EPRDF postpones congress again, Council to meet on Thursday

The highly anticipated congress of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is pushed for unspecified period, Capital learnt.
It is not disclosed why the meeting is postponed. However in the coming week the 180 member council of the ruling party is expected to meet in Addis Ababa. According to the information Capital obtained, the meeting is expected to focus on the assignment of the new party chairperson, who shall be the upcoming PM.
The ruling party regularly held its congress every two years in the past three decades. However the latest congress that was expected to be held in the coming month in Hawassa, 275km south of Addis Ababa, has been postponed again for unspecified period. It was initially planned to be held in September 2017 but was postponed to March 2018.
Sources told Capital that there is no preparation being done for the congress that is considered as a crucial event for the ruling front that set its policy and strategy besides electing executive committee, chair and deputy chair.
According to the rule of the party the congress has to be held at least every two and half years.
In the past couple of years the country’s political arena is registering significant and historical changes besides instability for the past two year.
A week ago the party chairman and Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn announced his resignation from both positions, while state of emergency has been placed a day after the PM announcement.
The release of several prominent political leaders and activists also happened in the past weeks.
The upcoming congress of the ruling party has been highly expected since rumors that indicated there is division with the party climbing. After the PM resignation the expectation for the congress has been heated.