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Ethiopia Social and Political Changes
Although Addis Ababa quickly developed a close relationship
with the communist world, the Soviet Union and its allies
had consistent difficulties working with Mengistu and the
Derg. These difficulties were largely the result of the
Derg's preoccupation with internal matters and the promotion
of Ethiopian variations on what Marxist-Leninist
theoreticians regarded as preordained steps on the road to a
socialist state. The Derg's status as a military government
was another source of concern. Ethiopia's communist allies
made an issue of the need to create a civilian "vanguard
party" that would rule a people's republic. In a move geared
to ensure continued communist support, the Derg formed the
Commission to Organize the Party of the Workers of Ethiopia
(COPWE) in December 1979, with Mengistu as its chairman. At
COPWE's second congress, in January 1983, it was announced
that COPWE would be replaced by a genuine communist party.
Accordingly, the Workers' Party of Ethiopia (WPE) was
proclaimed on September 12, 1984 (see
The Workers' Party of
Ethiopia, ch. 4).
About the same time, work continued on a new constitution
for the planned people's republic. On February 1, 1987, the
proposed constitution, which had been submitted to the
public for popular debate and changes the prior year, was
finally put to a vote. Although the central government
claimed an 81 percent approval of the new constitution (with
modifications proposed by the public), the circumstances of
its review and approval by the general population were
called into question. The task of publicizing the document
had been entrusted to the kebeles and the peasant
associations--organizations that had a state security
mission as well as local administrative duties. Observers
noted that little commentary or dissent was possible under
such circumstances. Additional criticism included the charge
that the proposed constitution was not designed to address
or even understand Ethiopian needs; in fact, many noted that
the constitution was "almost an abridged translation of the
Soviet Constitution of 1977" (see
The 1987 Constitution, ch.
4).
Data as of 1991
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