The Challenge of Democracy from Below
Zewde, Bahru and Pausewang, Siegfried (Eds.)
Ethiopia is a federal democratic state dominated by one political coalition. Opposition parties claim they have no chances to be elected. The rural majority feel controlled from above, unable to influence political decisions. Observers describe elections as manipulated and non-representative of the will of the people for whom the word democracy frequently appears to be synonymous with domination and coercion. Essays focus on four key areas: Traditional Systems of Governance, The Peasant and the Management of Power and Resources, Alternative Loci of Power, and Alternative Voices. Refs, notes, tables, 215pp, SWEDEN. NORDIC AFRICA INSTITUTE, 9171065016