Speaker speaks of good governance

Friday 28 July 2006

            ADDIS ABABA(ENA)—Speaker of the House of federation Degefe Bula said that the House has accomplished various activities over the year in order to ensure good governance in Ethiopia.

            In an exclusive interview he held recently with The Ethiopian Herald, Degefe said that the activities carried out by House of Federation included promoting the equality of Nations, Nationalities and peoples, finding solutions to disputes between states, determining the division of subsidies to states, and interpret the constitution and the like.

            The House of federation is one of the two Houses of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia which is composed of representatives of Nations Nationalities and peoples, he said, adding each nation and nationality has at least one representative in the House.

            He indicated that the number of women in the House has now reached 21 out of the total 112 members of the House while it was only eight in the previous term.

            The Speaker said that the House was able to make decision on the management of conflicts happened in the benshangul-Gumuz State and the one which occurred between the Somali and the Oromia States.  

            According to Degefe the House of federation is striving to involve all nations and nationalities equally in matters of the country's economic, social and political affairs adding that 69 nations and nationalities are currently represented in the House.

            The budget  subsidy formula which was earlier prepared by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (MoFED) has now transferred to the House of Federation, he said, adding that it would enable the house to manage the subsides given to states.

            The Speaker also said that the House is exerting efforts to set up a network with other countries' House of Federations and forums like Forum of Federation and the like.