Getachew Reda moving in the direction of establishing the Liberal Party of Tigray region of Ethiopia
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Getachew Reda, the former head of the Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) and current Minister Advisor to the Prime Minister on the Horn of Africa, is reportedly in the process of establishing his own political party, according to Wazema. This development comes as the TPLF (Tigray People’s Liberation Front), the party to which Getachew Reda was formerly a leading member, faces potential deregistration by the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).
Getachew Reda’s faction within the TPLF stated that the decision to form a new party is driven by the need to struggle for Tigray’s future peaceful and democratic destiny. The group has accused the TPLF faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael of unilaterally controlling key institutions in Tigray, including the mining sector and the Tigray Development Association, allegedly with the support of the interim administration. They have called on civil society organizations to take legal action to stop this and urged the interim administration to cease its support for Debretsion’s group’s control over these institutions.
A group that split from the TPLF led by Ato Getachew Reda, is reportedly in the process of forming a new political party, according to one of its leaders who spoke to the BBC Amharic.
This new political party, which is currently undergoing the registration process, is said to follow liberal democratic principles. The leadership has decided to name it the “Tigray Liberal Democratic Party.”
A former TPLF official, who requested anonymity, stated that this name was chosen by those actively involved in forming the party. However, since it has not yet received official recognition from the electoral board, the name could be changed or modified during the upcoming assembly.
This move by Getachew Reda’s faction unfolds against the backdrop of an ongoing dispute between the TPLF and the NEBE. The Election Board has set a deadline, after May 13, for the TPLF to re-register, failing which its legal recognition will be revoked.
Just a few days prior to this announcement, the TPLF reiterated its refusal to re-register. In a statement issued on April 24, 2025, the TPLF asserted that the non-restoration of its legal recognition would have “dangerous consequences” for the Pretoria Agreement, the peace deal that aimed to end the conflict in Tigray. The TPLF stated that it has escalated the issue of the Federal Government’s alleged violation of the Pretoria Agreement to the African Union (AU) Panel. According to the TPLF, the AU Panel has suggested that its legal entity be restored without requiring re-registration, with a final decision pending the Panel’s next meeting.
The TPLF’s current predicament stems from the legal requirements for political parties in Ethiopia. Following periods of conflict or significant internal changes, the NEBE often requires parties to re-register to ensure they meet the necessary criteria for legal operation within the country’s political framework. The TPLF, having been the dominant political force in Tigray during the recent conflict, now faces this requirement as part of the post-conflict political normalization process. However, the party maintains that the Pretoria Agreement guarantees its continued legal standing without the need for re-registration.
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As if those noble people of Tigray need another party. This is what deacons/darasaas of Marx/Lenin/Mao always choose to do. Their mentality is ‘If I don’t lead it the heck with you’. It is the same on the national level. Just look at how many political groups and parties are out there mumbling and jumbling. You will run out of breath just counting. It is pathetic. If you pull PM Abiy aside and ask him which party he is worried about losing to, he will tell you that he has no other party to worry about. He may be right because the opposition is hopelessly splintered beyond repair. If any group succeeds to swell up its following and happens to be close to AK47 then it will be the time to take to the bushes and wreak havoc on the day-to-day lives of peace mongering civilians. That is what happening in Amhara and Oromia regions now sending more than 10 million innocent citizens to the brink of death from starvation. What a shame!!!
Liberalism and ethnicism … Liberal Party and ethnic Tigray ….. funny !