National Election Board of Ethiopia today warned the Tigray People’s Liberation Front TPLF against holding party congress on Tuesday.
TPLF on Monday confirmed that on Tuesday it will hold a party congress. Participants have been entering Mekelle city since this morning. The congress will be held at Martyrs’ Hall in Mekelle city.
National Election Board of Ethiopia in a letter written to TPLF warned that congress, if held, would be illegal. On Friday, NEBE granted registration certificate to TPLF. It registered TPLF as a political party under special circumstance. NEBE gave six-month time to TPLF to hold a party congress. It asked TPLF to intimate NEBE 21 days before holding the congress so that the election commission could deploy its observers to monitor the congress. But NEBE refused to reinstate TPLF. The decision by NEBE was rejected by the TPLF which asked federal government to intervene. TPLF has been demanding restoration of its status not new registration.
Ethiopian federal government, through its Communication Ministry, today asked TPLF to respect the decision made by the NEBE. Last month, the Prime Minister warned TPLF against holding party congress. He said holding of illegal congress could lead to resumption of armed hostilities.
Since NEBE today declared that TPLF congress, due to be held on Tuesday, would be illegal, it means the decisions made at the congress won’t be recognized by the Election board.
Several senior TPLF leaders have announced to boycott the congress. Tigray interim president Getachew Reda and around a dozen central committee members have publicly announced that they won’t attend the party congress. TPLF central control commission, in a statement today, distanced itself from organizing and attending the party congress.
TPLF is faced with the worst internal divisions. It seems that TPLF could expel some senior leaders from the party on Tuesday.
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