THE ETHIOPIAN STATE AT THE CROSSROADS by Leenco Lata

THE ETHIOPIAN STATE AT THE CROSSROADS: Decolonization and Democratization or Disintegration? by Leenco Lata (HARDCOVER) This work traces the evolution of the modern Ethiopian State and its consolidation under the last three successive regimes. Leenco Lata critically assesses the Transitional Period of the post-Dergue era between the July 1991 Conference, which ratified the Transitional Charter and the formation of the Transition Government of Ethiopia, and August 21, 1995, when the new Federal Constitution of Ethiopia was ratified. The author argues that the overthrow of the Dergue regime and the adoption of a democratic agenda in July 1991 was an important historical juncture that afforded Ethiopia the opportunity to make a clean break with her imperial and autocratic past. As the deputy Secretary General of the Oromo Liberation Front, one of the major organizations to participate in the July 1991 Conference, Leenco Lata was deeply involved in the task of drawing up Ethiopia's post-