Elections and Democratization in Post-Mengistu Ethiopia

This report details how the preparations for, conduct and outcomes of the 1962 regional elections affected crucially not only the course of the transition but one of its most important outcomes: the initial shape of the post-imperial Ethiopian state. This report examines the foregoing thesis by considering: (1) the overall country context, (2) The 1992 regional election processes, (3) the consequences of the election, given the context, for democracy and governance, and (4) the consequences of the election, given the context, for reconciliation processes and outcomes. The report concludes by outlining the strategic and technical lessons and recommendations that follow from this review of the Ethiopian experience, and it proposes a set of priorities for implementing them.