Sudanese delegates laud Ethiopia’s constitution, federal system
By Tesfa-Alem Tekle
December 3, 2015 (ADDIS ABABA) – Sudanese government officials have commended Ethiopia’s constitution and the federal system saying it has guaranteed sustainable peace, economic development and rule of law.
The Sudanese officials told reporters they shared lots of experiences from Ethiopia’s federal government and the significant benefits the country garnered out of it while the system was in infant stage.
In an unprecedented political structural move, the modern history of Ethiopia witnessed the adoption of an ethnic-based federal system introduced in early 1990s.
Ethiopia says the federal system had been very successful during the past two decades with regard to accommodating ethnic diversity and the distribution of powers between the central and regional governments.
The Sudanese delegates said the Ethiopian federal system was the foundation for stability and socio-economic development achieved following the constitutional-based introduction of the system.
Other members of the delegation said they had observed Ethiopia’s federal system playing a significant role in reconciling different interests within the nation apart from securing peace and stability.
Ethiopia prides itself saying that its federal system is exemplary to its neighbors considering the peace and harmony, the extraordinary economic development and democracy the system has rewarded the horn of African nation.
Officials at Ethiopia’s House of Federation say the previous unitary systems had been sources of divergence and were major setbacks that dragged the nation from advancing in all developmental endeavors.
Under the current federal government, Ethiopia has managed to register a double-digit economic growth for over a decade in a row making the East African country Africa’s non-oil producing leading economy.
While appearing on the state-run Ethiopian television, the Sudanese participants further said the system had executed appropriate power sharing and any difference between nations could easily be resolved through dialogue as far as the system is properly applied.
The delegates who said they had learnt a lot from the Ethiopian Federalism further called on other African countries particularly neighboring countries to acquire Ethiopia’s experience on federalism inorder to achieve sustainable peace and development.
(ST)