What I think is happening in Ethiopia: a remarkable "advanced" democratic constitution has been adopted. It bears resemblance in features to we tried to bring to Russia in its new constitution, still in effect, adopted in the 1990s. As reported in the November 7th issue of the Economist, the Ethiopian constitution in effect "guarantees self-rule for each of Ethiopia's ten ethnically based states--and even the right to secede." (p. 40) In these respects, it contains items I was pushing for in 1989 in Moscow for their new constitution.
The point is that with powerful and traditionally maintained ethnic cultures within the nation's provinces, it makes sense at the national level to grant local autonomy. I frequently point to Canada, where Quebec is an integral part of the whole of Canada, but is permitted autonomy at the provincial level of government.
Would that Russia would grant to the region in its territory that is predominantly Muslim! But Putin would not, preferring to reduce Muslim citizens in the area to the status of slaves to the state. So too, in China.
In Ethiopia, the central government wants iron control over its 10 ethnic states. It will permit no self-rule that exists that might allow departure from the rule by law laid forth by its dictator-head.
...Until there comes another after him--assuming during his reign, he can fight off all the ethnic groups that take him on.
No comments:
Post a Comment