The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced that the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) had lost its legal entity. According to the statement of NEBE on Tuesday, the chairman of EPRDF had written a letter to the election board, notifying the demolition of the party.
On the other side, the chairman of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has also sent a letter requesting the board to decide on the partition of the property of EPRDF.
The NEBE understood that three of the members of the EPRDF coalition had formed the Prosperity Party, a newly merged party. ‘As a result, the NEBE has passed a decision that EPRDF has practically demolished,’ the statement reads.
When it comes to the partition of property, the board said that Prosperity Party had formed from the three members of EPRDF, namely, the Oromo Democratic Party, Amhara Democratic Party, and Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, whereas TPLF chooses to stand by itself. Therefore the board decided that Prosperity Party and TPLF should make legal distribution of the property of EPRDF.
Additionally, according to the NEBE, a group will be formed to audit the property of EPRDF, which will be composed of the representatives of both sides. And ‘any debt of the organization should be paid,’ says the statement. After that, 3/4th of the remaining property will be assigned to the Prosperity Party, and the remaining 1/3rd will be assigned to TPLF.
EPRDF is one of the wealthiest political coalitions in Africa. Under the first hand of TPLF, it has been engaged in agriculture, mining, industry, trade, construction, transport, and finance activities becoming a giant economic entity. Dashen Brewery, Messebo Building Material Manufacturing, Almeda Textile, and Trans-Ethiopia are some of the big companies believed to be owned by EPRDF.
The electoral board has decided on the two sides to report the property distribution activities within six months.
