DECREE PROCLAIMING THE CONSTITUTION

We, Hiaile Selassie I, Emperor of Ethiopia, having been called, by the Grace of God and the unanimous voice of the Ethiopian people, to receive under unction the Crown and Throne of the Empire, do hereby acknowledge Our gratitude to Our Creator and Our people for the confidence they have shown in Us .

It is Our conviction that there is no better way of expressing Our gratitude for, and proving Ourselves worthy of, this confidence than by directing all of Our efforts in such a way as to insure that he who comes after Us shall be invested , with the same confidence and shall strive always to rule Our beloved Country in a manner that will ever promote its progress, prosperity, and welfare.

After thoughtful and prolonged deliberations upon the best means of securing and safeguarding these ends, We have decided that these objectives can be most effectively attained by granting to the Ethiopian people a Constitution, based upon the approved laws of Our native land and well-established principles of order and justice. It is Our hope that this Constitution will contribute to the maintenance of Our Government and to the happiness and prosperity of Our beloved people, and that it will be a source of pride and satisfaction to all.

With these thoughts in mind, We do hereby, in accordance with Our sovereign will and authority, grant this Constitution, and in order that it may remain perpetual and immutable, We do decree that in the future it shall serve as the basis and authority for tne promulgation of such additional laws as shall be deemed necessary for upholding its principles, attaining its objectives, and preserving the Ethiopian State .

Having received from the hands of God a high mission for the accomplishment of Ethiopia’s destinies, We have, ever since Our accession to the Imperial Throne, held it to be Our duty to safeguard the welfare of Our people, and to promote their progress and advancement in th;\se pursuits of happiness and civilization which distinguish cultured and independent nations.

We belive that governmental action can be facilitated, the happiness of the people assured, and peace and prosperity promoted, all in such a way as to redound to the honor and well-being of present and future -.generations by further elaborations of this Constitution. It is Our hope that such elaboration shall be carried out in the future as circumstances require and in the spirit of the afore -mentioned objectives.

It is in this spirit that We have issued this Decree proclaiming the Constitution, without solicitation, and of Our own free will, in the second Year of Our reign, in the Year of Grace, 1923 (1931).