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By staff reporter
May 13, 2020 (Ezega.com) – Seven opposition political parties, including the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) and the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF) have proposed that the current Ethiopian government continue in power for next year and the next general elections will be held in May 2021.
In a statement issued at the end of their meeting, the parties, however, said that the government should be restricted to government activities and support the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) until an elected party takes over government functions.
The parties said the government can in no way enact, amend or terminate the laws or introduce new administrative structures during the extended term in office.
They also demanded that the government allow opposition political parties to participate directly in matters of international relations, national security, and democratic construction activities in the country.
The parties also called for the establishment of an independent commission that will be responsible for promoting national consensus and monitoring if the government does not monopolize and abuse power during the extended period.
The political parties known as the coalition for democratic federalism are made up of OLF, ONLF, the Oromo Federal Congress (OFC), the Agew National Assembly (ANA), the Mocha Democratic Party (MDP) and the Arena Tigray Democratic Party (ATSDP).
Recently, the Ethiopian parliament approved a bill that allows the ruling Prosperity Party to seek constitutional interpretation from the Federation Chamber to postpone the general elections to be held on August 29 to extend its mandate.
The parliament decision came after the Ethiopian National Electoral Board (NEBE) indicated that it suspended pre-election activities due to the global coronavirus outbreak.
Analysts fear that the postponement of the elections at this time could exacerbate the tense political situation in Ethiopia, which has experienced ethnic conflicts due to political rivalries between the opposition and the ruling government.
Several opposition parties, including the Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), said that the coronavirus is only the contributing factor. The ruling party wanted it to postpone the elections even before the pandemic.
Ethiopia’s constitution requires that elections be held every five years. “Failure to do so is considered an unconstitutional act. Parliament cannot extend its own terms, ”argued the political parties.
“The government cannot find a solution when interpreting the constitution that clearly states that the life of a government is limited to five years. There is nothing to interpret unless the government wants to postpone the elections unconstitutionally, “they said.
There has to be sufficient consultation between the ruling party and the opposition and decisions must be made on the basis of consensus, “said Jewar Mohammed, one of the most prominent opposition activists and figure.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the ruling Prosperity Party will remain a legitimate government until the next elections are held just after the removal of COVID-19 from the country.
Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ethiopia has risen to 261 after 11 people tested positive in the past 24 hours.
The new cases were identified from the 2,424 samples analyzed in the last 24 hours, the Ministry of Health said in a statement.
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