Ethiopia: TPLF Disputes Recent Proclamation to Re-Register Outlawed Parties, Seeks Pre-War Legal Status

TPLF/Facebook
TPLF Chairman, Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD).
29 July 2024
Addis Standard (Addis Ababa)

Addis Abeba — The leader of Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) Debretsion Gebremichael said the recent proclamation, allowing outlawed political parties to re-register as legitimate organizations, falls short of his party's expectations.

According to Debretsion, TPLF seeks not only registration as a legitimate political entity, but also the reinstatement of its pre-war legal status.

Last month, the House of People's Representatives (HoPR) ratified the amended 'Electoral, Political Parties Registration, and Electoral Ethics Proclamation' in a move that enabled political groups outlawed due to their engagement in non-peaceful activities to regain legal status, provided they renounce violence and agree to operate peacefully.

"The proclamation may work for other groups like Fano who are not established as a party before, but it can't be applicable to TPLF, as we will never register as a new party," he remarked.

"We need to get back the pre-war legal status of the party," Debretsion affirmed.

During a press briefing on Sunday, Debretsion said the party explained the discrepancies to Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and other pertinent federal government authorities, including the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), and an agreement has been reached on the need to restore TPLF's pre-war legal status.

Following the meeting with the officials on 26 July 2024, the TPLF has written to NEBE formally requesting the restoration of its legal status, and a response is expected within two weeks, Debretsion stated.

Furthermore, Debretsion downplayed PM Abiy Ahmed's recent remarks of possibility of relapse into war if TPLF fails to register as a legitimate political party. "During our meeting with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, we discussed the matter, emphasizing TPLF's commitment to dialogue and avoiding confrontation," he said.

While announcing plans for a party congress, Debretsion acknowledged internal divisions within the TPLF. He highlighted the need for a new leadership and internal accountability while condemning anonymous leaks and infighting aimed at undermining the planned congress's outcome, and called for open debate and adherence to party rules.

It was in January 2021 that the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) canceled TPLF's legal registration as a political party citing the party's engagement in "armed violence against the government"; it also prevented TPLF officials from operating on behalf of the party.

Despite the Pretoria peace deal that ended the two-year war and subsequent delisting on 22 March last year of the TPLF from terrorist designation, the electoral board maintained its position asserting that there is no legal basis to reverse the annulment.

Read the original article on Addis Standard.

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