Addis Abeba – On Tuesday, the People’s Representative House revised its declaration, allowing the interim government to extend up to two times each for a year. The change will extend the Tigray Interim administration, which recently expired its mandate, for an additional year.
This amendment amends Declaration No. 359/2003, a system of federal intervention in areas that govern federal intervention in the region. The amendment, approved by a majority vote, transfers powers from the House of Representatives to expand the interim administration to the Speaker of the House.
The previous declaration stated that when the federal government “didn’t maintain peace and security,” “total human rights violations occurred and local governments could not deal with them,” or “constitutional orders were at risk.” Additionally, by suspending the Council of State and the highest regional executive bodies, it has enabled the establishment of an interim government “bearing responsibility to the federal government.”
However, the declaration limits the interim government to a two-year term, allowing for a six-month extension of “if necessary” and “if necessary.”
The instructions attached to the amendment argue that this time frame “is not consistent with current reality.” He cites the Tigray region as an example, saying, “Even after a two-year term, there has not been any condition for establishing a regular regional government through elections.”
The revised declaration also justifies change by noting that the Federation House meets “only twice a year” and that its members are “higher government responsibility and heavy government responsibility” in their respective regions. These restrictions explain that “if it is necessary to extend the interim administration, it will be difficult to convene a meeting, have discussions and make decisions in a short period of time.” To address this, the amendment provides that the Speaker of the House must grant the power to approve the extension and present and approve the decision during regular House sessions.
The amendment also outlines that if the House refuses to decide to extend the term, “an election must be held within four months of the decision being rejected and a regular regional government government must be established.”
The amendment further states that decisions made by the Speaker or the House of Representatives regarding the interim administration “may indicate an issue that the administration should focus on.” These are described as “actions necessary to permanently eliminate circumstances that will induce federal intervention and strengthen the constitutional order.”
The amendment follows Prime Minister Abhi Ahmed’s previous remarks to previous lawmakers. Lawmakers have expressed his belief that the recently expired Tigray interim administration will be extended by another year. He also said there could be “changes” in leadership.
He emphasized that expanding the interim government’s duties would require legal amendments, but noted that further evaluation would be required before revisions were made. “Based on this assessment and in a way that respects the Pretoria Peace Agreement, the interim government will continue to function until further elections,” he said.
It has been two years since the Tigray Interim administration was established as part of the Pretoria Suspension Agreement (COHA), signed between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the federal government in November 2022. The federal government has appointed Getachew Reda as president.
However, since June 2024, the rift within the TPLF between Debretion Gebremichael (PhD) and Getachew has disrupted the administration’s activities. Debretsion factions had previously called for the removal of Getachew, but the interim administration accused Debretsion groups of trying to “destabilize” the region through a “coup.” Tensions escalated recently when Getachew stopped three senior military commanders. This was a move rejected by the Regional Peace and Security Agency, claiming it had violated “legal proceedings.”
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The interim administration denounced the generals who could “attract the region into internal conflict,” but the Peace and Security Bureau dismissed the suspension as “illegal.” In the midst of the crisis, Getachue, who has been staying at Addis Ababa for three weeks, has sought “necessary assistance” from the federal government.
However, Debretsion factions rejected the request, warning that calls for third-party intervention posed a “serious threat” to the Pretoria Peace Agreement.
Last week, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed confirmed Tigray’s withdrawal from his position as interim president and called on the Chigray people to join as a candidate for the new interim president.
