The Constitutional and Legislative Framework for Local Government in Ethiopia

Abstract

Local government comes as an afterthought in federal design. It is not hence recognised in classic federation. A new trend has emerged, however, in which local government is given explicit constitutional recognition as an autonomous level of government. This is especially the case in federations established after the Cold War. For instance, the South African Constitution recognizes local government as one of the three “spheres” of government with constitutionally defined powers and functions. The Nigerian Constitution of 1999 also provides for the establishment of “[t]he system of local government by democratically elected local government councils”. This article examines the constitutional place, functional competences and source of revenue of local government in Ethiopia.