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The Tigray interim government announced that it will change administrative bodies at the regional and zonal level; however, the administrations at the woreda and kebele level will remain intact.
At a press conference held at the Prime Minister’s Office on November 20, 2020, Acting Government Executive Director Mulu Nega (PhD) along with State of Emergency Command Post spokesman Redwan Hussein (Amb.) He said: “Both the executive and the legislative bodies at the regional and zonal levels will be dismantled and replaced by new appointees, in accordance with the criteria established in a newly drafted letter.”
According to Mulu, the criteria require that the persons appointed to the executive bodies be civilians with professional backgrounds, competent personalities, and have public support to serve. The selection process will include public discussions to validate the options.
Aware that the interim government established by the Federation Chamber is not elected and assumes power in a region that recently held its own regional elections to establish an executive and legislative body, Mulu explained that they intend to gain the trust of the public. demonstrating that they work in the interest of the people. He also said that the election held in Tigray on September 9, 2020, was illegal and was considered so by the relevant institutions at the federal level.
“We are not here to stay for years; our main task is to achieve a smooth transition, “he said.
Thus, he said, they will work for democratic, participatory, free and fair elections, in accordance with the rules and regulations of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE). With this, he said, they intend to show that the change will come in several aspects.
“We are not only preaching to the people, but the administration will show that it is for the people and if we do this, the appointees will get the support of the people of Tigray,” he emphasized.
The executive director stated that the interim government has four main terms. He indicated organizing the regional executive bodies, appointing at the regional and local levels, ensuring public order in the region, facilitating the conduct of the sixth national elections in accordance with the laws of the NEBE and actively implementing the tasks assigned by the federal government as primary responsibilities of the interim government.
Drafted by the interim government, the letter foresees a change from previous policy behavior in the region. Therefore, the interim government, through the letter, plans to guarantee peace and security, carry out rehabilitation work in collaboration with the government and other humanitarian agencies, ensure that justice prevails, provide social services that were detained, open political space, restoring peace and security, as well as conducting public relations work to achieve a good reputation.
Although competent independent and professional members of society are inclined to join the ranks of the interim administration, Mulu announced that the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) will not be allowed to participate.
Meanwhile, Redwan announced that the government is working with various civil society organizations and international organizations to provide humanitarian assistance to people living in the war zone. In this regard, the government is in talks with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Ethiopia to provide humanitarian assistance. to war zones. . He also said that the Ministry of Peace (MoP) has also contacted the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) to help coordinate the delivery of assistance.
Along with its plan to involve local Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the government also informed local CSOs about the current state, as they are “going to have their fair share” in helping society. There is also a plan to inform foreign CSOs on the same topic.
In addition, there is also a battlefield fact-finding mission to identify routes and mechanisms for delivering humanitarian assistance to people in need of assistance, Redwan added. Thus, in areas under federal government control, humanitarian activities are said to be run by the government, while there is a plan to find safer routes for humanitarian assistants to reach people in areas where forces the government have not arrived.
“In areas that are not free, there should be a safer corridor for organizations to deliver food and medicine,” he said.
