The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was proclaimed under the Constitution adopted on 8 December 1994. It is a federation of nine semi-autonomous National Regional States delimited on the basis of language, with Addis Abiba as its capital. The Member States are: Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Beshangul/Gumuz, Gambela, Harari and the State of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNPP). The population of the country is 72.4 million (estimate for 2004) and the land area is 1.13m sq km (437,794 sq miles).

Under the Constitution, Ethiopia has a bicameral parliamentary system, with two federal chambers; the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation.


House of People's Representatives

The House of People's Representatives (HPR) is the highest authority of the federal government and retains legislative powers over all matters of federal jurisdiction.

Members of the HPR are elected for five year terms on the basis of universal suffrage by direct elections held by secret ballot. The electoral system to the HPR is majoritarian. Members of the HPR are elected on the basis of the majority of votes cast in single-member constituencies. The electoral system is often referred to as a “first past the post” system, under which the candidate who receives more votes than any competitors within a constituency is declared the winner.

The membership of the HPR currently stands at 547, with 22 seats reserved for representatives of minority Nationalities and Peoples.

The Prime Minister is elected from among the members of the HPR. Responsibility for government is assumed by the political party or coalition of political parties which constitute a majority in the HRP.

House of the Federation

Under the Constitution, the 110-seat House of the Federation (HF) the upper house of Ethiopia’s bicameral system, is composed of representatives of “Nations, Nationalities and Peoples”. Each Nation, Nationality and People is represented by at least one member, with each Nation or Nationality represented by one additional representative per each one million of its population.

Members of the HF are chosen by their respective Regional Councils. Alternatively, the Constitution provides for the Regional Councils to order direct elections to the upper house, but this option has in practice never been exercised and there is no legislation at regional level providing for direct elections of representatives of the HF.

The two federal level houses combine to choose the President of the Federation who is the Head of State. The President has mainly honorary powers and serves a six year term.

Administratively, Ethiopia’s nine states are divided into 70 zones. The zones are comprised of 600 Wereda (Districts), and these are divided into approximately 28,000 communities. The Constitution provides for up to 550 constituencies, although currently there are 547.


Regional Councils

Elections for the Regional Councils of the nine regions and the Addis Ababa city administration, are also conducted under a majoritarian system. However, the constituencies are multi-mandate. The number of seats per constituency is determined by the NEBE based on regional constitutions or laws. Currently they are as follows: Addis constituencies 6 seats; Tigray 4; Afar 11; Amhara 2; Oromia 3; Somali 3; Beshangul/Gumuz 10; SNPP 3. Constituencies in Gambela and Harar have varying numbers of seats.
 

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