The FDRE Constitution gives ri g ht s to Nations, Nationaliti es and Peoples (NNPs) of E thiopi a.rnThe soverei gn po litical power resides in NNPs. The y are entitled to se lf-determinat ion includingrnsecession. The ri ght to se lf-determination, as enshrined under Article 39, includes the right tornlanguage, culture and hi stor y, the right to a full measure of se lf-gov ernment including the ri ght tornestablish institutions of goverr1ll1 e nt in th e te rritory that it inhabits and to equitable repr esentati o nrnin the state and federal governments. The federal set-up is de limited predominantly a long ethn olinguirnstic criteria. These reco gni tion and empowerment of divers ity is an important moverntoward s accommodating the diverse nature of the soc iety.rnBut , there are majoritarian characteristics in Ethiopia which convinces that the guarantees underrnthe FDRE Co nstitution are not s ufficient. The executive is controlled by one party which alsornenjoys a majority in the parliament. There is a unicameral legislature and absence of anrnindependent arbiter of the constitution. Lack of PR electoral system for the election of membersrnof the HPR with other problems necessitates the need to look for consociational democracy inrnorder to achieve and maintain stab le democ racy and legi timacy.rnConsociational democracy with four defining characteristics which includes grand coalition,rnautonomy, proportionality and minorit y vet offers sufficien t representation a t t he center andrnconsiderable autonomy for ethno-linguistic groups . There is po s itive favorab le condition inrnEthiopia to make the current 'semi-consociational' arrangement fully consociational. The federalrnarrangement should be amended to give the H oF the power make laws and over-representrnminorities; the electoral system should that of PR; the principle of proportionality should bernapplicable in military, police and civil servic e.rnPolitical elites of di ffe rent ethno-linguistic group s should cooperate for a negoti atio n withrno compromise and tolerance. Their role in multi-ethnic soc ieties vital in order to bring aboutrnstabi lit y and le gitimacy that is sought in bring a bout.