Ethiopia’s Ruling Coalition Votes to Unify as One Party
Ethiopia’s Ruling Coalition Votes to Unify as One Party
Ethiopia’s ruling coalition agreed to create a unified national party as Africa’s second most-populous nation prepares for elections next year.
The council of the four-party alliance voted in favor of the merger on Thursday following approval by the executive committee last week, Fikadu Tessema, a committee member, said in an interview with the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corp. The new party will be called the Prosperity Party.
The move by the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, a former rebel movement, comes after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed vowed that next year’s vote will be democratic.
It’s “a crucial step in harnessing our energy to work toward a shared vision,” Abiy said on Twitter after the vote. “Prosperity Party is committed to strengthening and applying a true federal system which recognizes the diversity and contributions of all Ethiopians.”
To contact the reporter on this story: Samuel Gebre in Abidjan at sgebre@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: David Malingha at dmalingha@bloomberg.net, Hilton Shone
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