News: Lemma Megerssa agrees to narrow differences, work together with new party

Addis Abeba, December 23/2019 – Defense Minister Lemma Megerssa, who is also the deputy chairman of ODP, agreed to “narrow his differences and work together” with new party led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Addisu Arega, Coordinator of Social Sector with the rank of Deputy President of Oromia regional state, said in a Facebook post last night.

The news came three and half weeks after Lemma took to the media to announce his disagreement with the philosophy of “Medemer” and PM Abiy’s subsequent move to dismantle the ruling EPRDF in favor of the newly forming Prosperity Party (PP). Lemma said he does not subscribe to both “Medemer” as a philosophy and the merger of EPRDF to form Prosperity Party.

After consultations with current and former party members, agreements were reached to “narrow differences, and from here onward to strengthen unity and work together to take the people’s struggle to the next chapter,” Addisu’s post reads. adding, political differences during reform processes are differences of thought and attitudes both of which are not problems which cannot be solved democratically.

Although Lemma Megerssa said he would make more details available after his short interview with VOA Afaan Oromoo, he has gone radio silent since and was unavailable for follow up interviews. The Facebook page of ODP merely repeated what was posted by Addisu Arega, leaving out critical details such as whether or not Lemma agreed to accept both Medemer and the formation of Prosperity Party or whether or not he succeeded in having his concerns accepted by PM Abiy Ahmed’s bloc. Addis Standard’s repeated attempts to speak to Lemma were to no avail. AS