Ethiopia Political parties

Ethiopia is a country with many political parties. However, the political party system in Ethiopia is quite complex, and a constitutional amendment in 2019 introduced some restrictions on the criteria for political parties to participate in elections and their right to representation. Additionally, since Ethiopia has a federal system, each region also has its own local political parties. The most influential political party in Ethiopia was the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), which came to power in 1991. However, as a result of the protests and political change process that started in 2018, the EPRDF was disbanded and new political parties such as the Ethiopian Prosperity Party (EPRP) and the Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU) were established. Other important political parties include the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Republic (EFDC), Ethiopian Federalist Congress (EFC), Ethiopian Federalist Movement (EFM), Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC) and Amhara Nationalist Movement (AMH). Additionally, there are political parties based on ethnic groups in Ethiopia. The activities of political parties in Ethiopia are limited by the constitution and legal regulations. For example, political parties cannot discriminate ethnically, religiously or regionally and cannot engage in acts that involve violence or threaten the security of the state. The right of political parties to participate and represent in elections depends on certain criteria and it is necessary to exceed a certain vote rate in order to participate in the elections. The role and influence of political parties in Ethiopia is constantly evolving along with changes in the political and social structure of the country. The reforms and political change process that has taken place in recent years show that political parties have an important role in greater democratization and participation.