Delegates from the ruling EPRDF party will congregate in Bahir Dar town, 563Km from Addis Abeba, to attend the ninth convention of the party from March 21 to 23, 2013. This will be the first convention to be held in the absence of Meles Zenawi, the founding chairman of the party. The EPRDF was formed in May 1988, in Tigray, but held its first convention in January 1991, five months before its forces advanced to Addis Abeba.