- Background
The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) is a non-profit and non-governmental civil society organization with more than 175 member organizations. CECOE was licensed by the F.D.R.E. Authority for Civil Society Organizations (ACSO) in 2019 with registration number 4748 under the Civil Society Organizations Proclamation 1113/2019. CECOE was established with the aim of enhancing and coordinating the role of Ethiopian CSOs in election observation, voter education, preventing electoral conflicts, and providing capacity building and support for its member organizations. CECOE is a committed member of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN), African Election Observers Network (AfEONet), a pan-African coordinating platform, and a founding member of the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), which connects regional networks and individual monitoring organizations across more than 88 countries worldwide. CECOE is currently implementing a project titled ‘Strengthening and promoting democratic processes and peaceful elections through enhanced engagement, capacity, and awareness of electoral stakeholders’ with the financial support from Irish Aid.
Elections are the only legitimate means of assuming state power. However, these elections must be democratic and reflect the true will of the people. To achieve this, the election process should be free, fair, periodic, and based on universal and equal suffrage. Moreover, to ensure proper representation in the electoral process constituencies are demarcated. The demarcation of these constituencies should not be arbitrary but must guarantee fair representation of citizens. At the same time, there should be considerations for convenience for the election administration and for the people to elect their representatives, including the existing administrative boundaries often shaped by various factors. Therefore, the arrangement of electoral constituencies should be regularly reviewed and updated, ideally following each periodic population census. This process ensures that constituency boundaries can be adjusted as necessary to reflect changes including in population.
In Ethiopia, Article 54(2) of the Federal Constitution states that members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPRs), who are representatives of the Ethiopian citizens as a whole, are elected from candidates in each electoral district by a plurality of the votes cast. The Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties Registration, and Election’s Code of Conduct Proclamation further clarifies this provision, stating that to be a member of the HoPRs, the candidate with the highest number of votes among the contestants shall be declared the winner. This means that the electoral system follows the First-Past-the-Post system. Furthermore, the constitution specifies that the number of HoPR members shall not exceed 550, with seats allocated based on population and special representation for minority nationalities and peoples. The House of Federation is the responsible organ for determining which minority nationalities require special representation, based on criteria established in advance.
Despite a constitutional requirement to conduct a national population census every ten years, Ethiopia’s last census was held in 2007. As a result, electoral constituencies have not been adjusted for population changes over a long period, despite increasing calls for such adjustments. Furthermore, in the past seven years, particularly in the now-defunct Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR), administrative boundary changes have occurred mainly due to internal secession. These factors have made the Ethiopian constituency arrangement prone to errors, raising concerns about the quality of legislative representation and underscoring the need for a comprehensive scientific study to assess its theoretical and practical implications. Additionally, it is necessary to examine the implementation of the constituency demarcation system to evaluate its effectiveness, strengths, and weaknesses, especially in relation to citizens’ right to equal representation and participation. To address this gap, CECOE seeks to hire a consultant(s) to conduct an in-depth study on the demarcation of electoral districts and the quality of people’s representation rights.
- Objective
The main objective of the study is to critically examine the effectiveness of electoral constituency demarcation in ensuring fair and equitable representation in Ethiopia. The study must consider changes in population growth since the approach was originally designed, as well as potential demographic shifts and boundary changes observed in Ethiopia. It shall also review the practices employed in past local and general elections, as well as referendums in Ethiopia. The study is required to thoroughly analyze the system’s strengths and weaknesses and provide alternative recommendations. In addition, it shall examine international best practices in constituency demarcation to draw lessons for Ethiopia and assess the impact of the current approach on the representation of minority groups.
- Scope of Work
To achieve the objectives outlined above, the consultant(s) is/are required to conduct a comprehensive literature review, covering both conventional and grey literature, including relevant legal frameworks. The study must also be supported by empirical data. Therefore, it is essential to collect data from relevant stakeholders using accepted scientific research methods. Geographically, the research will be focused at the federal level.
- Deliverables
The consultant(s) is/are expected to carry out the following activities within the given time frame:
- Submit an inception report and receive feedback from CECOE.
- Draft the research report based on the study conducted.
- Incorporate feedback and comments on the report from CECOE.
- Present the major findings at a one-day validation workshop that will be organized by CECOE after the feedback and comments are addressed and submitted to CECOE.
- Address the comments and feedback received during the validation workshop, as appropriate, and submit the final version to CECOE.
- Duration
The consultant (s) is/are expected to deliver the study within 25 days after signing of the contract.
- Reporting
The Consultant (s) will report to the CECOE project manager and provide regular updates on the progress of the assignment.
- Qualifications/ Eligibility criteria
The Consultant (s) should possess the following qualifications:
- Academic qualification in Election law, Constitutional law or other related fields.
- Strong understanding and experience working within the electoral system, including knowledge of election laws, procedures, and the role of various stakeholders.
- Extensive experience in qualitative and quantitative research methods, including data collection, analysis, and reporting.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex information clearly and effectively to different audiences.
- Ability to work collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders.
- Experience in conducting workshops.
- Demonstrated ability to meet deadlines and manage multiple tasks effectively.
- Submission of Proposals
Interested qualified applicants shall submit their detailed technical and financial proposals, including:
- A cover letter
- CV
- Proposed methodology
Application Link:
Applications are to be submitted electronically through the CECOE website for the consecutive 7 days: