Ethiopian opposition with a country-wide political agenda aim to form a grand national party. To that effect, they are ending their feeble existence as individual parties
borkena
December 30,2018
In the past, it was customary to hear formation of new opposition parties. The number of opposition parities in the country was well over 80.
Now a different trend is emerging. Especially political parties with a nation-wide agenda, as opposed to ethnic-based ones which tend to be parochial in their objectives, seem to find more meaning and purpose in forging a bigger and formidable opposition party.
Today, Semayawi party, which is about seven years old, decided to merge with three opposition parties and cease its existence as Semayawi.
According to Fana Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) report, the party has now agreed to form unity with Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP), Arbegnoch Ginbot 7 and former Unity Party. Arbegnoch Ginbot 7, whose chairman-Berhanu Nega- was once a Bucknell University and a rebel leader, was removed from the list of terrorism after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took power and finally returned home from its military base in Eritrea.
It means, based on FBC report, members of the three parties will unite at different levels of the party structure including at the district level.
It held its congress, which was attended by representatives from district levels as well, to pass the decision.
The congress was organized with the motto “Bigger National Party for Ethiopian Unity” and other opposition party representatives including the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Forum (EPRDF) attended the congress as guests.
And it decided to unite with other parties with similar political agenda.
The four entities which are ending their individual existence are expected to announce a new name until the end of March 2019.
The parties seem to have a positivist view towards the government of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and they all have declared that they support the reform measures of his administration and would like to support it in transforming the country to a democracy.
During a meeting with more than 80 opposition groups a few months ago, prime minister Abiy Ahmed encouraged parties with similar political agenda to come together. His target is to make the number of political parties in the country to three or four.
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