Abstract:
Governance has been one of the most popular buzzwords in recent political science. The aim of this research was to explore and explain the politics of ethnicity and governance in Nifas Silk Lafto sub city, Addis Ababa. Based on the problem and objective of the study the researcher used exploratory and explanatory research designs. The study involved explanatory and exploratory designs to capture the best of qualitative and quantitative methods. The required methods and instruments that used to collected data were from primary and secondary sources. Primary sources were collected from probably selected 06 and 08 weredas of 108 residences to capture the causes and effects of the politics of ethnicity and governance, deliberately selected key informants interview with 14 woredas experts because of the knowledge they had on governance and focus group discussion with purposively selected 16 local authorities of 06 and 08 woredas. According to this finding there was a causal effect relationship between the politics of ethnicity and governance. Ethnicity in the study was used as a political mobilization to gain more support to the ruling party rather than for an interactive and joint decision making. The finding also insights ethnic politics of the dominant ethnic groups creates democratic centralism that impeded interdependent cooperation between state and non state actors in governance. For example, government based ethnic politics was dominating decision making which makes non state actors weak in all political, legal and social spheres of the residence. The findings from this study suggested that, lack of joint decision making and cooperation between state and non-state actors in 06 and 08 woredas negatively affected rule of law, accountability, efficiency, effectiveness and more over democratic practices. Furthermore, the findings led to recommendations regarding the politics of ethnicity and governance is that, there must not be ethnic criteria and political commitment to be a local leader or woreda leader. It should be based on competency and confidence that broaden participation to meet the interests and benefits the woredas dwellers. Independent and joint efforts of decision making and participation were recommended among state and non-state or formal and informal actors for all of the successful woredas affairs.
