Tigray People Liberation Front (TPLF), the ruling party for one of Ethiopia’s autonomous states, has been declared the winner of a controversial regional election held on Wednesday (Sept. 9). While TPLF won 98.5% of the 190 seats for Tigray Regional Council, the rest was shared amongst opposition parties. “After the election, Tigray has officially become a de facto state,” says Abraha Desta, chairman of a smaller opposition party Arena Tigray. The ruling Tigray party and the Ethiopian federal government have been at loggerheads since soon after prime minister Abiy, an Oromo, came to power in April 2018. It is the only region where the ruling party of the federal government, Prosperity Party, has no political power or influence.

Source: Ethiopian News September 12, 2020 21:11 UTC