Journal of Advance Public Policy and International Affairs (JAPPIA) Open Access, Double Blind Peer Review, Referral International Journal Indexed in Google Scholar, Thomson Reuter RID, Academic and Open Access Directory 129 Reconstructing Policy Decision-Making in the Ethiopian Seed Sector: Actors and Arenas Influencing Policymaking Process Mohammed Hassena* Law and Governance, Wageningen University Research, The Netherlands Otto Hospes Public Administration and Policy, Wageningen University Research, The Netherlands Bram De Jonge Law and Governance Group, Wageningen University Research, The Netherlands Research is financed by, Centre for Development Innovation, Wageningen University Research Abstract In Ethiopia, new policy actors and new policy arenas have emerged as a result of major changes that took place in the political and economic system in the early 1990’s: the separation of state powers between the legislature and the executive, and the decision to move towards a market-oriented economic system. These are important changes that clear ground for better policymaking processes. However, the mere separation of power and emergency of new actors do not necessarily guarantee effectiveness of the established system, and thus need analysis. Considering policymaking as a process involving multiple actors, arenas and interactions between policy actors, this article sheds a new light on policymaking processes in Ethiopia. Focusing on the four years of discussions on developing seed law, we question whether and how the emergence of new actors and new policy arenas have influenced the process and outcome of policymaking in the Ethiopian seed sector. Our analysis reveals that the new policy arenas provided opportunities for actors to place their preferred policy options on the agenda and to get them incorporated into the draft seed law. However, decision-making ultimately remains firmly in the hands of the executive, mainly because of a blurred separation of power between the executive and the legislature. Keywords: public policy, arena, actor, legislative, executive, seed policy 1. Introduction Since the creation of modern Ethiopia in the second half of the 19th century, public policymaking has been the domain of emperors, kings and palace courts, the nobility, military dictators, and civilian and bureaucratic elites (Abebe, 2005). The historically authoritarian system of the country provides little room if any, for society to influence policymaking. Rather, as in many other developing countries, society is ill informed of the policymaking process, yet nevertheless affected by the resulting policies (Saasa, 1985). Since 1974, the political regime of Ethiopia has dramatically changed twice. In 1974, the socialist regime replaced the age- old monarchical system, and in 1991, ‘revolutionary democracy’ replaced the socialist regime (Abebe, 2005). Under the monarchy and socialist regimes, the power of policymaking was vested in the monarchical and the executive respectively (ibid).