TPLF only 'outsiders' to Ethiopia ruling coalition merger – EPRDF official

Only one party in four-member ruling coalition in Ethiopia is currently opposed to plans to unify the bloc into one national party, a top officer of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front has disclosed.

According to Fikadu Tessema, EPRDF’s Political and Civic Affairs head, said except for Tigray Peoples Liberation Front, TPLF, the other three parties have all approved the new document on EPRDF’S merger to form a single, united party.

Tessema was speaking in an interview with Amharic newspaper Addis Zemen, a local news outlet. He added that the merger was initiated to build a democratic and inclusive system.

He stressed that the current situation the country finds itself is different from the times when the Front was established, and the current situation demands a restructuring that mirrors the actual reality on the ground.

The idea of the proposed Ethiopia Prosperity Party, EPP, is seen as one of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s plans to streamline the coalition’s decision making structure.

The idea seen as partly controversial within the context of the country’s transition and upcoming polls in 2020 has been widely debated on social media but no official announcement has been made.

The ruling Ethiopia People Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF, comprises four main parties with five other satellite parties. The four main parties being:

• The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF).
• The Oromo Democratic Party, ODP.
• The Amhara Democratic Party, ADP.
• The Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, SEPDM.

The TPLF, who are the ruling party in the northern Tigray regional State are known to be openly and stiffly against the idea of a united party. Some reports suggest that even with Abiy’s own ODP, he faces some challenges to the proposal.