The Demands and Contests of Constitutional Amendment in Ethiopia: Analysis on the 1995 Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) Constitution

Abstract

The objective of this article is to explain the existing demands and contestations on the amendment of the current constitution of Ethiopia. It also aims at analysing the effects of the un-amendable constitution on the political system of the state. A qualitative study was employed to collect and analyse the required data. Both primary and secondary sources of data was collected through interview and the analysis of documents. Accordingly, the study indicated that the demands of constitutional amendment on the part of FDRE constitution is related to the illegitimate constitutional-making process, inadequate constitutional provisions and the presence of new emerging political dynamics. The rigid amendment rules, undemocratic nature of the regime and the deviation among political actors on the issue of amendment are the main contestations against the stated demands. At the end, the investigation showed that the political insecurity and declining of constitutional legitimacy are major effects of the un-amendable aspects of the FDRE constitution, which in turn undermine the required political reforms in the country.