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Efforts to End Ethiopia's Ruling Party Draw Criticism from Within

Salem Solomon

   WASHINGTON - A decision by Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to
   dissolve the ruling party months ahead of the 2020 national election
   has prompted criticism from the upper echelons of his own government.

   In an interview with VOA's Afaan Oromo Service, Minister of Defense
   Lemma Megerssa said unrest in the country means it is the wrong time to
   create a new political party.

   "Merging this party is not timely as there are many dangers. We are in
   a transition," he said, speaking in Afaan Oromo. "This is borrowed
   time;it is not ours. We are facing several problems from different
   places during this borrowed time."

   [1]Lemma is currently visiting the U.S. with a delegation aiming to
   strengthen the two countries' defense partnerships.

   In November, Abiy announced that the country's ruling coalition, the
   Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, EPRDF, would
   dissolve and become one unified party called the Prosperity Party.
   

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