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{{distinguish|Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front}}
{{distinguish|Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front}}
{{short description|1988–2019 Ethiopian ethnic federalist political coalition}}
{{short description|1988–2019 Ethiopian ethnic federalist political coalition}}
{{short description|1988–2019 Ethiopian ethnic federalist political coalition}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox political party
{{Infobox political party
| name = Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
| name = Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
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| membership_year = 2011
| membership_year = 2011
| membership = 6,000,000{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
| membership = 6,000,000{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}
| ideology = {{nowrap|'''After 1991:'''<br>[[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front#Ideology|Revolutionary democracy]]<br>[[Ethnic federalism]]<br>[[Ethnic nationalism|Poly-Ethnic nationalism]]}}<ref>{{Cite document|title=Alem Habtu, "Ethnic Federalism in Ethiopia: Background, Present Conditions and Future Prospects"|s2cid=11477280}}</ref><br>'''Until 1991:'''<br>[[Marxism–Leninism]]<br/>[[Hoxhaism]]<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/friedensnobelpreis-an-abiy-ahmed-rassismus-ist-das-kernproblem-102.html|title= - Warum Ahmed ein guter Preisträger ist – trotz seiner Fehler |work=[[ZDF]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.dw.com/de/kommentar-%C3%A4thiopiens-reformregierung-und-die-kr%C3%A4fte-des-ethnischen-nationalismus/a-51358079|title=Kommentar: Äthiopiens Reformregierung und die Kräfte des ethnischen Nationalismus |work=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref>
| ideology = {{nowrap|'''After 1991:'''<br>[[Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front#Ideology|Revolutionary democracy]]<br>[[Ethnic federalism]]<br>[[Ethnic nationalism|Poly-Ethnic nationalism]]}}<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Alem Habtu, "Ethnic Federalism in Ethiopia: Background, Present Conditions and Future Prospects" |s2cid=11477280}}</ref><br>'''Until 1991:'''<br>[[Marxism–Leninism]]<br/>[[Hoxhaism]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=- Warum Ahmed ein guter Preisträger ist – trotz seiner Fehler |url=https://www.zdf.de/nachrichten/heute/friedensnobelpreis-an-abiy-ahmed-rassismus-ist-das-kernproblem-102.html |website=[[ZDF]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kommentar: Äthiopiens Reformregierung und die Kräfte des ethnischen Nationalismus |url=https://www.dw.com/de/kommentar-%C3%A4thiopiens-reformregierung-und-die-kr%C3%A4fte-des-ethnischen-nationalismus/a-51358079 |website=[[Deutsche Welle]]}}</ref>
| position = '''After 1991:'''<br>[[Centre-left]] to [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]]<br>'''Until 1991:'''<br>[[Far-left politics|Far-left]]
| position = '''After 1991:'''<br>[[Centre-left]] to [[Left-wing politics|left-wing]]<br>'''Until 1991:'''<br>[[Far-left politics|Far-left]]
| colours = {{color box|{{Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Red]]
| colours = {{color box|{{Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front/meta/color}}|border=darkgray}} [[Red]]
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| footnotes =
| footnotes =
}}
}}
{{Contains special characters|Ethiopic}}{{Infobox war faction|name=Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|war=[[Oromo conflict]], [[Ethiopian Civil War]], [[Eritrean–Ethiopian War]]|image=Emblem of Ethiopia.svg|caption=|active=1988–2019|ideology=[[Ethnic federalism]]|leaders=* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Tigray Region.svg}} [[Tigrayan People's Liberation Front|TPLF]] (1988-2018)
{{Contains special characters|Ethiopic}}
{{Infobox war faction|name=Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front|war=[[Oromo conflict]], [[Ethiopian Civil War]], [[Eritrean–Ethiopian War]]|image=Emblem of Ethiopia.svg|caption=|active=1988–2019|ideology=[[Ethnic federalism]]|leaders=* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Tigray Region.svg}} [[Tigrayan People's Liberation Front|TPLF]] (1988-2018)
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization.png}} [[Oromo Democratic Party|ODP]] (2018–2019)|headquarters=Addis Ababa, Ethiopia|area=|allies=* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Tigray Region.svg}} [[Tigrayan People's Liberation Front|TPLF]] (1988 – c. 2019)
* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Oromo Peoples' Democratic Organization.png}} [[Oromo Democratic Party|ODP]] (2018–2019)|headquarters=Addis Ababa, Ethiopia|area=|allies=* {{flagicon image|Flag of the Tigray Region.svg}} [[Tigrayan People's Liberation Front|TPLF]] (1988 – c. 2019)
* [[Amhara Democratic Party|ADP]]
* [[Amhara Democratic Party|ADP]]
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* {{flag|Eritrea}} (1991 - 1998)|opponents=* {{flagdeco|Ethiopia|1987}} [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|PDRE]] (1988–91)
* {{flag|Eritrea}} (1991 - 1998)|opponents=* {{flagdeco|Ethiopia|1987}} [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia|PDRE]] (1988–91)
* {{flag|Eritrea}} (1998–2018)|image_alt=|status=Dissolved. Its ideology still permeates Ethiopian politics.
* {{flag|Eritrea}} (1998–2018)|image_alt=|status=Dissolved. Its ideology still permeates Ethiopian politics.
}}
<br>

Majority of member parties and some of EPRDF's opposition united to form the [[Prosperity Party]]. Some Prosperity Party members have abandoned previous ideologies, while others may retain them.|founders=[[Meles Zenawi]]|colours={{flag|Ethiopia}}}}{{Politics of Ethiopia}}
Majority of member parties and some of EPRDF's opposition united to form the [[Prosperity Party]]. Some Prosperity Party members have abandoned previous ideologies, while others may retain them.|founders=[[Meles Zenawi]]|colours={{flag|Ethiopia}}}}{{Politics of Ethiopia}}
The '''Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front''' ('''EPRDF'''; {{lang-am|የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ግንባር|translit=Ye’Ītiyop’iya Ḥizibochi Ābiyotawī Dīmokirasīyawī Ginibari}}) was an [[Ethnic federalism|ethnic federalist]]<ref name=":0" /> [[political coalition]] in [[Ethiopia]] that existed from 1988 to 2019. It consisted of four political parties, namely [[Tigray People's Liberation Front]] (TPLF), [[Amhara Democratic Party]] (ADP), [[Oromo Democratic Party]] (ODP) and [[Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement]] (SEPDM).<ref name=":0"/> After leading the overthrow of the Communist [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]], it [[dominant-party state|dominated]] Ethiopian politics from 1991 to 2019. In November 2019, the EPRDF was dissolved, and Prime Minister and EPDRF chairman [[Abiy Ahmed]] merged three of the constituent parties (not including the TPLF) into his new [[Prosperity Party]],<ref>[https://addisstandard.com/exclusive-third-day-eprdf-ec-discussing-prosperity-party-regulation-find-the-draft-copy-obtained-by-as/ Exclusive: Third day EPRDF EC discussing "Prosperity Party" Regulation. Find the draft copy obtained by AS]</ref> which was officially founded on 1 December 2019.
The '''Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front''' ('''EPRDF'''; {{lang-am|የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ግንባር|translit=Ye’Ītiyop’iya Ḥizibochi Ābiyotawī Dīmokirasīyawī Ginibari}}) was an [[Ethnic federalism|ethnic federalist]]<ref name=":0" /> [[political coalition]] in [[Ethiopia]] that existed from 1988 to 2019. It consisted of four political parties, namely [[Tigray People's Liberation Front]] (TPLF), [[Amhara Democratic Party]] (ADP), [[Oromo Democratic Party]] (ODP) and [[Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement]] (SEPDM).<ref name=":0" /> After leading the overthrow of the Communist [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]], it [[dominant-party state|dominated]] Ethiopian politics from 1991 to 2019. In November 2019, the EPRDF was dissolved, and Prime Minister and EPDRF chairman [[Abiy Ahmed]] merged three of the constituent parties (not including the TPLF) into his new [[Prosperity Party]],<ref>[https://addisstandard.com/exclusive-third-day-eprdf-ec-discussing-prosperity-party-regulation-find-the-draft-copy-obtained-by-as/ Exclusive: Third day EPRDF EC discussing "Prosperity Party" Regulation. Find the draft copy obtained by AS]</ref> which was officially founded on 1 December 2019.


== History ==
== History ==
During the [[Ethiopian Civil War]], the EPRDF was a rebel group battling the [[Derg]], a military regime led by [[Mengistu Haile Mariam]] that was effectively in power from 1974 until it was replaced by the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] in 1987. During this period, the Derg was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of opponents without trial in the [[Qey Shibir]] and the [[1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia]] resulting in 400,000 deaths.<ref>{{cite book|last=de Waal|first=Alex|year=1997|title=Famine Crimes: Politics & the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa|location=[[Oxford]]|publisher=[[James Currey]]|isbn=0-85255-810-4|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwZ1Xb-w45oC}}</ref>
During the [[Ethiopian Civil War]], the EPRDF was a rebel group battling the [[Derg]], a military regime led by [[Mengistu Haile Mariam]] that was effectively in power from 1974 until it was replaced by the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] in 1987. During this period, the Derg was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of opponents without trial in the [[Qey Shibir]] and the [[1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia]] resulting in 400,000 deaths.<ref>{{Cite book |last=de Waal |first=Alex |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IwZ1Xb-w45oC |title=Famine Crimes: Politics & the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa |publisher=[[James Currey]] |year=1997 |isbn=0-85255-810-4 |location=[[Oxford]]}}</ref>


The EPRDF was formed by the union of the TPLF and the [[Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement]] (EPDM) in early-1989. They were later joined by the [[Oromo People's Democratic Organization|OPDO]] (the Oromo members of the TPLF, EPLF, and EPDM) and the Ethiopian Democratic Officers' Revolutionary Movement (a small body of Derg officers captured by TPLF, most notably at [[Shire, Ethiopia|Shire]] in February 1989, which was later disbanded after the establishment of the [[Transitional Government of Ethiopia]]).<ref name=":0">Vaughan, Sarah (2003). [http://www.ihasa.org/documents/special-reports/ethnicity-in-ethiopia.pdf "Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia"] (PDF). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813043308/http://www.ihasa.org/documents/special-reports/ethnicity-in-ethiopia.pdf|date=13 August 2011}} [[University of Edinburgh]]: Ph.D. Thesis. p. 168.</ref>
The EPRDF was formed by the union of the TPLF and the [[Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement]] (EPDM) in early-1989. They were later joined by the [[Oromo People's Democratic Organization|OPDO]] (the Oromo members of the TPLF, EPLF, and EPDM) and the Ethiopian Democratic Officers' Revolutionary Movement (a small body of Derg officers captured by TPLF, most notably at [[Shire, Ethiopia|Shire]] in February 1989, which was later disbanded after the establishment of the [[Transitional Government of Ethiopia]]).<ref name=":0">Vaughan, Sarah (2003). [http://www.ihasa.org/documents/special-reports/ethnicity-in-ethiopia.pdf "Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia"] (PDF). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813043308/http://www.ihasa.org/documents/special-reports/ethnicity-in-ethiopia.pdf|date=13 August 2011}} [[University of Edinburgh]]: Ph.D. Thesis. p. 168.</ref>


Following the [[Ethiopian Civil War#1990s|collapse]] of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] in the early 1990s, the EPRDF gained support from the [[United States]]. Michael Johns, an Africa expert with [[The Heritage Foundation]], wrote in 1991 that "there are some modestly encouraging signs that the front intends to abandon Mengistu's autocratic practices".<ref>Johns, Michael (August 1991). [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:E06MY2-393: "Does Democracy Have a Chance?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823083654/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:E06MY2-393: |date=2013-08-23 }}. ''[[The World and I]]'', in: ''[[The Congressional Record]]'' (6 May 1992).</ref>
Following the [[Ethiopian Civil War#1990s|collapse]] of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]] in the early 1990s, the EPRDF gained support from the [[United States]]. Michael Johns, an Africa expert with [[The Heritage Foundation]], wrote in 1991 that "there are some modestly encouraging signs that the front intends to abandon Mengistu's autocratic practices".<ref>Johns, Michael (August 1991). [http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:E06MY2-393: "Does Democracy Have a Chance?"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130823083654/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?r102:E06MY2-393: |date=23 August 2013 }}. ''[[The World and I]]'', in: ''[[The Congressional Record]]'' (6 May 1992).</ref>


=== Leadership ===
=== Leadership ===
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* [[Tigray People's Liberation Front]] (TPLF) based in the [[Tigray Region]]
* [[Tigray People's Liberation Front]] (TPLF) based in the [[Tigray Region]]


The EPRDF was led by a Council as well as an executive committee, whose members were selected every three years by a congress of the party. The four member parties had the same organizational structure. Government and party structures were closely intertwined.<ref name=FES>[http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/03293.pdf ''Parteien in Äthiopien: Zwischen ethnischer Orientierung und Programmausrichtung''] (PDF). [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation]].</ref>
The EPRDF was led by a Council as well as an executive committee, whose members were selected every three years by a congress of the party. The four member parties had the same organizational structure. Government and party structures were closely intertwined.<ref name="FES">[http://library.fes.de/pdf-files/iez/03293.pdf ''Parteien in Äthiopien: Zwischen ethnischer Orientierung und Programmausrichtung''] (PDF). [[Friedrich Ebert Foundation]].</ref>


The other five [[regions of Ethiopia]] were governed by parties which were either created or heavily influenced by the EPRDF.<ref name=HIST>{{cite journal|last1=Chanie|first1=Paulos|title=Clientelism and Ethiopia's post-1991 decentralisation|journal=[[The Journal of Modern African Studies]]|date=2007|volume=45|issue=3|pages=355–384|doi=10.1017/S0022278X07002662|s2cid=154750210}}</ref> One of the earliest was the Afar People's Democratic Organization in the [[Afar Region]], which subsequently merged with other [[Afar people|Afar]] political groups to create the [[Afar National Democratic Party]] (ANDP).<ref>Yasin, Yasin Mohammed (2008). [http://www.giga-hamburg.de/openaccess/afrikaspectrum/2008_1/giga_as_2008_1_yasin.pdf "Political history of the Afar in Ethiopia and Eritrea"] (PDF). ''[[African Affairs]]'', in: ''[[Africa Spectrum]]''. '''42''' (1): p. 39–65.</ref> These were the five regional parties:<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Aalen|first1=Lovise|title=Ethnic Federalism and Self-Determination for Nationalities in a Semi-Authoritarian State: the Case of Ethiopia|journal=International Journal on Minority and Group Rights|date=2006|volume=13|issue=2|pages=243–261|doi=10.1163/157181106777909849}}</ref>
The other five [[regions of Ethiopia]] were governed by parties which were either created or heavily influenced by the EPRDF.<ref name="HIST">{{Cite journal |last=Chanie |first=Paulos |date=2007 |title=Clientelism and Ethiopia's post-1991 decentralisation |journal=[[The Journal of Modern African Studies]] |volume=45 |issue=3 |pages=355–384 |doi=10.1017/S0022278X07002662 |s2cid=154750210}}</ref> One of the earliest was the Afar People's Democratic Organization in the [[Afar Region]], which subsequently merged with other [[Afar people|Afar]] political groups to create the [[Afar National Democratic Party]] (ANDP).<ref>Yasin, Yasin Mohammed (2008). [http://www.giga-hamburg.de/openaccess/afrikaspectrum/2008_1/giga_as_2008_1_yasin.pdf "Political history of the Afar in Ethiopia and Eritrea"] (PDF). ''[[African Affairs]]'', in: ''[[Africa Spectrum]]''. '''42''' (1): p. 39–65.</ref> These were the five regional parties:<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Aalen |first=Lovise |date=2006 |title=Ethnic Federalism and Self-Determination for Nationalities in a Semi-Authoritarian State: the Case of Ethiopia |journal=International Journal on Minority and Group Rights |volume=13 |issue=2 |pages=243–261 |doi=10.1163/157181106777909849}}</ref>
* [[Afar National Democratic Party]] (ANDP) in [[Afar Region]]
* [[Afar National Democratic Party]] (ANDP) in [[Afar Region]]
* [[Argoba People's Democratic Organization]] (APDO) for the [[Argobba people]]
* [[Argoba People's Democratic Organization]] (APDO) for the [[Argobba people]]
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The peasantry are considered the main class in Ethiopia, since they form a majority of the population, and they are considered the pillar of Revolutionary Democracy.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=73}} Upon seizing power, the front was suspicious of the [[petite bourgeoisie]] class, believing that they were naturally inclined to oppose the front's policies.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=74}} Despite this, the front believed it could win over the petite bourgeoisie through economic incentives and successful policy.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=74}} Importantly, if members of the petite bourgeoisie class oppose the EPRDF, the front will "empty their 'belly and pocket'".{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} The [[proletariat|urban proletariat]] are in contrast naturally inclined towards the EPRDF, and the EPRDF seeks to recruit members of these class so as to strengthen the front's organizational links with the [[trade union]]s.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} The EPRDF asserts that the "local investor", that is, the capitalist, will naturally be hostile towards the front and its policies, and the front should therefore try to persuade this class to become neutral.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} Religious organizations are deemed [[reactionary]] by the EPRDF.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=77}}
The peasantry are considered the main class in Ethiopia, since they form a majority of the population, and they are considered the pillar of Revolutionary Democracy.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=73}} Upon seizing power, the front was suspicious of the [[petite bourgeoisie]] class, believing that they were naturally inclined to oppose the front's policies.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=74}} Despite this, the front believed it could win over the petite bourgeoisie through economic incentives and successful policy.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=74}} Importantly, if members of the petite bourgeoisie class oppose the EPRDF, the front will "empty their 'belly and pocket'".{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} The [[proletariat|urban proletariat]] are in contrast naturally inclined towards the EPRDF, and the EPRDF seeks to recruit members of these class so as to strengthen the front's organizational links with the [[trade union]]s.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} The EPRDF asserts that the "local investor", that is, the capitalist, will naturally be hostile towards the front and its policies, and the front should therefore try to persuade this class to become neutral.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=75}} Religious organizations are deemed [[reactionary]] by the EPRDF.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=77}}


Some people state that the EPRDF has not espoused a well-defined unified ideology or political philosophy. Its members held a variety of positions that could be broadly defined as being to the left of the opposition parties.<ref name=":0"/> The EPRDF traditionally identified itself with a number of general goals, namely rapid export-based economic growth; [[Ethiopia–United States relations|close cooperation]] with the [[United States]] in foreign and defense policies; [[China-Ethiopia relations|close cooperation]] with [[China]] on economic and trade policies: and several newer issues, such as administrative reform. Administrative reform encompassed several themes, namely simplification and streamlining of [[Government of Ethiopia|government bureaucracy]]; [[privatization]] of [[state-owned enterprise]]s; and adoption of measures, including [[tax reform]], in preparation for the expected strain on the [[Economy of Ethiopia|economy]] posed by a [[Demographics of Ethiopia#Population|rapidly growing population]].<ref name=":1">{{cite book|url=https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/23333/Ethiopia0s0gre0n0and0how0to0pace0it.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=Ethiopia's Great Run: The Growth Acceleration and How to Pace It|publisher=[[World Bank]]|year=2015}}</ref> Other priorities in the early 1990s included the promotion of a more active and positive role for Ethiopia following the [[Ethiopian Civil War#Conclusion|collapse]] of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]], the [[internationalization]] of Ethiopia's economy by the [[Economic liberalization|liberalization]] and promotion of domestic demand (expected to lead to the [[industrialization]]) and the promotion of [[Education in Ethiopia|education]].<ref name=":1"/> A business-inspired commitment to [[free enterprise]] was tempered by the insistence of [[protectionism]] and [[tariff]]s.
Some people state that the EPRDF has not espoused a well-defined unified ideology or political philosophy. Its members held a variety of positions that could be broadly defined as being to the left of the opposition parties.<ref name=":0" /> The EPRDF traditionally identified itself with a number of general goals, namely rapid export-based economic growth; [[Ethiopia–United States relations|close cooperation]] with the [[United States]] in foreign and defense policies; [[China-Ethiopia relations|close cooperation]] with [[China]] on economic and trade policies: and several newer issues, such as administrative reform. Administrative reform encompassed several themes, namely simplification and streamlining of [[Government of Ethiopia|government bureaucracy]]; [[privatization]] of [[state-owned enterprise]]s; and adoption of measures, including [[tax reform]], in preparation for the expected strain on the [[Economy of Ethiopia|economy]] posed by a [[Demographics of Ethiopia#Population|rapidly growing population]].<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/23333/Ethiopia0s0gre0n0and0how0to0pace0it.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y |title=Ethiopia's Great Run: The Growth Acceleration and How to Pace It |publisher=[[World Bank]] |year=2015}}</ref> Other priorities in the early 1990s included the promotion of a more active and positive role for Ethiopia following the [[Ethiopian Civil War#Conclusion|collapse]] of the [[People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia]], the [[internationalization]] of Ethiopia's economy by the [[Economic liberalization|liberalization]] and promotion of domestic demand (expected to lead to the [[industrialization]]) and the promotion of [[Education in Ethiopia|education]].<ref name=":1" /> A business-inspired commitment to [[free enterprise]] was tempered by the insistence of [[protectionism]] and [[tariff]]s.


====Relation to liberalism====
====Relation to liberalism====
The EPRDF opposes [[liberal democracy]], and [[liberalism]] in general.<ref name="ORD">{{cite web|url=http://addisstandard.com/the-oddities-of-revolutionary-democracy/|work=Addis Standard|date=10 May 2013|title=The Oddities of 'Revolutionary Democracy'|author=Melakedingel, Nolawi|accessdate=1 July 2014}}</ref> Despite this, Revolutionary Democracy can be considered a mixture of communist and liberal thought.<ref name="ORD"/> The front views liberal democracy and free market capitalism as decadent, and has a "romantic attachment" to the beliefs of [[Vladimir Lenin]], who condemned liberal democracy as the [[Liberal democracy#Dictatorship of the bourgeoisie|dictatorship of the bourgeoisie]] (literally the dictatorship of the upper class) while supporting Lenin's assertion of the need for a vanguard party which practices [[democratic centralism]].<ref name="ORD"/> It considers liberal democracy to be "ill-fit and unsustainable", but ironically much of the front's economic policies are based on the tacit acknowledgement of the need of some liberalism in the economic field.<ref name="ORD"/>
The EPRDF opposes [[liberal democracy]], and [[liberalism]] in general.<ref name="ORD">{{Cite web |last=Melakedingel, Nolawi |date=10 May 2013 |title=The Oddities of 'Revolutionary Democracy' |url=http://addisstandard.com/the-oddities-of-revolutionary-democracy/ |website=Addis Standard |accessdate=1 July 2014}}</ref> Despite this, Revolutionary Democracy can be considered a mixture of communist and liberal thought.<ref name="ORD" /> The front views liberal democracy and free market capitalism as decadent, and has a "romantic attachment" to the beliefs of [[Vladimir Lenin]], who condemned liberal democracy as the [[Liberal democracy#Dictatorship of the bourgeoisie|dictatorship of the bourgeoisie]] (literally the dictatorship of the upper class) while supporting Lenin's assertion of the need for a vanguard party which practices [[democratic centralism]].<ref name="ORD" /> It considers liberal democracy to be "ill-fit and unsustainable", but ironically much of the front's economic policies are based on the tacit acknowledgement of the need of some liberalism in the economic field.<ref name="ORD" />


====Relation to communism====
====Relation to communism====
With the majority of EPRDF's top leaders being former members of the [[Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray]], a [[Hoxhaism|Hoxhaist]] organization led by among others [[Meles Zenawi]], [[Marxism|Marxist ideology]] still plays a prominent role in party discourse, with some even claiming that the front is hiding their ideology.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|pp=79–80 & 93}} Theodore M. Vestal claims that the front based its ideology on Marxist–Leninist [[Revisionism (Marxism)|revisionism]], believing it explains the regime's authoritarian nature.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=116}} Of the communists traits in Revolutionary Democracy, most of them have been borrowed from [[Maoism]], an ideology conceived by Chinese leader [[Mao Zedong]].<ref name="ORD"/>
With the majority of EPRDF's top leaders being former members of the [[Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray]], a [[Hoxhaism|Hoxhaist]] organization led by among others [[Meles Zenawi]], [[Marxism|Marxist ideology]] still plays a prominent role in party discourse, with some even claiming that the front is hiding their ideology.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|pp=79–80 & 93}} Theodore M. Vestal claims that the front based its ideology on Marxist–Leninist [[Revisionism (Marxism)|revisionism]], believing it explains the regime's authoritarian nature.{{sfn|Vestal|1999|p=116}} Of the communists traits in Revolutionary Democracy, most of them have been borrowed from [[Maoism]], an ideology conceived by Chinese leader [[Mao Zedong]].<ref name="ORD" />


== Election results ==
== Election results ==
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== References ==
== References ==
{{refbegin}}
{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book|author=Vestal, Theodore|ref=CITEREFVestal1999|title=Ethiopia: A Post-Cold War African State|publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Praeger Publishers]]|year=1999|isbn=0275966100|edition=1st}}
* {{Cite book |last=Vestal, Theodore |title=Ethiopia: A Post-Cold War African State |publisher=[[Greenwood Publishing Group|Praeger Publishers]] |year=1999 |isbn=0275966100 |edition=1st |ref=CITEREFVestal1999}}
{{refend}}
{{refend}}
{{Ethiopian political parties}}{{Authority control}}
{{Ethiopian political parties}}{{Authority control}}

Revision as of 19:37, 26 November 2021

Not to be confused with Ethiopian People's Patriotic Front.

Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
ChairmanAbiy Ahmed
Deputy ChairmanDemeke Mekonnen
FoundedMay 1988 (1988-05)
Dissolved1 December 2019 (2019-12-01)
Succeeded byProsperity Party
HeadquartersAddis Ababa
NewspaperNew Vision
Youth wingEPRDF Youth League
Women's wingEPRDF Women's League
Membership (2011)6,000,000[citation needed]
IdeologyAfter 1991:
Revolutionary democracy
Ethnic federalism
Poly-Ethnic nationalism[1]
Until 1991:
Marxism–Leninism
Hoxhaism[2][3]
Political positionAfter 1991:
Centre-left to left-wing
Until 1991:
Far-left
Colours  Red
Website
eprdf.org.et
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Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front
Leaders
  • TPLF (1988-2018)
  • ODP (2018–2019)
Dates of operation1988–2019
HeadquartersAddis Ababa, Ethiopia
IdeologyEthnic federalism
StatusDissolved. Its ideology still permeates Ethiopian politics.
Allies
Opponents
Battles and warsOromo conflict, Ethiopian Civil War, Eritrean–Ethiopian War

Majority of member parties and some of EPRDF's opposition united to form the Prosperity Party. Some Prosperity Party members have abandoned previous ideologies, while others may retain them.|founders=Meles Zenawi|colours= Ethiopia}}

Politics of Ethiopia
  • Constitution
  • Presidency
Executive
Legislature
Judiciary
Elections
Administrative divisions
Foreign relations
Related topics

The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF; Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ሕዝቦች አብዮታዊ ዲሞክራሲያዊ ግንባር, romanized: Ye’Ītiyop’iya Ḥizibochi Ābiyotawī Dīmokirasīyawī Ginibari) was an ethnic federalist[4] political coalition in Ethiopia that existed from 1988 to 2019. It consisted of four political parties, namely Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF), Amhara Democratic Party (ADP), Oromo Democratic Party (ODP) and Southern Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (SEPDM).[4] After leading the overthrow of the Communist People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, it dominated Ethiopian politics from 1991 to 2019. In November 2019, the EPRDF was dissolved, and Prime Minister and EPDRF chairman Abiy Ahmed merged three of the constituent parties (not including the TPLF) into his new Prosperity Party,[5] which was officially founded on 1 December 2019.

History

During the Ethiopian Civil War, the EPRDF was a rebel group battling the Derg, a military regime led by Mengistu Haile Mariam that was effectively in power from 1974 until it was replaced by the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in 1987. During this period, the Derg was responsible for the deaths of tens of thousands of opponents without trial in the Qey Shibir and the 1983–1985 famine in Ethiopia resulting in 400,000 deaths.[6]

The EPRDF was formed by the union of the TPLF and the Ethiopian People's Democratic Movement (EPDM) in early-1989. They were later joined by the OPDO (the Oromo members of the TPLF, EPLF, and EPDM) and the Ethiopian Democratic Officers' Revolutionary Movement (a small body of Derg officers captured by TPLF, most notably at Shire in February 1989, which was later disbanded after the establishment of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia).[4]

Following the collapse of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia in the early 1990s, the EPRDF gained support from the United States. Michael Johns, an Africa expert with The Heritage Foundation, wrote in 1991 that "there are some modestly encouraging signs that the front intends to abandon Mengistu's autocratic practices".[7]

Leadership

Organization

The EPRDF was an alliance of four political parties:

The EPRDF was led by a Council as well as an executive committee, whose members were selected every three years by a congress of the party. The four member parties had the same organizational structure. Government and party structures were closely intertwined.[8]

The other five regions of Ethiopia were governed by parties which were either created or heavily influenced by the EPRDF.[9] One of the earliest was the Afar People's Democratic Organization in the Afar Region, which subsequently merged with other Afar political groups to create the Afar National Democratic Party (ANDP).[10] These were the five regional parties:[11]

Ideology

Revolutionary democracy

Revolutionary democracy replaced Marxism–Leninism as the EPRDF's official ideology in the early 1990s, not because the front had lost their belief in Marxism, but rather because of the international situation (the Soviet Union was dissolved in 1991).[12] The main message of Revolutionary Democracy, similar to that found in Marxist–Leninist thought, is that a vanguard party should rule because it represents the people and has "supposedly superior knowledge of the nature of social development conferred on them by the EPRDF ideology."[13] Similar to Marxism–Leninism, the EPRDF prefers to categorize society into classes such as the peasantry, the bourgeoisie, the proletariat and the comprador bourgeoisie and considers its main adversary to be imperialism, that is free market capitalist states.[13]

The peasantry are considered the main class in Ethiopia, since they form a majority of the population, and they are considered the pillar of Revolutionary Democracy.[14] Upon seizing power, the front was suspicious of the petite bourgeoisie class, believing that they were naturally inclined to oppose the front's policies.[15] Despite this, the front believed it could win over the petite bourgeoisie through economic incentives and successful policy.[15] Importantly, if members of the petite bourgeoisie class oppose the EPRDF, the front will "empty their 'belly and pocket'".[16] The urban proletariat are in contrast naturally inclined towards the EPRDF, and the EPRDF seeks to recruit members of these class so as to strengthen the front's organizational links with the trade unions.[16] The EPRDF asserts that the "local investor", that is, the capitalist, will naturally be hostile towards the front and its policies, and the front should therefore try to persuade this class to become neutral.[16] Religious organizations are deemed reactionary by the EPRDF.[17]

Some people state that the EPRDF has not espoused a well-defined unified ideology or political philosophy. Its members held a variety of positions that could be broadly defined as being to the left of the opposition parties.[4] The EPRDF traditionally identified itself with a number of general goals, namely rapid export-based economic growth; close cooperation with the United States in foreign and defense policies; close cooperation with China on economic and trade policies: and several newer issues, such as administrative reform. Administrative reform encompassed several themes, namely simplification and streamlining of government bureaucracy; privatization of state-owned enterprises; and adoption of measures, including tax reform, in preparation for the expected strain on the economy posed by a rapidly growing population.[18] Other priorities in the early 1990s included the promotion of a more active and positive role for Ethiopia following the collapse of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, the internationalization of Ethiopia's economy by the liberalization and promotion of domestic demand (expected to lead to the industrialization) and the promotion of education.[18] A business-inspired commitment to free enterprise was tempered by the insistence of protectionism and tariffs.

Relation to liberalism

The EPRDF opposes liberal democracy, and liberalism in general.[19] Despite this, Revolutionary Democracy can be considered a mixture of communist and liberal thought.[19] The front views liberal democracy and free market capitalism as decadent, and has a "romantic attachment" to the beliefs of Vladimir Lenin, who condemned liberal democracy as the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie (literally the dictatorship of the upper class) while supporting Lenin's assertion of the need for a vanguard party which practices democratic centralism.[19] It considers liberal democracy to be "ill-fit and unsustainable", but ironically much of the front's economic policies are based on the tacit acknowledgement of the need of some liberalism in the economic field.[19]

Relation to communism

With the majority of EPRDF's top leaders being former members of the Marxist–Leninist League of Tigray, a Hoxhaist organization led by among others Meles Zenawi, Marxist ideology still plays a prominent role in party discourse, with some even claiming that the front is hiding their ideology.[20] Theodore M. Vestal claims that the front based its ideology on Marxist–Leninist revisionism, believing it explains the regime's authoritarian nature.[21] Of the communists traits in Revolutionary Democracy, most of them have been borrowed from Maoism, an ideology conceived by Chinese leader Mao Zedong.[19]

Election results

Election Leader No. of candidates No. of seats won No. of Constituency votes % of Constituency vote Government/Opposition
1995 Meles Zenawi 1,881
471 / 500
 16,429,727 82.9% Government
2000 Meles Zenawi
472 / 527
 Government
2005 Meles Zenawi
327 / 527
 12,237,655 59.8% Government
2010 Meles Zenawi 1,349
499 / 547
 Government
2015 Hailemariam Desalign 1,851
500 / 547
 26,403,177 Government

Notes

  1. ^ "Alem Habtu, "Ethnic Federalism in Ethiopia: Background, Present Conditions and Future Prospects"". S2CID 11477280. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  2. ^ "- Warum Ahmed ein guter Preisträger ist – trotz seiner Fehler". ZDF.
  3. ^ "Kommentar: Äthiopiens Reformregierung und die Kräfte des ethnischen Nationalismus". Deutsche Welle.
  4. ^ a b c d Vaughan, Sarah (2003). "Ethnicity and Power in Ethiopia" (PDF). Archived 13 August 2011 at the Wayback Machine University of Edinburgh: Ph.D. Thesis. p. 168.
  5. ^ Exclusive: Third day EPRDF EC discussing "Prosperity Party" Regulation. Find the draft copy obtained by AS
  6. ^ de Waal, Alex (1997). Famine Crimes: Politics & the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa. Oxford: James Currey. ISBN 0-85255-810-4.
  7. ^ Johns, Michael (August 1991). "Does Democracy Have a Chance?" Archived 23 August 2013 at the Wayback Machine. The World and I, in: The Congressional Record (6 May 1992).
  8. ^ Parteien in Äthiopien: Zwischen ethnischer Orientierung und Programmausrichtung (PDF). Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
  9. ^ Chanie, Paulos (2007). "Clientelism and Ethiopia's post-1991 decentralisation". The Journal of Modern African Studies. 45 (3): 355–384. doi:10.1017/S0022278X07002662. S2CID 154750210.
  10. ^ Yasin, Yasin Mohammed (2008). "Political history of the Afar in Ethiopia and Eritrea" (PDF). African Affairs, in: Africa Spectrum. 42 (1): p. 39–65.
  11. ^ Aalen, Lovise (2006). "Ethnic Federalism and Self-Determination for Nationalities in a Semi-Authoritarian State: the Case of Ethiopia". International Journal on Minority and Group Rights. 13 (2): 243–261. doi:10.1163/157181106777909849.
  12. ^ Vestal 1999, pp. 63–64.
  13. ^ a b Vestal 1999, p. 64.
  14. ^ Vestal 1999, p. 73.
  15. ^ a b Vestal 1999, p. 74.
  16. ^ a b c Vestal 1999, p. 75.
  17. ^ Vestal 1999, p. 77.
  18. ^ a b Ethiopia's Great Run: The Growth Acceleration and How to Pace It (PDF). World Bank. 2015.
  19. ^ a b c d e Melakedingel, Nolawi (10 May 2013). "The Oddities of 'Revolutionary Democracy'". Addis Standard. Retrieved 1 July 2014.
  20. ^ Vestal 1999, pp. 79–80 & 93.
  21. ^ Vestal 1999, p. 116.

References

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