Opposition parties call for the formation of “all inclusive regional government”

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Toronto – Opposition parties operating in the Tigray region of Ethiopia are calling for the formation of an “all inclusive regional government” as the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) 14th party congress is underway in  Mekelle – where there is also another meeting , one that opposes the TPLF congress.   

An interim regional government has been in place after the Pretoria agreement was signed. Getachew Reda is head of the interim administration. The TPLF has been sabotaging the administration by making – among other things – the region ungovernable for security and political reasons. Earlier this year, Getachew unveiled to the media that there are secret prisons in the region that are not known to his administration. Yet, it is the TPLF itself that accuses the interim administration of being. 

Salsay Woyane Tigray, Tigray Freedom Party and Baytona Tigray Opposition parties, who are operating in Tigray, on Friday had a joint press conference in Mekelle as the TPLF’s congress enters its fourth day. According to the report by BBC Amharic published on Friday, the parties see what they call “main danger in Tigray region” as an outcome of “systemic laziness.”  

The parties added that “we need a government that does not go sick when a political party [leading party] gets sick.” For them, that can only happen when an “all inclusive government is formed that is capable of mobilizing the people [in the region].” 

Leaders of the interim government in the Tigray region are mostly from the TPLF party. The party is currently experiencing what is said to be unprecedented internal turmoil. The latest one manifested itself in the form of division over the 14th party congress. While about 17 central committee members of the party held a position that that the Congress should not take place at this time, the remaining central committee members including Debretsion Gebremichael, who is also chairman of the party, insisted to go ahead with the congress despite prohibition from the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia on legal grounds.   

Opposition parties see TPLF’s action to go ahead with the Congress as part of the “do or die” effort it is making to continue “to impose itself on the people” despite it singularly dominating the region’s politics for over three decades. 

The Federal government supports the National Electoral Board position. A few weeks ago, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed stated that the TPLF made about five provocations. He also said that war could reignite if the TPLF undertakes party congress illegally. 

Opposition parties in the Tigray region are expressing concern that the Federal government needs to make a distinction between the TPLF and the people in the region. The main concern right now is that that war could break out again. And the TPLF has over 270,000 armed combatants although it was supposed to disarm in accordance with the Pretoria Agreement. 

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