The impact of federal-states IGR on states autonomy in Ethiopia

With no exceptions, all federations exercise intergovernmental relations. It is an inherited and inevitable part of a federal system. We are living in the world where 40 percent of states are under federal systems. Some Federations develop intergovernmental relations by the constitution that establishes federal system. Some expand it through legislation. Other establish and rely on independent institutions that manage different orders of government relations. Ethiopia, a multi-ethnic and multilingual state is a federal state structure since 1995 in order to accommodate diversity which is the manifestation not only of Ethiopia but also eastern parts of Africa. Self-rule and shared rule as one principle of a federal system became the only option to protect Ethiopia from disintegration and never ending war. It transformed Ethiopia from dead end to a new beginning.However,as far as the issue of intergovernmental relations is concerned neither the constitution nor the institutions that exist deal with how should the relationship look like. This leads the federal government and its institution to dominate state government and institution that brings centralized federalism in Ethiopia.