TPLF rejects NEBE’s suspension, calls decision ‘legally insignificant’

Addis Abeba– The Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) has dismissed the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s (NEBE) decision to suspend its political activities for three months, stating that the ruling “has no legal significance” and does not affect its status.

In a statement issued on February 14, 2025, TPLF asserted that “whether the Board revokes or maintains its recognition, it never existed as a legal requirement” and, therefore, “has no legal significance.” The party emphasized that it “never requested to register as a new party” but rather sought to have its legal identity restored “based on the Pretoria Agreement.”

NEBE announced on February 13 that it had suspended TPLF from political activities for three months, citing the party’s failure to hold a general assembly within the required period. The Board stated that TPLF was expected to convene the assembly within six months of its special registration on August 9, 2024, but had not done so. NEBE warned that “if the party fails to take corrective measures” during the suspension, its registration would be revoked.

TPLF dismissed NEBE’s decision, saying the party resumed its activities “not when the Election Board announced registration” on August 9, 2024, but “from the moment the Pretoria Agreement was signed.” It criticized the Board’s intervention, stating that “this approach was neither requested nor accepted” and does not align with “customary legal procedures.”

The party also pointed to ongoing discussions with the federal government, stating that a joint team has been formed to address its legal status. “The extent to which the Election Board is intervening in this matter while constructive discussions are taking place with the government is neither legal nor beneficial,” it said.

Describing the issue as “fundamentally political and tied to the Pretoria Agreement,” TPLF warned that “any entity interfering in procedural matters and distorting the process will bear responsibility, not the party.”

It also called for the swift implementation of the Pretoria Agreement, urging that efforts focus on “addressing the people’s concerns” and ensuring that steps are taken to establish “an elected government in Tigray as soon as possible.” AS