“In the name of constitutional amendment, negotiations are being prepared to destroy the federalism system and the country to collapse”
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The Ethiopian Policy Research Institute has selected the pillars of the constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE), including the introduction and emblem of the constitution, federal working language (Article 5), sovereignty of nations, nationalities and peoples (Article đ, the right to organize and the legality of ethnic parties (Article 5). (Article 46) and Finfinee city administration (Article 49) has stated that it has proven that the articles concerning it need to be amended. The Oromo Federal Congress (OFCO) has also followed this issue and evaluated the research method, currentness, lack of authority to conduct research on the case and the risks that this study might cause. Our organization after listening to the opinion of legal, political, historical and similar experts, and the feelings and needs of our nations, nationalities and peoples, this study takes a stand that it is not acceptable and puts its ideas for solutions as follows.
Among the reasons why the study is fundamentally acceptable:
1/OFCO believes that the person that conducted this study has a big mistake in the research method (Methodology) First of all, the representation and coverage of the samples taken for the study is very problematic and puts the results of the study in doubt. To understand the problem of 120 million citizens, the opinion of only 1,123 people was received and only 1 person was made to represent 106,687 people and the opinion of 0.0001% of the people was found to understand the problem of the 120 million citizens. It has been found that the result of the study reduces the trustworthiness to zero.
2/ We have understood that the opinions expressed in the name of research on the articles of the constitution that are said to be improved are not the results of free and scientific research, they are recorded to make you believe the desired results. Especially when we look at the fact that this institution has chosen the articles of the constitution that are said to be improved, the way the questions prepared for the research are recorded and the way the samples of the research are collected, we have understood that this organization is not a free policy research institution but rather a political organization that tries to support its own biased views. Of the constitution that has 106 articles, why only the articles that are the pillars of the federal system were chosen for research? A country where 86% of its population is rural and 79% of the population is urban. This proves that the population of the cities that are collected does not represent the whole country. So this study is not meant to solve problems but to widen conflict and to reflect one group’s wish list so OFCO will not accept the study or the result. Based on this study, it will oppose the idea proposed to amend the constitution because it is wrong.
3/AFCO believes this study is not timely. Our country has been facing a huge political crisis for the past ten years. We believe that Awudami has fought and is still fighting for the past five years; the basis of the civil war is the result of the wrong political line of the Prosperity Party and the efforts to weaken the federal system of the regions to limit the right to self-government. OFCO understands that even talking about constitutional amendment will open a way for the wars that have started to stop and spread. As we learn from the experience of other countries, without stopping civil wars, without identifying the issues that push for the improvement of the constitution, OFCO believes that it is wrong to approach the constitution in a way that looks like it is a mistake to improve the constitution by the interest of one group or party.
4/ We believe that there are problems with the above mentioned research method that reduce the acceptance of this study, the results of the study are full of errors and do not reflect the reality on the ground. Especially from Amhara and Sidama regions, the results presented by pretending that respondents who are included in the study do not support the federal system contradicts the reality. Also:-.
4.1/ While the Amhara forces are currently fighting for their rights by participating in the election and being embraced by the parliament, others are saying that they will not support ethnic group in the name of Fano and by establishing an organization called Amhara People’s Front, it is a shame to say they will not support Ethnic organization.
4.2/ It is far from the truth to say that the people of Sidama have supported the idea that they have been fighting to govern themselves in their own region for years and opposing the right that they respected in referendum two years ago. To understand this, we say it is enough to look at the Sidama Federalist Party’s statement opposing the results.
5/ According to OFCO, this policy research institution which is part of the executive does not have trust from Ethiopian nations, it does not have the ability or responsibility to study or touch the constitution that was found by the blood and bones of the people. The constitutional amendment is not acceptable, even though the concerned body has discussed and agreed upon, this institution opposes any move to amend the constitution based on the research conducted by this institution.
6/ The issues and articles that have been studied saying they need constitutional amendments are the pillars of our federal system. Therefore, making them change based on this study is not only an ordinary constitutional amendment but also changing the constitution from the foundation. Therefore, we will not allow any attempt to change the constitution from its foundation in the name of amending the constitution.
7/ Overall, this study is a way of widening conflict and denying the rights of nations and nationalities that they got after a long struggle, the United Nations Charter, the International Civil and Political Rights Convention, the African Union Charter and Article 13 of the Constitution, and the government budget to suppress the political views of one group in our country. He’s not going to have it.
At the end of the day, OFC doesn’t believe that the constitution should not be amended. However, he believes that there are many things that need to be done before the amendment is made. For our country to get out of many problems like this:-
1/We call on the Ethiopian government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army (OLF-ONS) that are currently fighting and continue the peace negotiations.
2/ OFCO strongly demands that a comprehensive national consultation be held in an honest and free body, and that the issues that cause conflict and war be resolved and to establish lasting peace.
3/ While amending the constitution is necessary, the OFCO calls for a constitutional amendment based on specific issues, based on articles 104 and 105 of the constitution, to establish a special commission for constitutional amendments based on the constitutional amendments and to turn our face towards sustainable peace and comprehensive development.
Oromo Federal Congress (OFCO)
May 21, 2015
Finfine, Oromia.