Challenges and Prospects for the Amhara and Oromo Political Elite Cooperation towards Democratization Process in Ethiopia

Abstract

This study assesses the challenges and prospects for a cooperative move between the Amhara and Oromo political elites towards the democratization process in Ethiopia. To this end, the study used a qualitative research approach with a case study research design. The data was collected from key informants through semi-structured interviews and from relevant published and unpublished materials. Accordingly, the findings of the study reveal that the ethnicization of conflicts, the menace that comes from the former dominant groups, the failure in setting a common vision, the inability to compromise contradicting interests, the absence of a feasible roadmap, and the presence of zealotries from both sides as the impasses for the cooperative move between the Amhara and Oromo political elites towards democratization process in Ethiopia. And the study showed that building consensus on the historical trajectories, widening the scope of cooperation, working to promote people-to-people relations, opening independent Amhara and Oromo media, teaching the language of one another in both regions, addressing ethnicization of conflicts, compromising differences and working with the academicians as indispensable way outs for solid cooperation between the political elites of the two regions which is a sine qua non for Ethiopia’s move towards democratization. And the researchers recommend that having commitment and willingness blended with good will is of indisputable role for the political elite to ride off the country from the persisting gridlock.