The Executive Committee (EC) of the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is expected to convene today to discuss over the issue of creating a single unified party and pass a lasting solution which in turn will decide on the fate of the Front, The Reporter has learnt.
Even though the issue of incorporating the five parties that rule the regions under the umbrella of the EPRDF was on the table for so long, the current leadership change within the Front has ignited the issue once again.
It is to be remembered that back in February, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) revealed the plan of the Front to incorporate affiliates into the Front. The PM revealed the plan and the ongoing efforts during a conference, with over three thousand people gathered from the Somali, Afar, Benishangul Gumz, Harari and Afar regions.
To this end, the 11th congress of the Front, which was held in Hawassa, Southern Regional State, back in August, discussed over the matter and recommended that a merger should be conducted based on scientific researches and left the matter to the finding of the research. Subsequently, the research finding pointed out the importance of a unified party, so as to implement real federalism.
As a result, this issue has gripped the political landscape of the country in the past few weeks and politicians within the Front and in the opposition camp are forwarding different ideas over the matter.
Some argue that the move by the EPRDF would bring the unitary system back, seriously undermining the federal system. However, senior officials of the government were arguing against such claims and stated that the move would rather help build a real federal Ethiopia without risking the identity loss of nations and nationalities.
Furthermore, some argue that the rationale behind the move is about reinforcing the principles that are enshrined in the constitution, and the federalism system.
One of the critics of the move by the Front was forwarded by the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF). The Central Committee of the party conducting its regular meeting in Mekele, Tigray Regional State, a few weeks ago, was vocal in downplaying the move and stated that rushed moves to dissolve EPRDF, so as create a single unified party, poses a serious danger to the nation.
Following that meeting, even though the party issued a lengthy statement assessing the overall political activities of the country in the past year and a half, one thing that stands out from the statement and being a subject to discussions and heated debates among Ethiopians, was the stand TPLF has, over the ongoing move to create a single unified party.
TPLF argued that the problems in the country are going from bad to worse; and problems are piling-up without receiving the proper attention and solutions. According to the statement, one of the reasons for this intricate difficulties and challenges is the hasty movement to create a unified party.
However, the EPRDF Council’s secretariat downplayed the statement made by TPLF and argued that the party violates the discipline and the working procedures of the Front. Furthermore, it demanded a correction from the TPLF.
