NEWS- The House of Federation of Ethiopia today passes a bill allowing the current federal and regional administrations to stay on power till the country will be able to contain the spread of coronavirus and be able to hold general election.
The House made the decision based on the recommendation from the 10 members Council of Ethiopia’s Constitutional Inquiry, which was established recently. Among the issues covered by the Council includes what will be the fate of the current administration after its term ends next October after the election is suspended because of coronavirus pandemic.
The 6th general election Ethiopia was going to hold next August is postponed because of the outbreak of the global pandemic coronavirus. Ethiopia, which is now under the state of emergency, holds general election every five years.
The House of Federation today accepted the recommendation of the Council, which suggested the continuity of the current administration on power until coronavirus is contained, and the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia Public Health Institute of Ethiopia, among others confirm that it is safe for the country to hold election.
The suggested that the confirmation of the health institutions of the country should be approved by the parliament and Ethiopia has to hold the
6th general election within nine to 11 months after that. It is recalled that five years ago, the the ruling coalition of Ethiopia, Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and its affiliate political parties mainly found in the peripheral regions of the country have declared the 5th general election 100 percent.
After the reformist Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has come to power two years ago, Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), which has been dominant in the political and economy of Ethiopia since coming to power in 1991, has decided to leave the coalition. The remaining three political parties in the coalition namely the Oromo Democratic Party, Amhara Democratic Party, and The Southern Ethiopia Peoples Democratic Movement, have merged a few months ago bringing all the five peripheral political parties aboard and formed Prosperity Party of Ethiopia led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
The five political parties ruling the peripheral regions of Ethiopia, which joined Prosperity Party are in charge of Somali, Afar, Gambella, Harari and Benishangul Gumz regions. The TPLF, which has refused to be part of Prosperity is now in charge of Tigray region of Ethiopia found in the northern part neighboring Eritrea and Sudan.