Ethiopia: New regional state born with landslide vote

By Addis Getachew

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AA) - The people of Sidama zone -- the largest ethnic group -- within the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples State of Ethiopia voted to have their own regional state, the country’s election body announced.

In a televised news conference, Burtukan Mideksa, head of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia said that 98.51% of the electorate voted in favor of a breakaway regional state.

Voting was held last Wednesday in which more than 2.3 million people went to the polls and cast their ballots.

The Sidama regional state, when approved by the House of the Federation, will be the 10th regional state in the country.

The 1995 constitution stipulates that the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia comprises nine regional states and two autonomous city administrations. This latest development of Sidama zone as the 10th regional state may therefore trigger a revision of the constitution.

In September this year, Sidama youths declared a de facto regional states before referendum -- an move that led the federal government to intervene.

Scores of people had been killed in clashes with security forces before the riots were quelled and the region came under a military rule until the situation calmed down.

According to the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, there are other ethnic groups demanding breakaway regional states of their own in SNNPRS such as Wolayita and Gurage.