The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced date for a referendum on ethnic Sidama’s demand for regional statehood.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the board said the referendum will take place on November 13, 2019.
The board said it has sent an action plan and budget of the referendum to the council of the south Ethiopian state government and called up all stakeholders to prepare for the election.
The statement said the council of the regional state which administers Sidama zone will deliver a written document on sharing of resources of the Hawassa city which currently serving as the state’s capital and zonal city of Sidama in case the referendum is turned to be in favor for Sidama’s statehood.
Based on the action plan, the electoral board will begin organizing stakeholders and hold discussion on the implementation of the referendum starting from September 4, 2019.
Accordingly, the board will recruit 8460 election executives and arrange 1692 ballot boxes, as devise referendum directives and print out voting papers as of coming September.
The board has also announced the allocation of 75,615,015 Ethiopian birr to conduct the referendum. The board said it will transfer the stated amount of budget to the state’s council until September 22, 2019.
The council has so far submitted detailed plan on how the federal and regional police can jointly ensure peace during the referendum.
Accordingly, the council of the regional government is expected to present the legal and administrative document on sharing of resources of the Hawassa city and legal rights of other people and ethnic groups in the zone as well as the protection they will be given until October 1st 2019.
MG/abj/APA