The ruling Ethiopian People Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which came to power in 1991 after a guerilla war against the bloody Mengistu Haille Mariam regime, holds total political sway. The coalition, which consists of four political parties, holds 499 out of the 547 national assembly seats.
To illustrate the country’s political intolerance, the government often refers to the opposition in derogatory terms like “chauvinists”, “narrow nationalists”, “secessionists” or simply “enemies”.
The Ethiopian government controls all spheres of life, from media to people’s daily lives. The main national broadcaster, Ethiopian Television, and most of the 10 radio stations, are owned by the government. Introduced in 1992 and giving the police sweeping powers to detain journalists without trial and shut down dissenting media outlets, Ethiopian media laws make the National Security (Amendment) Bill 2014 look like a legal walk in the park.
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