Ethiopian Opposition seeks “transitional government” before 2020 polls

(Yeroo) – One of the major opposition parties in the country, the Ethiopian National Movement (ENM), demanded a “transitional government” before the upcoming 2020 elections.

The announcement was made today to local media by ENM chairman Engineer Yilkal Getenet.  The motives behind such demands are unknown, however political parties have previously displayed opposition to the Ethiopian constitution for being drafted solely by representatives of the EPRDF ruling party and ideological allies. The opposition also complained on EPRDF’s monopoly of state institutions and mass media.

Many Ethiopians and social media observers mocked the ENM’s demands as bizarre and futile.  Critics also questioned Engineer Yilkal’s credibility as he was kicked out of his previous organization, the Blue Party. 

The statement comes as other opposition parties have also threatened to boycott the election, due to their disagreement with the National Election board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on rules of party registration.