Intergovernmental Relation and Governance of First Grade Cities of Oromia

Abstract

Building on the view that Intergovernmental relation (IGR) can be federalism’s
offer for addressing urban governance challenges, this study assesses the IGR
between first grade cities and Oromia Regional National State, and thereby evaluates
the implication of the relationship on the governance of these cities. The
study shows that the Regional State understands that the legislated autonomy
is insufficient for meeting urban governance, and that the governance system is
inevitably connected to the sub-national and neighbouring local administrations.
It presupposes the city’s local autonomy, city’s accountability to the region and
the need for cooperation, mutual respect, support and partnership as underlying
principle of interaction between the city and the region. The IGR, however, has
been performed through the ruling party and sectoral line networks but the implementation
of the underlying principles of cooperation appears as leverage for
party solidarity at times of electoral contingencies than run by clear frameworks.
This study, therefore, contends that the settled legal and institutional framework
for the status of first grade cities and the parameters of IGR between these cities
and the Regional State can moderate the main forces - decentralization and urbanization
- shaping the urban governance.