The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was proclaimed under the Constitution adopted on 8 December 1994. It is a federation of nine semi-autonomous National Regional States delimited on the basis of language, with Addis Abiba as its capital. The Member States are: Tigray, Afar, Amhara, Oromia, Somali, Beshangul/Gumuz, Gambela, Harari and the State of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples (SNPP). The population of the country is 72.4 million (estimate for 2004) and the land area is 1.13m sq km (437,794 sq miles).

Under the Constitution, Ethiopia has a bicameral parliamentary system, with two federal chambers; the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation.



House of People's Representatives


The House of People's Representatives (HPR) is the highest authority of the federal government and retains legislative powers over all matters of federal jurisdiction.

Members of the HPR are elected for five year terms on the basis of universal suffrage by direct elections held by secret ballot. The electoral system to the HPR is majoritarian. Members of the HPR are elected on the basis of the majority of votes cast in single-member constituencies. The electoral system is often referred to as a “first past the post” system, under which the candidate who receives more votes than any competitors within a constituency is declared the winner.

The membership of the HPR currently stands at 547, with 22 seats reserved for representatives of minority Nationalities and Peoples.

The Prime Minister is elected from among the members of the HPR. Responsibility for government is assumed by the political party or coalition of political parties which constitute a majority in the HRP.