Strengthening Ethiopian Parliament: Challenges and Prospects

Abstract

In Ethiopia, the parliament is the highest political body. As a result, the FDRE constitution recognizes parliament as supreme organ of  the federal government of Ethiopia. Evidence, however, suggests that the Ethiopian parliament did not sufficiently utilize its own powers within the confines of the FDRE constitution. Ethiopia's parliament still hasnot adequately exercised its powers.  The aim of this paper was to explore the factors that pose challenges to the Ethiopian parliament's strengthening. The study integrated a descriptive research design with qualitative research methodology to achieve its desired goals.The needed data was obtained from various pertinent documents and extensively examined. The study's findings showed that Ethiopia's parliament is not doing a good enough job of exercising the legislative powers given to it under the FDRE Constitution. The study also identified significant obstacles that prevent the Ethiopian parliament from carrying out its duties effectively, including party centralism, executive organ domination, systematic difficulties, the nation's political history and lack of individual accountability . The study should also include the existing propsects to improve the performance of the parliament.Therefore, legislation is required to alter the dynamic between the executive and the parliament as well as the party and the legislative body. A careful selection of candidates is required, which means choosing them based on their merits rather than party loyalty, in order to empower the members of the Ethiopian parliament. It is also advised that the state's organs, particularly the executive, refrain from frequently violating its constitutional rights.