Above: Council members of the South West Ethiopian People’s Regional state approving the budget for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Picture: Communication affairs bureau
Addis Abeba – The Council of the newly constituted South West Ethiopian People’s Regional State has reviewed and approved the bill for multi-capital city, which will pave ways for the creation four capital cities with equal status.
In so doing, the new regional state became the first among Ethiopia’s 11 federated states to become a regional state with four decentralized capital cities of equal status but different purposes.
The bill, which was tabled to the Council for discussion and approval on 03 August, stipulates that the regional government will have four capital cities located in Bonga, Tercha, Mizan Aman and Tepi cities.
Accordingly, the Council has approved the bill which will make Bonga City to be the seat of political and regional president’s office; Tercha will be the seat of the regional council; Mizan Aman will be the seat of the regional judiciary; and Tepi will be the seat of the region’s nations Council.
Furthermore, the Council has approved that Ameya and Jemu cities will have shares of hosting institutions with the view to contribute economic progress and developments related with decentralized regional state institutions, according to the regional state communication bureau.
The decision was made at the Council’s second regular meeting, which has also resulted in the approval of more than 11.3 billion Birr budget for the 2022 – 2023 fiscal year of the regional state, and appointments of five different standing committee members of the Council, as well as judges for regional courts who went through the feedback processes of the Federal Supreme Court.
The Council held its first regular meeting on 31 March 2022 in Bonga city. It came after the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s (SNNP) regional state Council handed over power to the new State on 01 November 2021. More than a million voters cast their votes in a referendum held on 30 September 2021 which was the second after Sidama regional state. The overwhelming majority of the voters approved the creation of the new state. AS
Source: https://addisstandard.com/