Referendum Tests Ethiopia’s Ability for Peaceful Elections

By Nizar Manek, November 20 2019
(Bloomberg) --
Ethiopia’s ethnic Sidama voted Wednesday in a referendum on creating a new regional state, the likely precursor to a series of plebiscites that will test demands for more autonomy.
Besides offering an indication of the Horn of Africa nation’s ability to hold a peaceful general election slated for next year, it will also gauge whether the country’s political model of ethnic federalism can accommodate growing calls for self-determination amid clashes between groups.
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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-20/referendum-tests-ethiopia-s-ability-to-hold-peaceful-elections