Ethiopian National Election Board Sets Deadline for TPLF General Assembly Amid Factional Crisis

UMD Media, December 31, 2024

The Ethiopian National Election Board (NEBE) has formally directed the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) to hold its general assembly by February 10, 2025. This announcement follows NEBE’s rejection of the congress held in August 2024 under the leadership of Debretsion Gebremichael, labeling it illegal.

In a letter dated four days ago and posted today on its social media platforms, NEBE also instructed the TPLF to submit a formal request for the upcoming general assembly by January 20, 2025. This step is necessary for the Board to organize and send representatives to observe the congress. The NEBE warned that failure to comply with the 41-day deadline would prompt “appropriate measures,” though specifics were not disclosed.

The directive underscores the ongoing power struggle within the TPLF. The August congress, led by Chairperson Debretsion Gebremichael, has been denounced as illegitimate by a rival faction led by Deputy Chair Getachew Reda. The internal rift deepened when Debretsion’s faction reportedly expelled Getachew Reda and other central committee members from the party.

As the NEBE deadline looms, questions remain over how the TPLF will navigate its internal divisions and comply with the Board’s requirements. The NEBE’s intervention highlights the gravity of the factionalism threatening the party’s unity and its broader political influence in Tigray and beyond.