Addis Abeba– The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has suspended the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) from political activities for three months, citing the party’s failure to hold a general assembly within the legally mandated period. The Board warned that if the party does not take corrective measures during the suspension, its registration will be canceled.
In a statement issued on February 13, 2025, NEBE said TPLF was required to hold a general assembly within six months of its special registration on August 9, 2024, but had not done so. “The party was expected to approve its bylaws, elect its leadership, and align its documents with the proclamation,” NEBE stated, adding that it also had to notify the Board at least 21 days in advance of the assembly date.
NEBE had previously mandated the TPLF to conduct its general congress by February 10, 2025, as required by law, following its registration under “special circumstances” on August 9, 2024, in accordance with Proclamation No. 1332/2016.
According to NEBE, it sent multiple reminders to the party between August and December 2024, urging it to meet its obligations. In its final notice on December 26, 2024, the Board warned that “less than two months remained” before the deadline and that “failure to fulfill this obligation will result in measures being taken in accordance with the law.”
NEBE stated that the deadline had now passed without TPLF fulfilling its obligations. “The party has not held a general assembly, approved its bylaws, or elected its leadership,” the Board said, describing this as a “serious violation” of both the proclamation and its directive.
Following its meeting on February 11, 2025, NEBE announced that TPLF would be suspended from political activities for three months. However, it noted that the suspension “will be lifted” if the party addresses the violations, adheres to the law, and formally notifies the Board of its preparations to hold the required assembly.
“If the party fails to take corrective measures during the suspension period, its registration will be canceled without following a special procedure,” NEBE warned, citing Proclamation No. 1332/2016 and Directive No. 25/2016.
The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) Central Committee, led by Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD), had previously announced that it would not comply with the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s (NEBE) deadline to hold the party’s general assembly, according to a statement released on Friday, January 17, 2025. AS
