Addis Abeba– The Boro Democratic Party (BDP) said one of its members, Yohannes Tessema, a representative in the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Council, was detained by “security forces” on March 9, days after the party petitioned Ethiopia’s Council of Constitutional Inquiry over amendments to the regional constitution and council seat allocation.
Bikila Boro, BDP’s Secretary General, told Addis Standard that Yohannes and two other council members were stopped at Asosa Airport around 10:00 a.m. while traveling to Addis Abeba for discussions on the petition. “They were prevented from boarding their flight,” Bikila said. “After returning home, Yohannes was arrested by regional authorities at around 1:00 p.m. and taken to Assosa District 2 Police Station. There is nothing clear about the arrest.”
The detention follows the party’s petition challenging amendments passed by the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Council on February 24. The changes increased the number of council seats from 99 to 165, dissolved three electoral districts, and created five new ones. BDP argues that these districts were “created for administrative purposes” but were “counted as electoral districts and assigned 31 council seats.” The party claims the regional council does not have the mandate to make such changes, which it says fall under the authority of the House of Federation and the National Election Board of Ethiopia.
The Boro Democratic Party also questions the legitimacy of the amendment process, stating that constitutional changes require a two-thirds majority vote in all district councils. However, it argues that these councils, elected in 2013, “completed their five-year terms” and have not been replaced through elections.
In response, the Benishangul-Gumuz Regional Government Communications Affairs Bureau issued a statement on March 6, accusing BDP leaders of attempting to “bring the region back into conflict.” It described them as “foreign mercenaries and messengers” and warned that “there is not a single decision that will be changed by campaigns of agitation on social or other media options.” It added that the regional government “will not hesitate to take appropriate legal measures to uphold law and order.”
Bikila criticized the government’s actions, stating that “prohibiting the submission of complaints shows that the council cannot accommodate different ideas.” He also said BDP’s chairman, Amente Geshi, and another council member, Tesfahun Kilu, have been banned from domestic travel. AS
