Ethiopia PM tasks ruling EPRDF to protect internal revolution

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed went proverbial on Wednesday morning at the opening of the ruling coalition’s 11th congress taking place in central Ethiopia.

Members of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF, today kicked off a three-day congress meant to discuss recent reforms undertaken by the Abiy Ahmed – led administration.

“The ideas for political reform are initiated by EPRDF and the reform will be sustained if the party generates and guides bold ideas that matter most to the people.

“If an egg is broken by outside force life ends. If broken by inside force, life begins,” the PM Abiy’s chief of staff quoted him as saying. He had made a similar call to the Oromo Democratic Party, ODP, which he currently leads.

The Ethiopia People Revolutionary Democratic Front comprises four main blocs:

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

It is the first time in three years that the congress is holding after the coalition postponed it on several occasions in the wake of spreading anti-government protests.

The protests largely led by youth in Oromia region – the largest and most populous, forced Abiy’s predecessor to resign paving the way for his election to head the coalition. Abiy, himself an Oromo, has undertaken drastic reforms since taking office on April 2.

His reforms have spanned the diplomatic, political, economic and social spheres. Despite winning praise for the pace and boldness, rising internal insecurity has marred his tenure as inter-ethnic violence continues to cause deaths, destruction of property and mass displacements.