Government appoints human rights commissioner and ombudsman

Ethiopia has appointed a human rights commissioner to investigate alleged abuses, parliamentary officials told IRIN on Thursday. Dr Kasa Gebre Hiwot was announced in parliament as head of the Human Rights Commission (HRC), along with Abay Tekle Beyene, as ombudsman. The government first announced its plan to effect these appointments in 2000. Earlier this year, Hilary Benn, the British secretary of state for international development, said he wanted to see progress towards implementation of the plan as he announced a tripling of aid to US $100 million over three years. The HRC is responsible for overseeing human rights in the country, and the ombudsman for ensuring "good governance and transparency". "This is an exercise in democracy and enhancing democracy," said Asmaru Beherun Kebede, the MP for eastern Addis Ababa, who was on the nominating committee. "These two institutions are very important. Human rights are of paramount importance in our constitution," Asmaru, a member of the ruling coalition, the Ethiopian People's Democratic Revolutionary Front, told IRIN. But critics have questioned the new appointments. Opposition politicians voted against them, arguing that they had had little say on who would take up the posts, and the decision had been steamrollered through. Dr Beyene Petros, the vice-chairman of an opposition coalition group, the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces, described the appointments as "window dressing". "We are very far from these offices being functional," he told IRIN. "These are just two individuals, but the institutions are not there. Until the institutions are in place, they will not be able to carry out their work." The president of the Ethiopian Human Rights Council, said he was sceptical about what the exact role the HRC would play. Prof Mesfin Wolde-Mariam said he would welcome its establishment when it started addressing alleged abuses being perpetrated in the country. "Of course we would like to work with them," he told IRIN, "but I am not sure what action they will be able to take on human rights issues." Kasa, a 75-year-old former lecturer at Moscow University in Russia, was also Ethiopia’s ambassador to Russia for 10 years. Abay is a former lecturer at Bahir Dar University.