Awramba Index 2015 E.C.

The First Awramba Index Report in Short

Center for Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD)

The document is an executive summary of the Awramba Index 2015 E.C., which rates and ranks the democratization efforts of five regional and Addis Ababa city administrations in Ethiopia during the 2015 Ethiopian calendar. You can find the English executive summary (here) and the full report in Amharic (here). 

Summary

The Awramba Index 2015 E.C. evaluates the democratization efforts of the six regional and a city administrative units in Ethiopia. None of the units were found to be 'Progressive' or 'Regressive', but rather 'Stagnant' in their efforts. The report highlights the absence of checks and balances and the lack of oversight from the judiciary and legislature as critical gaps in the democratization process.

Background

The Center for the Advancement of Rights and Democracy (CARD) is a nonprofit organization in Ethiopia that aims to promote human rights and democratic mass culture. Through its Governance and Democratization Program, CARD implements the Awramba Index, an annual assessment of democratization efforts in Ethiopia's regional and federal city administrations. The Index covers various aspects of democratic development and uses a combination of quantitative and qualitative data.

Context

This section discusses the challenges faced by Ethiopia in building a strong democratic system and the progress made towards democratization.

• Ethiopia has struggled to build a strong democratic system due to authoritarian traditions and lack of constitutionalism and the rule of law.
• The dissonance between democratization and elite political sub-culture has hindered the development of democratic institutions.
• Opposition parties have struggled to challenge the incumbent, and the rural majority has felt controlled and unable to influence political decisions.
• Political polarization, conflicts, and fragmentation pose significant challenges to Ethiopia's efforts to build a strong democracy.
• The concept of governance in Ethiopia has been associated with domination and coercion, rather than genuine participation and sovereignty of the people.
• The Awramba Index, developed by CARD, evaluates democratic progress within Ethiopia's regional governments, focusing on citizen participation, individual freedoms, and the rule of law.

Methodology

This section discusses the ranking and rating of Ethiopia's administrative units based on their democratization efforts using CARD's methodology.

• The democratization efforts of Ethiopia's six administrative units were ranked and rated using CARD's methodology.
• A total of 54 experts, including thematic and regional specialists, participated in the evaluation.
• Each democratic attribute is assessed using five indicators, with a maximum possible score of 225.
• In addition to quantitative data, qualitative assessments and discussions were conducted during a six-day workshop in Addis Ababa.

Key Findings

The democratization processes in regional states are rated on a 1-to-9 scale, with three categories: regressive (1.0-3.0), stagnant (3.01-6.00), and progressive (6.01-9.00). In 2015, all evaluated regions were categorized as stagnant.

Overall Grading

The overall results of the index indicate a gap in the democratization process in Ethiopia, with some regions performing better than others. However, all regions have implemented basic democratic measures, although the actual implementation of these laws and policies is crucial for effective democratic processes.

Administrations Ranked

This section presents a ranking of regional governments in Ethiopia based on their effectiveness and protection of rights.

• Sidama region ranks first in terms of government effectiveness and protection of minorities and vulnerable groups.
• Oromia region ranks second, followed by Addis Ababa in third place.
• Amhara and Benishangul Gumuz regions rank fourth and fifth respectively.
• Gambella region ranks sixth in the ranking.
• The indicators that performed better vary across regions, including freedom of religion, multilingual regional administration, and autonomy of ethnic minorities.
• The indicators that scored lower include anti-corruption effectiveness, freedom of expression, and independent media.
• Sidama region excels in the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, civil liberties, and social and economic rights.
• Benishangul Gumuz region performs well in the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, social and economic rights, and civil liberties.
• Amhara region focuses on the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, check and balance, and social and economic rights.
• Addis Ababa prioritizes check and balance, civil liberties, and the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups.
• Oromia region emphasizes the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, check and balance, and social and economic rights.
• Gambella region excels in the protection of minorities and vulnerable groups, civil liberties, and social and economic rights.

Summary of Findings

This section discusses the stagnant democratization efforts and limited political tolerance in Ethiopia, highlighting the need for improvements in diverse voices, free expression, and regional autonomy.

• AI-2015 EC assessed the state of political pluralism in six Ethiopian regions, with all regions falling under the category of "stagnant" democratization efforts.
• Sidama achieved the highest score (4.95 out of 9), while Gambella scored the lowest (3.80).
• Limited tolerance for diverse voices, decline in free expression, and lack of genuine autonomy for regional administrations are major issues.
• Despite a seemingly positive score for minority rights, targeted attacks against minority and vulnerable groups remained common.
• There was a decline in the openness and accessibility of political, civic, and media spaces, hindering opposition parties, civil society organizations, and independent media outlets.
• The central government maintained significant control over regional affairs, limiting the ability of regional administrations to make independent decisions and undermining the separation of powers.

Recommendation for Intervention

This section discusses the necessary actions to strengthen democracy in Ethiopia, including strengthening checks and balances, promoting political pluralism, enhancing government effectiveness, decentralizing power, protecting minority rights, advocating for democratic reforms, monitoring human rights, promoting civic engagement, supporting independent media, and strengthening local governance.

• The executive branch in Ethiopia needs to be balanced by strengthening the judiciary and legislature at the regional level.
• Political pluralism should be promoted through legal reforms protecting freedom of assembly and expression.
• Anti-corruption measures and transparency initiatives need to be implemented to enhance government effectiveness.
• Genuine autonomy should be granted to regional administrations to allow for more local decision-making.

Active protection of minority rights should go beyond legal frameworks and include targeted interventions and social cohesion programs.