Speaker of House of Federation has announced that Ethiopia’s federal system of governance by itself cannot be a source of conflict since its foundation was based on the mutual consent of the nations, nationalities and people’s of Ethiopia.
The speaker, Yalew Abate, said that the propaganda that Ethiopia’s federal system of governance is to blame for the recent violence in some parts of the country is fundamentally flawed.
According to the speaker, Ethiopia’s federal structure is crafted in a manner that can foster social harmony, mutual understanding, respect and friendship other than violence.
Yalew argued that the country had been moved by a number of violent uprisings when it was administered by a unitary form of government.
It is the federal system of governance we are practicing at the moment that has restored calm in this county after years of bitter struggle, he argued.
The speaker noted the fact that more than 10 armed groups had been opposing the then Ethiopian regime before the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front over take the country’s administration.
According to the speaker, the reason behind such an alarming number of armed struggle in the then Ethiopia was the direct result of the unitary policy the country used to follow.
The speaker who noted fact that violence can erupt due to a number of reasons said that some people try to portray the federal system as a cause for the instability in some part of the country while in the meantime try to advance their hidden agendas.
Had a federal system of governance by itself has been a problem; countries who follow federal system of governance like Ethiopia would have descended in chaos. The United States of America, India, Switzerland and a number of other countries use federal system of governance. They are peaceful, he argued.
He said the violence in some parts of the Amhara Regional State has nothing to do with the question of Wolkait identity since the constitutions and other relevant legal procedures of the country provides a legal means to solve such problems.
The speaker said that there are anti-peace elements who are disguising themselves in the frame of Wolkait Identity Question. They are trying to advance their hidden agenda by provoking violence in the name of Wolkait, he said.
The government has been open about the good governance problem in the county. It has been taking necessary step to solve them step by step. The people have to play its part as well, said Yalew.
Citizens have every right to provide their concern to appropriate government body and demand an answer for their questions in a peaceful and civilized manner. It is only by doing so we can strengthen the federal system we are building.