their service and administration inquires.

With active engagement of the public, the government is trying to implement viable reforms to address causes of bad governance, and violation of human rights and corruption in all sectors.

Effective democratic institutions are the manifestations of the democratic government. As a budding democracy Ethiopia has taken measures to strengthen the democratic institutions to nurture democratic values, protect violation of human and democratic rights, take corrective measures, and raise constitutional and legal awareness of the public.

Since all the interventions of these institutions to benefit the public from ongoing development and democratization as well as reduce the burdens of rent-seeking mentality and other menaces, the executive should institute transparent and accountable mechanisms for doing business and forcing offices to strictly follow them.

As the mandate given to foster the principles of transparency and accountability of government in the country, the institutions are responsible to bring about good governance that ensures citizens’ rights and benefits provided by the law are respected by the organs of the executives.

When the institutions have not been serving well to their purpose, it negatively affects the aspiration to consolidate the democratic rule in the country. Of course, over the past years encouraging results were attained in setting up and strengthening various democratic institutions to promote and protect human rights in the country.

The public, pertinent actors and stakeholders expressed in all opportunities the need for strengthening the democratic institutions and willing to discharge their mandate fully bestowed on them. Though the institutions are the leading entities, the ethics officers in the respective public offices, arms of the democratic institutions, would have critical role to play in fighting corruption and rent seeking mentalities, ensuring good governance and advancing the rights of citizens. To this end, the support of democratic institutions to ethical officers is central.

With all means, the democratic institutions need to be strong to fight corruption, rent-seeking and impropriety as their role and responsibility is indispensable in ensuring the rights of citizens fully as enshrined in the constitution. Truly, the government especially the executive has to display its stern commitment to make them effective institutions since they are arms and manifestation of its democratic features.

Since the role of democratic institutions especially the Human Rights Commission and Institute of the Ombudsman are instrumental to install stable administration system and the overall development of the country, the political commitment should further be enhanced. The executive should be bold enough to take corrective measures for issues recommended by these institutions with urgency.

The complaints being lodged to these institutions have been remarkably increasing over the years. This actually demonstrates the increased awareness and the evolving trust of citizens on the institutions. Obviously, the urgent response of these institutions to complaints and grievances of the public with urgency would help them discharge the constitutional mandates.

Needless to say, there must be a sound cooperation between the democratic institutions and other government organs to sustain comprehensive development and address possible administrative and good governance problems. As a democratic government the public is looking forward to its bold actions in empowering democratic institutions thereby altering the marring effect over the shining achievements of the nation in all spheres.

With no doubt, the promotion of good governance and fighting maladministration thereby safeguarding the rights of citizens is a shared responsibility of the political leadership and executives at all levels. Unparalleled to others, since the public is primary victim of lack of good governance and maladministration as well as violation of rights, citizens are expected to stand firm to deepening good governance and fighting impropriety.

Notably, problems of good governance are threatening the development and economic growth the nation is pursuing. The effort to join the middle income economies would be materialized if there is indifference to fight corruption and good governance problems.

For this, strengthening democratic institutions is vital. The more we exert effort to consolidate democratic institutions the more we protect citizens’ rights significantly. Therefore, the government is much anticipated more than ever to display its resolute commitment in consolidating democratic institutions.

Based on the commendable achievements gained in the first GTP, the implementation of the second GTP has already been launched. With the best lessons formulated from the first GTP, the plan has attached due emphasis to enhance good governance and democratic system by deepening transparency and accountability in various offices.

As to the plan, the economic and infrastructure sections envisage massive investment and infrastructure development. The ultimate target for the plan is to improve socio-economic conditions and fulfil basic needs. For more promotion and protection of human rights an enabling environment must be created for citizens to hold consultative dialogue with government.

The constructive consultations held across the country before the launch of the nationwide Good Governance Public Mobilization campaign is expected to address the pressing issues good governance and rent seeking practice in all public offices. Thus, the democratic institutions have decisive role in the effective implementation of the campaign. Since they have been receiving and hearing the complains and grievances of the public their contribution and follow up is highly relevant in the campaign.

Of course, democratic institutions could make a critical contribution towards promoting good governance and human rights protection. Indeed, the task of ensuring good governance squarely requires the efforts of other stakeholders. Thus, facilitating an interactive dialogue forum for the constructive engagement of the civil service and civic societies is vitally important. Therefore, encouragement, the continuous support and cooperation to actors as well as the active participation of the public and all stakeholders at all levels would help effectively to promote and protect the rights of citizens.

All in all, the efforts the government has exerted to promote citizens rights and deepening the democratic system in the country over the last two decades is quite a stride and commendable. However, as the issue is not a time bound issue, no abrogation rather it always remains a concern for all.