Even though the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) excluded itself, from the congress of the ruling coalition Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) unanimously agreed to form a single party called Prosperity Party.
The merger issue was frequently raised by party members including top leaders and veterans but it had not become a reality until now.
The collation in the past two congresses also agreed to come up with researched documents to conclude the merger, while the recent congress decision has come to fruition and now the ruling coalition that is under massive democracy, human rights and economic reforms since Abiy Ahmed came to power has agreed to conclude the long-foreseen plan for the formation of a single party.
Besides the merger of the four parties that includes Amhara Democratic Party, the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement. The congress has also agreed to add other satellite parties made up from other regions that were previously out of the coalition.
However, TPLF, whose party members including seniors raised the merger issue in different time in their congress, has neglected itself from the congress.
The coalition has been in power since Derg removed from power in 1991 it has been claimed that TPLF has been influential and its party leader, Meles Zenawi, has been on the top of the group until his death in 2012.
Even though he was replaced by the chairperson of the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement, Hailemariam Desalegn, political commentators argued that TPLF had the most power in the coalition until Abiy came to the power in April last year.
Since TPLF lost its influence its relation with other parties, relations mainly with Amhara Democratic Party was fragile.