Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr)

Senior Advisor: Governance//Constitution and Peace Building//Democracy
#Africa
#AfricanUnion
#Ethiopia
V-President: @ANCL_RADC

[ConstitutionNet @ConstitutionNet]

🗳️ Can South Sudan’s next elections bring stability, or deepen the crisis?

Our brief examines how constitutional and governance reforms could help address persistent instability and support a more sustainable political transition in the country: https://t.co/zJPwmAWat6

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Planned #elections in #SouthSudan are presented as necessary, but without targeted $constitutional adjustments, they risk being not only insufficient but also $destabilizing.

Read my policy brief for more!

@CHR_HumanRights @miamingi @ANCL_RADC @_AfricanUnion

[ConstitutionNet @ConstitutionNet]

🗳️ Can South Sudan’s next elections bring stability, or deepen the crisis?

Our new brief by Adem Kassie Abebe (@AdamAbebe) examines how targeted constitutional and governance reforms could help address persistent instability and support a more sustainable political transition in the country.

Read more: https://t.co/hMG8HzAPx2

@Int_IDEA, @Peace_Rep_, @UoELawSchool

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

@gateteviews I don't think Egypt will ever wage a direct war on Ethiopia. Their strategy is destabilization.

Interesting stuff- historical Rwanda. Does this mean we need a sort of a "collegial" leadership? Abiy (and many leaders across our continent) doesn't seem to like sharing the shine 😉

[Edward Kahuthia @edwardkahuthia]

My latest piece problematizes the AU's neglect of undemocratic elections as a form of an unconstitutional change of government, with Tanzania's recent elections as a case study. Inspired by excellent work done by @ChidiOdinkalu & @AdamAbebe on the subject https://t.co/T5wSVkG8NY

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Interested in understanding #constitution-al change in #Africa? Happy to share my article which is now officially out
Including for #Ethiopia-ns, as constitutional change through #referendum, outside of the regular amendment process, appears a possibility
https://t.co/73mKWkDLai

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

You don't seem to understand the bigger problem - the arbitrariness with which these tariffs are imposed. It is 10% on Eth now. Could be 50% tomorrow. Without a level of security that deals will be respected, few will have the courage to invest, especially in troubled places.

[Zemedeneh Negatu @Zemedeneh]

97% of clothing sold in the U.S. in 2024 imported from abroad.

New U.S. tariffs of up to 47% imposed on major Asian clothing exporters opens big potential opportunities for African clothing manufacturing hubs including #Ethiopia, with just 10% tariff.

We currently manufacture world-class high quality clothing in Ethiopia for the European and other markets. With President Trump’s new tariffs on Ethiopia now at just 10%, we could in the future very competitively export to the U.S. market with big price benefit on quality clothing for Americans.

Globalization and the global trading system is being completely redone by President Trump. Political leaders and businesses around the world have to adapt to this new rapidly changing reality.

[Aileen Kavanagh @AileenFKavanagh]

Great opportunity for emerging scholars working on judging and the courts

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

@Ab1Tawn ስርአት ደግሞ የሆላንድ ወይም ያውሮፓዊ ብቻ ሳይሆን፣ የማንም የተደራጀ ማህበረሰብ ፍላጎት ነው። ኢትዮፕያዊው ገብረ ህይወት ባይከዳኝ ከመቶ አመት በፊት ስለስርአት መርቅ የሆነች ጹሁፍ ጽፉዋል!

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Ultimately, a society can't leave public processes to discretion of one person. Even good things– like giving poor persons houses- must be done based on rules. We should know in advance how a poor person is selected among many poor souls (otherwise, it is mere politicking)-9

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

@Ab1Tawn ወይ አልገባኝም ወይ ግራ ገብቶኛል ፡) I want Abiy (and all leaders) to succeed, not for his own sake, but because his success means a better country for all of us. ሁሉም መሪ ግን የሚሳሳት ሰው ነው. So በዘፈቀደ (individual whim) ሳይሆን በስርአት (systems and law)!

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Notably, institutional choices should be based on elite dialogues, subject to broad public understanding/ support. If the ostensible resort to the public is to bypass elite dialogue, rather than discipline such dialogue, it can be dangerous - like now -8

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

#Abiy called on Tegaru to nominate names for interim president. May be he will also seek public input on whether to keep the Mayor of Addis or presidents of the other regions :)

As expected, #TPLF has rejected this as contrary to the #Pretoria Agreement -1

[ሸገር 102.1(SHEGERFM 102.1) @shegerfm]

መጋቢት 18 2017

ለትግራይ ጊዜያዊ አስተዳደር ፕሬዝዳንት ለመሾም በጠቅላይ ሚኒስትሩ ፅ/ቤት የተጠራውን የጥቆማ ጥሪ በዶ/ር ደብረጺዮን የሚመራው ሕወሓት “ተቀባይነት የለውም” አለ፡፡

https://t.co/8FYlyIb9qZ

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

The selective resort to direct public will can be seen as a sham (conscious or sub-conscious) – especially when this is done based on individual discretion (በዘፈቀደ). Ultimately, democracy is as much about the people as it is about elite dialogue - 7

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Consider also the major economic policy reforms, the move towards ethnic ‘equalisation’ of the civil service in Addis Ababa etc where the public largely had virtually no opportunities to provide inputs- 6

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Even efforts that can potentially have public backing, while reducing public anxiety– eg Oromiffa lessons in Addis schools, ‘corridor’ devt – are often imposed top-down. Even directly affected people are given a mere days/weeks’ notice period to demolish their homes livelihoods-5

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

This ostensible invocation of the popular will contrasts with the practical disregard of the public in policy/ decision making, lack of transparency and accountability - 4

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Abiy gave in to pressure to remove Getachew, but is not willing to endorse their nominee.

Officials may claim Abiy’s call democratically empowers the people. Gedion has also indicated that the Dialogue Commission should speak with the people, not ‘self-appointed’ elites-3

[Adem Kassie Abebe (Dr) @AdamAbebe]

Whatever the intention, Abiy's move will lead to same challenges as before – interim president and party leader won’t be same persons, leading to inevitable power struggles. And is arguably contrary to the Pretoria accord which calls for decision based on 'political diaogue'- 2

[Sam Dalrymple @SamDalrymple123]

The Ethiopian Ruler of Maharashtra

Malik Ambar, buried a five minute walk from the Ellora Caves, is of the most extraordinary figures in world history.