International assistance to
democratization process minimal: Study
Addis Ababa (ENA) Despite an increase in
humanitarian and relief assistance in the last ten years, international support
for democratization process was low, according to a study.
The study published by Forum for Social
Studies (FSS), entitled Democratic Assistance to Post-Conflict Ethiopia-
impacts and limitations, says donors have invested heavily in the
humanitarian and relief effort as well as the socio-economic development sector
but international assistance on the democratization process in the country has
been quite limited and has had low impact.
The study conducted by
Dessalegn Rahmato and
Meheret Ayenew of the FSS, underlines
that the international assistance is frequently invested in projects or
activities which would show quick results. ‘But since democratization and the
culture of good governance are long-term processes, what was required is,
investing in the long term, such as, building civil institutions and enhancing
the capacity of existing institutions that have not received the value they
deserve by many donors’, the paper says.
According to the researchers, while donor
support to the election process has been fairly significant, support to the
media has been relatively low.
International assistance to the media both
public as well as private has been limited in scope and relatively insignificant
in terms of its impact, the study reveals.
Ethiopia, with 0.55 and 0.19 US cents per
voter for the 1995 constituent assembly and 2000 national elections
respectively, has conducted the least expensive elections among the countries
included in the study sample. By all standards, the paper says, Ethiopia has
registered a spectacular achievement when compared with Angola’s 22 and South
Africa’s 11 US dollars per voter.
The explanation for the low cost stated in
the paper includes, among others, the National Electoral Board deployed a huge
army of government civil servants at very low rate of pay and has used existing
government administrative structures and resources at federal, zonal, woreda and
kebele levels.
In addition, the study underscored the need
to build up local capacity for monitoring elections since international monitors
do not have adequate knowledge of the complexity of the national political
landscape, even though they are important in providing expertise.
Financial support to civil society has
been instrumental in enabling the growth of the voluntary sector in the country
without which the civil society would have faced more difficulties, the paper
emphasizes.
The achievements registered to date in the
areas of elections, human rights and press freedom have been primarily been a
product of local initiative of local organization and efforts by stakeholders,
it says.
The authors hope the study will stimulate
serious debate and encourage more in-depth studies of a similar nature in the
future.
Address: Forum for Social Studies,
P. O. Box 25864 code 1000 Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
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Telephone: 251-1 572990/91 |
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