Ethiopia's ruling Amhara bloc announces name, logo overhaul

The Amhara National Democratic Movement, ANDM, a key bloc in Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, EPRDF, has announced changes to its name and also outdoored a new logo.

ANDM is to be known forthwith as the Amhara Democratic Party, ADP. The new developments were reached over the weekend and announced by state-affiliated FANA broadcasting corporate on Monday.

The move comes weeks after the EPRDF’s Oromo bloc announced similar changes as the coalition gears up for elections slated for 2020. The Oromo Peoples Democratic Organization, OPDO, changed to the Oromo Democratic Party, ODP.

The Oromos, the country’s most populous group, were the main catalysts behind years of anti-government protests that led to change of guard at the political helm.

The Amhara region also witnessed significant protests. The Amharas are Ethiopia’s second largest ethnic group. The bloc is currently led by deputy Prime Minister Demeke Mekonnen.

Hailemariam Desalegn resigned as Prime Minister in early 2018 according to him, to allow for much needed political reforms. In came Abiy Ahmed, an Oromo, who has since turned around the country’s politics and democracy.

The Ethiopia People Revolutionary Democratic Front comprises four main parties:

• The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)
• The Oromo People’s Democratic Organization (OPDO) now ODP
• The Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM) now ADP
• The Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, SEPDM.

What the government communications office wrote about the party

The congress that has been deliberating on various issues for the past few days has changed the party’s name to Amhara Democratic Party (ADP).

The organization has been using the name, the Amhara National Democratic Movement, since 1994.

The Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (EPDM), the precursor of ANDM, was founded by former members of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP).

EPDM changed its name to Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), marking its transition from a pan-Ethiopian movement to an ethnic party in 1994 at its third organizational conference.

The party has also changed its logo as part of the rebranding process. Light green, yellow and bright red with an emblem showing torch, wheat, industry and river Nile is going to be the new logo.