Election and Real Political Power in a Civil Resistance Lens
This article analyzes the distinction between holding political office and exercising actual political power in Ethiopia. It argues that opposition parties often fail to address structural barriers that render their electoral victories hollow.
Why it matters
It provides a critical framework for understanding the limitations of electoral processes in authoritarian or semi-authoritarian political systems.
Every election season, millions of Ethiopians register to vote, opposition parties organise, campaign, and urge registered voters to vote for them, yet under the current political reality in Ethiopia, the Prosperity Party is positioned to capture virtually all seats and pledge a handful of offices to a select few favoured opposition candidates. However, these conceded offices do not come with real political power.
The piece adopts a critical, academic perspective on power structures, which is common in civil resistance literature.
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