Mereja.Forum

[Za-Ilmaknun]

The Somali Regional Government is now requesting that its representations in the House be commensurate with the size of its constituency. The Somalis are the 3rd largest group in Ethiopia next to Amhara and Oromo. They are only allotted 23 seats in the House of Representatives where as the 4th largest group, TPLF, has taken 38 seats. The Kilil government has requested the Federal government that this historical and blatant injustice be corrected and the Somalis be represented equally like the rest of the country.

[Za-Ilmaknun]

[Za-Ilmaknun]

This is a clear testimony how the Somalis have been alienated from the federal government. Being the 3rd largest group in the country, they should have at least been given proportional representation to their size. TPLF the 4th largest group has 38 representatives while the Somalis are allowed to have only 23 seats. This is a miscarriage of justice and equity. The so called "constitution" has only been a tool for the minority TPLF to perpetuate its dominance at the national level.

[Za-Ilmaknun]

[Za-Ilmaknun]

https://addisstandard.com/news-somali-r ... arliament/

[Sadacha Macca]

Agreed. Kudos to President Mustafa for speaking out and the PM must respond in a proper way.

[Za-Ilmaknun]

https://www.ethiopia-insight.com/2020/0 ... g-somalis/

In the last census in 2007, Somali region’s population stood at 4.45 million while those of Tigray and Addis Ababa were, respectively, 4.32 million and 2.75 million. Yet, in clear disregard for fairness and constitutional procedure, Somalis were again given 23 HoPR seats, on a par with Addis Ababa and 15 less than Tigray—even though Somali had a larger population than Tigray and almost twice that of the federal capital.

For example, how many people know that Somalis are also significantly under-represented among the more than 150 ministerial, commissioners, agencies, authorities, and public enterprises that are filled by political nominees? Or the fact that beyond the finance ministry and other cabinet positions, Somalis have never held a top post such as head of state or government, speaker of the two houses, or an important foreign policy or security portfolio, not only in the almost three-decade EPRDF era, but since the formation of the current Ethiopian state?

Moreover, how many are aware that only one-third of the federal budget is distributed using the—admittedly flawed—federal revenue-sharing formula? Instead, unelected EPRDF bureaucrats carve up more than 90 percent of the remaining two-thirds for development programs and infrastructure schemes in the four regions they represent.

The clientelistic nature of successive administrations in Jigjiga under EPRDF have only served the interest of TPLF generals. On the contrary, EPRDF, in disregard for the spirit of its own constitution, imposed its puppets and unleashed more violence on our people up until Abdi Iley regime’s bloody demise in August 2018.

[Za-Ilmaknun]

"As a result, Somali Region today is at the bottom of the pack in metrics that measure human progress, whether it’s infrastructure, income levels, or productivity. The same is true for social indicators such as health, education, or gender equality. Now, the ongoing democratic reforms offer an opportunity to meet our basic demands for the respect of human and constitutional rights, including that of equitable representation.

Hopefully, this would also help address to some extent the acute under-representation of Somalis across the federal bureaucracy, as much as it will help foster peace and achieve equality among Ethiopia’s nations and nationalities. Because justice must be the core foundation of any sustainable moves toward harmony, unity, and prosperity."