Transition toward democracy and governance in post Mengistu Ethiopia

Mengistu Haile Mariam. A July 1991 National Conference attended by most political groups led to the approval of The Transitional Ethiopian Government (TGE). Shortly thereafter, the TGE confidently began to take steps toward reconciling political and ethnic conflicts, promoting economic liberalism and development, restoring human rights, and establishing democratic governance. This paper seeks to provide Ethiopianists and aid agency professionals with timely information on the status of the democratic transition and to identify useful research documents related to that process. Towards these objectives, it reviews TGE activities relating to the drafting of a constitution based on democratic principles, decentralizing substantial power to regions and districts, establishing a credible electoral system and holding legitimizing elections, reforming the judiciary, promoting human rights, supporting the emergence of an independent media, and facilitating the emergence of democratically oriented civic organizations. Includes references. (Author abstract)