Borkena
Toronto – it has been several weeks since major Ethiopian opposition parties announced that there is “no enabling condition” across the country to participate in the upcoming general election.
The Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) is now making an exception. The ethnic Oromo nationalist party says that it will be fielding candidates in the capital Addis Ababa, not in Oromia.
It is rationalizing its decision with a commitment for its existence as a legally registered opposition party. Ethiopian Electoral Board requires registered opposition parties to take part in election at least once in two consecutive elections or the parties will lose their legal opposition status. OFC did not take part in the 2021 election.
Its assessment conditions needed for election in the Oromia region are not changed.
Merera Gudina, Deputy Chairman of the party, pointed out the political space in the Oromia region is narrow. The security situation in the region is another factor why his party argues that there is no enabling condition in the region.
He noted that his party used to have over 200 offices across the region. Currently, there are only three.
There has been reported active conflict in most parts of the region between the government forces and the militant ethnic Oromo nationalist group which calls itself “Oromo Liberation Army.”
“No reliable security situation,” in the region, BBC Amharic cited him as saying.
He stated that it is “unthinkable” to have an observer or undertake election activity in the region due to the security situation. “It has become a problem to freely move in the Oromia region,” he added.
He said it has been four years since he visited his political constituency, Ambo, for security reasons.
Furthermore, he said that it will be risky for members and supporters to participate under the existing security situation.
Another key point he raised is that the armed groups in the region will “not allow” OFC to participate in the election as they see it “meaningless”
From the news report, published on Wednesday, OFC held a meeting to pass the decision to deliberate on the issue of taking part in the election. The decision is for a “symbolic and strategic participation” in the election.
Other opposition parties have not yet remarked on OFC‘s position whether its decision is purely based on security and political considerations in the Oromia region or not. OFC is one of the ethnic Oromo nationalist forces with claims of exclusive ownership over Addis Ababa. The has been accusation that the ruling party systematically engineered demographic changes in the capital under the guise of corridor development project.
The Chairman also alleged that the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia is not neutral. There have been similar accusations from other opposition parties.
Recently, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia suspended Enat Party – one of the major opposition parties in the country and a member of Coalition for National Unity.
” I do not have a conviction that there will be a free and fair election that is capable of giving birth to democratic system,” Merera remarked.
In one of his latest appearances at the Ethiopian Parliament, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said “the upcoming election will be much better” in terms of the process and the result.
Ethiopia’s 7th General Election is scheduled to take place in June this year.
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