THE 2020 TIGRAI PEOPLE LIBERATION FRONT (TPLF) REGIONAL ELECTION: EXAMINING ITS LEGITIMACY AND MOTIVATIONS
THE 2020 TIGRAI PEOPLE LIBERATION FRONT (TPLF) REGIONAL ELECTION: EXAMINING ITS LEGITIMACY AND MOTIVATIONS

Summary/Abstract: Election is a political order in which citizens have say in matters affecting them and actively participate to control the political system thereby limiting the power of the government. The purpose of this study is examining the legitimacy and motivations of the 2020 TPLF’s regional election held in Tigray. The study employed qualitative approaches. Whereas the primary sources of data were collected through interviews, secondary sources of data were obtained from literatures, decisions of government authorities including National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), and from online Media sources. The study indicated that the election held in Tigray was illegitimate since it was contrary to the decisions of the federal government mainly the house of federations and house of people’s representatives. The unconstitutional aspect of the election was also witnessed since it violated the constitutional mandates of NEBE to execute any electoral activities like voters’ registration, preparing, and distributing electoral documents. Moreover, the election was not honest as it was held without officially assigned local and foreign election observers. The study showed that destabilizing the State, regaining political power and domination, and the emotional dream to form a de facto State were the hidden agendas behind TPLF’s unilateral regional election.

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