Parliament

Members of the House of the Federation

1. The House of the Federation is composed of representatives of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples.
2. Each Nation, Nationality and People shall be represented in the House of the Federation by at least one member. Each Nation or Nationality shall be represented by one additional representative for each one million of its population.
3. Members of the House of the Federation shall be elected by the State Councils. The State Councils may themselves elect representatives to the House of the Federation, or they may hold elections to have the representatives elected by the people directly.

Powers and Functions of the House of the Federation

1. The House has the power to interpret the Constitution.
2. It shall organise the Council of Constitutional Inquiry.
3. It shall, in accordance with the Constitution, decide on issues relating to the rights of Nations, Nationalities and Peoples to self-determination, including the right to secession.
4. It shall promote the equality of the Peoples of Ethiopia enshrined in the Constitution and promote and consolidate their unity based on their mutual consent.
5. It shall exercise the powers concurrently entrusted to it and to the House of Peoples' Representatives.
6. It shall strive to find solutions to disputes or misunderstandings that may arise between States.
7. It shall determine the division of revenues derived from joint Federal and State tax sources and the subsidies that the Federal Government may provide to the States.
8. It shall determine civil matters which require the enactment of laws by the House of Peoples' Representatives.
9. It shall order Federal intervention if any State, in violation of this Constitution, endangers the constitutional order.
10. It shall establish permanent and ad hoc committees.
11. It shall elect the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker of the House, and it shall adopt rules of procedure and internal administration.

Immunity of Members

1. No member of the House of the Federation may be prosecuted on account of any vote he casts or opinion he expresses in the House, nor shall any administrative action be taken against any member on such grounds.
2. No member of the House of the Federation may be arrested or prosecuted without the permission of the House except in the case of flagrante delicto.

Decisions and Rules of Procedure

1. The presence at a meeting of two-thirds of the members of the House of the Federation constitutes a quorum. All decisions of the House require the approval of a majority of members present and voting.
2. Members of the House may vote only when they are present in person in the House.

Budget, Speaker, Sessions

Article 65 — Budget. The House of the Federation shall submit its budget for approval to the House of Peoples' Representatives.

Article 66 — Powers of the Speaker. The Speaker presides over House meetings, directs all administrative affairs on behalf of the House, and enforces disciplinary actions taken on members.

Article 67 — Sessions and Term. The House shall hold at least two sessions annually; its term of mandate is five years.

Members of the House

1. Members shall be elected by the People for a term of five years on the basis of universal suffrage and by direct, free and fair elections held by secret ballot.
2. Members shall be elected from candidates in each electoral district by a plurality of the votes cast. Provisions shall be made by law for special representation for minority Nationalities and Peoples.
3. Members of the House, on the basis of population and special representation of minority Nationalities and Peoples, shall not exceed 550; of these, minority Nationalities and Peoples shall have at least 20 seats.
4. Members are representatives of the Ethiopian People as a whole. They are governed by: (a) the Constitution; (b) the will of the people; and (c) their conscience.
5. No member may be prosecuted on account of any vote cast or opinion expressed in the House, nor shall any administrative action be taken against any member on such grounds.
6. No member may be arrested or prosecuted without the permission of the House except in the case of flagrante delicto.
7. A member of the House may, in accordance with law, lose his mandate of representation upon loss of confidence by the electorate.

Legislative Mandate

The House of Peoples' Representatives shall have the power of legislation in all matters assigned by the Constitution to Federal jurisdiction, and shall enact specific laws on the following matters:

1. Utilisation of land and other natural resources, of rivers and lakes crossing national territorial jurisdiction or linking two or more States.
2. Inter-State commerce and foreign trade; air, rail, water and sea transport; postal and telecommunication services.
3. Enforcement of political rights established by the Constitution and electoral laws and procedures.
4. Nationality, immigration, passport, exit and entry, the rights of refugees and of asylum.
5. Uniform standards of measurement and calendar; patents and copyrights; the possession and bearing of arms.
6. Labour code, commercial code, and penal code (States may enact penal laws on matters not specifically covered by Federal penal legislation).
7. Civil laws which the House of the Federation deems necessary to establish and sustain one economic community.
8. Organisation of national defence, public security, and a national police force, with investigative powers if these forces infringe on human rights or national security.
9. Declaration of state of emergency (Article 93) and proclamation of state of war on a draft submitted by the Council of Ministers.
10. Approval of general policies and strategies of economic, social and development, and fiscal and monetary policy; laws on the local currency, the National Bank, and foreign exchange.
11. Levying of taxes and duties on Federal revenue sources; ratification of the Federal budget.
12. Ratification of international agreements concluded by the executive.
13. Approval of the appointment of Federal judges, members of the Council of Ministers, commissioners, the Auditor General, and other officials whose appointment requires its approval by law.
14. Establishment of a Human Rights Commission and the institution of the Ombudsman, determining their powers and functions by law.
15. Power to call and question the Prime Minister and other Federal officials and to investigate the Executive's conduct and discharge of responsibilities.
16. Election of the Speaker and Deputy Speaker; establishment of standing and ad hoc committees as needed.

Political Power

A political party, or a coalition of political parties, that has the greatest number of seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives shall form the Executive and lead it.

Adoption of Laws

Laws deliberated upon and passed by the House shall be submitted to the Nation's President for signature. The President shall sign a law submitted to him within fifteen days. If the President does not sign the law within fifteen days, it shall take effect without his signature.

Meetings of the House & Duration of Term

1. The presence of more than half of the members constitutes a quorum.
2. The annual session begins on the Monday of the final week of the Ethiopian month of Meskerem and ends on the 30th day of Sene. The House may adjourn for one month of recess during its annual session.
3. The House shall be elected for a term of five years; elections shall conclude one month before expiry of the House's term.
4. The Speaker may call a meeting when in recess, and is obliged to do so at the request of more than one-half of members.
5. Meetings shall be public; closed meetings may be held at the request of the Executive or members if supported by a decision of more than one-half of members.

Decisions, Procedure, Dissolution

Article 59 — Decisions and Rules of Procedure. Unless otherwise provided in the Constitution, all decisions are by majority vote of members present and voting; the House adopts its own rules and procedures.

Article 60 — Dissolution. With the consent of the House, the Prime Minister may cause its dissolution before expiry to hold new elections. New elections shall be held within six months; the new House convenes within thirty days of the conclusion of elections. Following dissolution, the previous governing party or coalition continues as a caretaker government and may not enact new proclamations, regulations or decrees, nor amend existing law.

Overview

The Parliamentary Knowledge Translation and Capacity Development Programme is a flagship initiative of BRIDGE designed to improve access to high-quality parliamentary knowledge, research, and practical guidance for the Parliament of Ethiopia and regional state legislatures

While leading parliamentary organizations have developed a wealth of valuable resources on legislative practice, parliamentary oversight, committee systems, public engagement, budget scrutiny, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, gender equality, ethics, and democratic governance, many of these publications remain inaccessible to Ethiopian legislators and parliamentary staff due to language barriers and limited contextual adaptation.

BRIDGE seeks to address this gap by serving as Ethiopia's trusted knowledge partner for translating, contextualizing, disseminating, and promoting internationally recognized parliamentary resources in local languages, beginning with Amharic.

Vision

To be a national centre for parliamentary knowledge, innovation, and legislative excellence by making world-class parliamentary resources accessible to legislators, parliamentary staff, researchers, universities, and democratic institutions in Ethiopia.

Programme Objectives

• Improve access to internationally recognized parliamentary knowledge through high-quality translations into Amharic and, where appropriate, other Ethiopian languages.
• Contextualize global parliamentary best practices to reflect Ethiopia's constitutional, legal, and institutional environment.
• Strengthen the capacity of Members of Parliament, parliamentary committees, parliamentary staff, legislative researchers, and policy practitioners.
• Promote evidence-based lawmaking, effective parliamentary oversight, and citizen-centred governance.
• Foster partnerships between Ethiopian parliamentary institutions and leading international parliamentary organizations.
• Create a sustainable national repository of parliamentary knowledge and reference materials.

Strategic Partnerships

BRIDGE seeks to establish long-term partnerships with leading international parliamentary organizations and democracy support institutions, including:

• GLOBE Legislators
• Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD)
• National Democratic Institute (NDI)
• International IDEA
• Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU)
• Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA)
• AGORA Parliamentary Development Knowledge Hub
• Parliamentary Centre (Canada)
• UN Women
• UNDP Parliamentary Development Programmes
• Regional parliamentary networks and academic institutions

Rather than seeking permission to translate individual publications on an ad hoc basis, BRIDGE proposes strategic collaboration frameworks through which partner organizations authorize the translation, contextualization, dissemination, and use of selected parliamentary publications while maintaining full recognition of intellectual property and authorship.

Programme Components

1. Translation of Parliamentary Resources

Translation of internationally recognized parliamentary manuals, handbooks, toolkits, research reports, and practical guides into Amharic and other relevant Ethiopian languages.

2. Contextualization

Adaptation of translated resources to reflect Ethiopia's constitutional framework, parliamentary procedures, legislative practice, and governance context while preserving the integrity of the original publications.

3. Publication and Knowledge Dissemination

Production and distribution of printed and digital publications through:

• Parliament of Ethiopia
• Regional State Councils
• Parliamentary libraries
• Universities
• Research institutions
• Civil society organizations
• BRIDGE's digital knowledge platform

4. Capacity Building and Professional Development

Where resources and partnerships permit, BRIDGE will design and deliver capacity-building programmes based on the translated parliamentary resources to support their practical application within parliamentary institutions. Training programmes will be developed in collaboration with partner organizations and tailored to the needs of Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, committee secretariats, legislative researchers, and other governance practitioners.

Potential activities include:

• Orientation programmes for newly elected Members of Parliament.
• Specialized training for parliamentary committees and committee staff.
• Workshops on legislative drafting, parliamentary oversight, budget scrutiny, and committee effectiveness.
• Professional development courses on parliamentary research and evidence-informed lawmaking.
• Training on emerging issues such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation, climate governance, public financial management, gender-responsive legislating, and citizen engagement.
• Training-of-Trainers (ToT) programmes to strengthen institutional capacity within parliamentary administrations.
• Webinars, executive seminars, and peer-learning events featuring national and international experts.
• Certificate-based learning programmes delivered independently or in partnership with universities and international parliamentary organizations.

These activities will be implemented subject to the availability of financial resources, technical expertise, and strategic partnerships. BRIDGE is committed to working with development partners and parliamentary institutions to mobilize the resources necessary to expand access to high-quality parliamentary learning opportunities across Ethiopia.

5. Parliamentary Knowledge Hub

Creation of Ethiopia's first comprehensive digital repository of parliamentary publications, research papers, legislative toolkits, comparative studies, and learning resources that will be freely accessible to legislators, researchers, students, and governance practitioners.

Expected Outcomes

• Greater access to international parliamentary knowledge in local languages.
• Stronger legislative research and evidence-informed policymaking.
• Improved parliamentary oversight, budgeting, lawmaking, and committee performance.
• Increased institutional capacity of parliamentary staff and legislators.
• Enhanced collaboration between Ethiopian parliamentary institutions and global parliamentary networks.
• A sustainable knowledge ecosystem supporting democratic governance and parliamentary modernization.

BRIDGE's Role

BRIDGE serves as the programme's coordinating institution and knowledge partner by:

• Establishing partnerships with international organizations.
• Managing translation and quality assurance processes.
• Coordinating contextual adaptation with national experts.
• Publishing and disseminating parliamentary resources.
• Designing and delivering capacity-building programmes.
• Monitoring programme impact and documenting lessons learned.

Invitation to Collaborate

BRIDGE welcomes collaboration with parliamentary institutions, international organizations, development partners, universities, research centres, and governance practitioners who share our commitment to strengthening democratic institutions through accessible knowledge, innovation, and institutional capacity development.

Together, we can build a stronger parliamentary knowledge ecosystem that equips legislators with the information, tools, and skills needed to promote accountable governance, effective representation, and democratic resilience in Ethiopia and across the Horn of Africa.

From Khartoum 2000 to Addis Ababa 2004

The establishment of an Inter-Parliamentary Union of IGAD Member States was announced in the Khartoum Declaration during the 8th Ordinary Summit of the Heads of State and Government of IGAD Member States, held on 23 November 2000 in Sudan.

The Conference of Speakers of National Parliaments of IGAD Member States, which met in Addis Ababa on 20 February 2004 to launch the Inter-Parliamentary Union, adopted the protocol establishing the Inter-Parliamentary Union of IGAD Member States — headquartered in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and led by a Secretary-General. The regional parliamentary union was formed to promote cooperation among parliaments in the region.

The House of Peoples' Representatives of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia ratified the protocol establishing IPU-IGAD on 25 March 2004 (Proclamation No. 396/2004, Federal Negarit Gazette).