What is it about?
It is important to look at the relationship between the economy (especially who is getting rich) and the politics to understand the nature of the EPRDF (Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front) regime in Ethiopia. We have shown the ways and methods in which the political party and the people associated with the party managed to capture businesses in Ethiopia.
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Why is it important?
Today Ethiopia is at a crucial political crossroad as a result of a political change from within the ruling coalition, which is triggered among others by recent developments such as mass protests from Oromo and Amhara youth. The changes that were demanded by the protesters among others were 'the downfall of the regime' that controlled every aspect of society through its tentacular party structure including the economy and the growing sectors. This paper discusses how the ruling party and its affiliates captured the emerging economy and contributed to the emergence of oligarchic politics in the country.
Perspectives
The publication of this paper at this particular moment meant two things to me. One, undertaking the research and trying to seriously think and analyse what went wrong in my country Ethiopia was worth something, especially viewed from the recent political changes. The paper shows some of the basic mechanisms of the accumulation of wealth by the politically connected few. Two, my attempt to 'speak truth to power' coincided with 'the power itself talking truth' in the form of a new reformist group who more or less confirmed the emergence of wealth capturing groups and rampant corruption in the system.
Mr Tefera Negash Gebregziabher
International Institute of Social Studies
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: The rise of oligarchy in Ethiopia: the case of wealth creation since 1991, Review of African Political Economy, July 2018, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1080/03056244.2018.1484351.
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