1955 Constitution of Ethiopia

Last updated
1955 Constitution of Ethiopia
1955 Constitution of Ethiopia.jpg
The introduction page of constitution
Overview
Jurisdiction Ethiopian Empire
Created4 November 1955;68 years ago (1955-11-04)
System Constitutional monarchy
Chambers
Executive Parliament
Repealed 15 September 1974;50 years ago (1974-09-15)
Author(s)
  • A.H. Garretson
  • John Spencer
  • Edgar Burlington

Emperor Haile Selassie proclaimed a revised constitution in November 1955 of the Ethiopian Empire. The new constitution was intended to improve Ethiopia's international image. While it consolidated the Emperor's absolutist powers it introduced concepts such as the separation of powers and expanded the role of the Ethiopian parliament. It was abrogated in 1974 with the Ethiopian revolution of that year which resulted in the abolition of the monarchy by the Derg.

Contents

Origins and implementation

The 1955 constitution was Ethiopia's second written one, the first being the 1931 constitution. [1] It was prompted, like its predecessor, by a concern with international opinion. Such opinion was particularly important at a time when some neighboring African states were rapidly advancing under European colonial influence and Ethiopia was pressing its claims internationally for the incorporation of Eritrea, where an elected parliament and more modern administration had existed since 1952. [2]

The constitution was drawn up by three American advisors—A.H. Garretson, John Spencer, and Edgar Burlington—who worked with two leading figures of the restored monarchy, Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes and Aklilu Habte-Wold. After each session the two Ethiopian officials would then report to the Crown Council; according to Spencer, "In many instances, the Crown Council, dominated by the extreme conservative, Ras Kassa, would veto our proposals and we would then seek some compromise formula. Progress was extremely slow." [3] It was eventually promulgated by the decree of the emperor on 4 November 1955. [1]

Content

The new constitution consisted of eight chapters and 131 articles. [4] While clearly "not a mirror image" of the U.S. Constitution, Edmond Keller notes it contained a number of ideas from that document, such as a separation of powers between three branches of government, and careful attention given to detailing the "Rights and Duties of the People", to which 28 articles were devoted. [4]

However, the constitution did not create a constitutional monarchy in the Western sense. [1] Despite the introduction of some ideas from the U.S. constitution, John Spencer, in his memoirs, lamented that the Crown Council forced the constitution's authors to stress the prerogatives of the crown, giving the emperor the right to rule by emergency decree, to appoint and dismiss ministers without input from the Ethiopian parliament, and to appoint members of the Senate, judges, and even the mayors of municipalities. Spencer also regretted that many of the rights were enjoyed "subject to the law". [5] Bahru Zewde stresses the nature of these executive powers in his discussion of this document, noting that it was "a legal charter for the consolidation of absolutism." Bahru quotes the relevant section from Article 4 of the Constitution: "By virtue of His Imperial Blood, as well as by the anointing which he has received, the person of the Emperor is sacred, His dignity is inviolable and His power indisputable." [6] This was underpinned by the embedding in the constitution of the myth that the ruling Solomonic dynasty was descended from the biblical king Solomon: Article 2 declared that the emperor "descends without interruption from the dynasty of Menelik I, son of Queen of Ethiopia, the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon of Jerusalem". [7]

Although the Emperor's position was strengthened, the purview of the bicameral Ethiopian parliament was expanded over the 1931 constitution. Although the Senate remained appointive, the Chamber of Deputies was elected. In contrast to the legislature under the 1931 Constitution which could only discuss matters referred to it, it now had the authority to propose laws and veto laws proposed by the executive. It could also summon ministers for questioning, and in extraordinary circumstances it could initiate impeachment proceedings against them. Keller believes its most significant new power was its budgetary function: parliament now had the responsibility of approving or rejecting all proposed budgets, including taxes and allocations. [8]

Post-implementation history

In John Turner's opinion, the absence of a census, the near total illiteracy of the population, and the domination of the countryside by the nobility meant that the majority of candidates who sought election in 1957 were in effect chosen by the elite. The Chamber of Deputies was not altogether a rubber stamp, at times discussing bills and questioning state ministers. [2]

This constitution was suspended by the Derg in their Proclamation No. 1, which was broadcast on 15 September 1974, three days after Emperor Haile Selassie was deposed. [9]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Haile Selassie</span> Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974

Haile Selassie I was the Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as the Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia under Empress Zewditu between 1916 and 1930. Widely considered to be a defining figure in modern Ethiopian history, he is accorded divine importance in Rastafari, a relatively new Abrahamic religion that emerged in the Colony of Jamaica in the 1930s. A few years before he began his reign over the Ethiopian Empire, Selassie defeated Ethiopian army commander Ras Gugsa Welle Bitul, who was the nephew of Empress Taytu Betul, during the Battle of Anchem. He belonged to the Solomonic dynasty, which was founded by Emperor Yekuno Amlak in 1270; Amlak's successors claimed that he was a lineal descendant of Menelik I, the legendary Emperor of Ethiopia who was supposedly born to King Solomon and Queen Makeda of the Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Sheba, respectively. Modern historians regard the Solomonic linage claim as an unfounded myth created by Yekuno Amlak to justify wresting power from the Zagwe Dynasty.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lorenzo Taezaz</span> Ethiopian politician (1900–1947)

Lorenzo Taezaz was an Ethiopian official in diplomatic affairs. He served as Emperor Haile Selassie's diplomatic representative during the Emperor's exile in Britain following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, being the permanent delegate from Ethiopia to the League of Nations. After the restoration of the Ethiopian government, Lorenzo was Minister of Foreign Affairs, Minister of Posts and Telegraph, and served in the Ethiopian Senate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emperor of Ethiopia</span> Hereditary rulers of the Ethiopian Empire

The emperor of Ethiopia, also known as the Atse, was the hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century until the abolition of the monarchy in 1975. The emperor was the head of state and head of government, with ultimate executive, judicial and legislative power in that country. A National Geographic article from 1965 called Imperial Ethiopia "nominally a constitutional monarchy; in fact it was a benevolent autocracy".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aman Andom</span> Ethiopian general; chairman of the Derg in 1974

Aman Mikael Andom was an Eritrean general, and the first post-imperial acting head of state of Ethiopia. Aman was also the first Chairman of the Derg. He was appointed to this position following the coup d'état that ousted Emperor Haile Selassie on 12 September 1974, and served until his assassination in a shootout with his former supporters.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tafari Benti</span> Ethiopian military officer; chairman of the Derg from 1974 to 1977

Brigadier General Tafari Benti was an Ethiopian military officer and politician who served as head of state of Ethiopia from 1974 to 1977 in his role as second chairman of the Derg, the ruling military junta. His official title was Chairman of the Provisional Military Administrative Council.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Derg</span> 1974–1987 ruling military junta of Ethiopia

The Derg, officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military dictatorship that ruled Ethiopia, then including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when the military leadership or junta formally "civilianized" the administration but stayed in power until 1991.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aklilu Habte-Wold</span> Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1961 to 1974

Tsehafi TaezazAklilu Habte-Wold was an Ethiopian politician under Emperor Haile Selassie. He was foreign minister of Ethiopia from 1947 to 1958 and prime minister from 1961 until his death by the Derg execution in 1974.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Endelkachew Makonnen</span> Prime Minister of Ethiopia in 1974

LijEndelkachew Makonnen was an Ethiopian politician. Born in Addis Ababa, his father, Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew, served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia in the 1950s. Endelkachew Makonnen was a member of the aristocratic Addisge clan that were very influential in the later part of the Ethiopian monarchy. He would be the last Imperial Prime Minister appointed by Emperor Haile Selassie. He was a stepson of Princess Yeshashework Yilma, Emperor Haile Selassie's only niece.

Tekle Wolde Hawaryat was an Ethiopian politician. Anthony Mockler describes him as "the only contemporary of Haile Selassie who throughout a long life was always prepared to come out in open opposition to him."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mengistu Neway</span> Ethiopian commander and 1960 Ethiopian coup detat perpetrator (1919–1961)

Mengistu Neway was an Ethiopian commander of the Imperial Guard during the reign of Emperor Haile Selassie. He is noted for being one of the early dissidents of the Emperor's regime and for organizing the 1960 coup attempt with his younger brother Germame Neway, for which he was sentenced to death.

Wolde Giyorgis Wolde Yohannes was an important government Minister during the reign of Haile Selassie. Between 1941 and his downfall in 1955, he came to dominate Ethiopian politics for a decade and a half, not only serving as Tsehafi Taezaz or Minister of the Pen (1941–1955), but at times Minister of the Interior (1943–1949), and Minister of Justice (1949–1955).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kassa Haile Darge</span> Ethiopian noble (1881–1956)

RasKassa Hailu KS, GCVO, GBE, was a Shewan Amhara nobleman, the son of Dejazmach Haile Wolde Kiros of Lasta, the ruling heir of Lasta's throne and younger brother of Emperor Tekle Giyorgis II, and Tisseme Darge, the daughter of Ras Darge Sahle Selassie, brother of Menelik II's father.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Atnafu Abate</span> Ethiopian politician, leading member of the Derg

Lieutenant Colonel Atnafu Abate was an Ethiopian military officer and a leading member of the Derg, the military junta which deposed Emperor Haile Selassie and ruled the country for several years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam</span> Ethiopian politician, writer and aristocrat

Tekle Hawariat Tekle Mariyam was an Ethiopian politician, an Amhara aristocrat and intellectual of the Japanizer school of thought. He was the primary author of the 16 July 1931 constitution of Ethiopia, which was influenced by the Japanese Meiji Constitution.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1931 Constitution of Ethiopia</span> Fundamental law of the Ethiopian Empire from 1931 to 1955

The 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia was the first modern constitution of the Ethiopian Empire, intended to officially replace the Fetha Nagast, which had been the supreme law since the Middle Ages. It was promulgated in "an impressive ceremony" held 16 July 1931 in the presence of Emperor Haile Selassie, who had long desired to proclaim one for his country. In the preface to his translation of this constitution into English, William Stern writes, "this was the first instance in history where an absolute ruler had sought voluntarily to share sovereign power with the subjects of his realm." This statement, however, is not completely accurate, as the adoption of a constitution was somewhat pressed by international opinion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1957 Ethiopian general election</span>

General elections were held in Ethiopia between 1 and 30 September 1957 to elect 210 members of the Chamber of Deputies, the lower house of the Ethiopian parliament. These elections followed the new constitution which had been enacted by Emperor Haile Selassie in 1955, and were the first ever held in the country.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1960 Ethiopian coup attempt</span> Attempted coup détat against Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie

The 1960 Ethiopian coup attempt was perpetrated against Emperor Haile Selassie on 13 December 1960. The Council of the Revolution, four conspirators led by brothers Germame Neway and Brigadier General Mengistu Neway, commander of the Kebur Zabagna, sought to overthrow the Emperor during a state visit to Brazil in order to install a progressive government. The coup leaders declared the beginning of a new government under the rule of Haile Selassie's eldest son, Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, that would address the numerous economic and social problems Ethiopia faced. The Council gained control of most of the capital city, Addis Ababa, and took several ministers and other important people hostage.

The Government of the Ethiopian Empire was historically based on the framework of absolute monarchy with a feudal system, where religious legitimacy and the wealthier class were generally prone to priority. Societies were characterized by social inequality and opportunities for social mobility through military performance. There are famines, droughts and illegitimate land acquisition from peasants and landowners.

This is chronology of the Ethiopian Revolution that took place from 12 January to 12 September 1974 in the Ethiopian Empire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chronology of Haile Selassie</span>

This is a chronology of the lifetime of Ethiopian Emperor Haile Selassie.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Ethiopia's Revised Constitution". Middle East Journal. 10 (2): 194–199. 1956. ISSN   0026-3141. JSTOR   4322802.
  2. 1 2 PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .John W. Turner (1991). Thomas P. Ofcansky and LaVerle Berry (ed.). Ethiopia: A Country Study. Federal Research Division. Administrative Change and the 1955 Constitution.
  3. ↑ Spencer, Ethiopia at Bay: A personal account of the Haile Selassie years (Algonac: Reference Publications, 1984), p. 256
  4. 1 2 Keller, Edmond J. Revolutionary Ethiopia: From Empire to People's Republic (Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988), pp. 84f
  5. ↑ Spencer, Ethiopia at Bay, pp. 257f
  6. ↑ Bahru Zewde, A History of Modern Ethiopia, second ed. (Oxford: James Currey, 2001), p. 206
  7. ↑ Witakowski, Witold; Balicka-Witakowska, Ewa (2013). "Solomon in Ethiopian tradition". In Verheyden, Jozef (ed.). The Figure of Solomon in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic Tradition. Brill. p. 221. ISBN   978-90-04-24232-6.
  8. ↑ Keller, Revolutionary Ethiopia, p. 87
  9. ↑ Rene LaFort, Ethiopia: An Heretical Revolution? translated by A.M. Berrett (London: Zed Press, 1983), p. 70
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.