The Politics of Opposition in Post - 2005 Ethiopia: Challenges and Prospects in the Case of National Political Parties

Simeneh Bires Belete

doi:10.11648/j.ipa.20210501.16

Abstract

The paper examines the Politics of Opposition in post - 2005 Ethiopia: Challenges and prospects in the case of national opposition political parties. 2005 is selected because opposition parties were able to secure more votes than ever before in this election. To address the objectives of the study, the researcher employed qualitative approach with case study design and used primary and secondary data sources. The primary data was collected through semi-structured interviews and secondary sources such as books newspapers, other scholars’ works and different documents also used. The data collected from the primary and secondary data sources were discussed and analyzed thematically based on the emerged themes from participants response. Hence, this case study aimed to explore the experience of these parties in the politics of opposition by focusing on challenges, and prospects in post- 2005 National elections. National parties were selected purposefully since they were active in Ethiopian politics of opposition in the country. Political parties exhibited weakness internally and faced challenges externally. But most opposition parties externalize their overall weakness. This has its impacts on Ethiopian politics of opposition and political process of the country. The study found that opposition parties do have internal and external challenges which affect their activities and do have impacts on political process of the country. Parties are less institutionalized, fragmented, absence of membership commitment and parties’ leaders’ time limit. They also faced challenges from the incumbent party, media and from other institutions of the country. Given research gaps in the domain, this study will help to improve the political culture, democratic system and politics of opposition of the country.

Highlights

Politics of opposition is impossible without competitive political parties
Data Presentation, Analysis, and Discussion. This part presents the finding of the study. As it is clearly stated in the introduction part, the main objective of this study is examining the Politics of Opposition in post -2005 Ethiopia: Challenges and Impacts on Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP) and Blue Party
The study tried to describe on what are challenges that faced against national opposition political parties, this research found from the semi-structured interviewees revealed that Ethiopian national opposition parties do have internal challenges such as: - Weak party institutionalization, Coalition and Fragmentation, Parties establishment around individual personality, failure to Produce alternative Policy, Parties weak sources of finance lack of commitment of party members to their party, Absence of time limit for party leaders, Absence of Ethnic, religious and sex based representation from national based opposition parties

Summary

Introduction

Politics of opposition is impossible without competitive political parties. The relevance of political parties in the organization of modern politics and governance is not a recent phenomenon [1]. According to Wondwosen Teshome B. and Jan Záhoík [2], political parties are crucial actors in bringing together diverse interests, recruiting and presenting candidates, and developing competing policy proposals that provide people with a choice. Political parties have a role of representation function. In modern liberal democratic theory the electorate votes for people to represent them [1]. Political parties are pre-eminent institutions of modern democratic governance. The general consensus in comparative political thought and among policy makers is that political parties play a central role in deepening and fostering democracy in both established as well as emerging democratic politics Cowen and [3]

Objectives

Methods

Conclusion