April 24, 2025
By: Getahun Tsegaye
Staff Reporter
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Opposition parties in Ethiopia’s Tigray region have intensified their criticism of the newly restructured Tigray Interim Regional Administration (TIRA), accusing it of undermining democratic principles and monopolizing power. In a joint statement, the Arena Party, Baytona Party, and Tigray Independence Party condemned what they described as an increasingly exclusionary and authoritarian approach by the administration under Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede.
According to a report by DW, the parties warned that TIRA is exhibiting “characteristics of a military regime” and accused it of dismantling democratic institutions, suppressing dissent, and systematically excluding opposition voices from governance. The statement also alleged that the new leadership is reversing the relative political openness that had begun to emerge in the region after the end of the two-year civil war.
This mounting criticism follows a sharp and strongly worded statement issued just a day earlier by Salsay Weyane Tigray, one of the main opposition parties in the region. As reported by Borkena, Salsay Weyane categorically rejected the new cabinet formed by Lt. Gen. Tadesse Werede, denouncing it as “illegitimate” and “dominated entirely by a single faction of the TPLF”—specifically, the faction loyal to long-time TPLF leader Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael.
“This illegitimate cabinet is fundamentally incapable of fostering a genuinely open political space or creating the necessary conditions for free, fair, and peaceful elections,” the party stated.
It added “Such an administration is not only incapable of serving the needs of the Tigrayan people but will also serve as a tool to entrench the power of a moribund political entity.”
The cabinet reshuffle followed the recent resignation of Getachew Reda, who had led TIRA since 2023. Initially viewed as a bridge-builder between competing political interests, Getachew came under pressure from hardliners within the TPLF and was ultimately replaced by Tadesse, a former ENDF commander and influential war figure. His removal marked a clear shift back toward the TPLF’s traditional power core, sidelining reformist voices.
Opposition parties argue that the federal government must play a more active role in ensuring the Pretoria Agreement is honored. They warn that failure to foster a genuinely pluralistic political environment in Tigray could lead to renewed tensions, not just within the region, but between the region and the central government.
With mounting accusations of authoritarian drift, suppression of dissent, and the collapse of political inclusivity, the situation in Tigray presents yet another challenge to Ethiopia’s already fragile transition toward peace and democratic reform.
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