The Oromo people of Ethiopia and Northern Kenya have a unique democracy, Gadaa, that has existed for centuries.
Every eight years new leaders are chosen by consensus from the men of the district who are all of a similar age. These men all belong to one of five parties, each party coming to power every forty years. In the event of the death of a leader, his wife assumes the mantle for the remainder of the term.
This democratic and remarkably stable system has been the subject of study for decades and has been inscribed on UNESCO’s Intangible Cultural Heritage List. The ceremonies that mark an election year include the wearing of specific colours and attire, as you can see in the photographs in this article and here.
This year is an election year and the 72nd Abbaa Gadaa, Guyo Boru Guyo, has just assumed the leadership role.
Read more:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gadaa
Learn more:
https://www.gadaarenaissance.com/home
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S240584402100877X
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