Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement
Encyclopedia
The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement is a political party
in Ethiopia
, created to further the interests of the Oromo
people.
At the last legislative elections
, on 15 May 2005, the party won 11 seats, all from the Oromia Region
. The party Whip
is Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the Mirab Welega Zone
. The Chairman is Bulcha Demeksa
.
In the August 2005 Regional assembly elections, the party won 10 out of 537 seats in the Oromia Region
. Bulcha Demeksa, announced in mid-April that his party would boycott the second round of voting in the 2008 Ethiopian local elections
, joining a number of other opposition parties. Despite this, the OFDM picked up one seat in the 116 towns which held elections for their administrative councils.
, otherwise known as the Forum for Democratic Dialogue. Other members of Medrek include the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
led by Beyene Petros
, the ARENA party, former president Negasso Gidada
, and former Minister of Defense
Siye Abraha. In June 2008, the OFDM accused the Ethiopian government of ignoring the ethnic conflict in western Ethiopia which allegedly killed 400 Oromos. The OFDM called it a massacre and blamed the government as being at least "an accomplice."
OFDM Secretary General Bekele Jirata was arrested November 2008, along with at least 14 other ethnic Oromo
for alleged ties to the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front
and a previously unknown armed group, Kawerj, connections which were denied by the OFDM. He was released 4 February 2009 on bail. No date has been set for his trial.
Political party
A political party is a political organization that typically seeks to influence government policy, usually by nominating their own candidates and trying to seat them in political office. Parties participate in electoral campaigns, educational outreach or protest actions...
in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, created to further the interests of the Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
people.
At the last legislative elections
Ethiopian general elections, 2005
Ethiopia held general elections on May 15, 2005, for seats in both its national and in four regional government councils. Under pressure from the international community, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi promised that this election would be proof that more democracy would come in this multi-ethnic...
, on 15 May 2005, the party won 11 seats, all from the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. The party Whip
Whip (politics)
A whip is an official in a political party whose primary purpose is to ensure party discipline in a legislature. Whips are a party's "enforcers", who typically offer inducements and threaten punishments for party members to ensure that they vote according to the official party policy...
is Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega Zone
Mirab Welega is one of the 12 Zones in the Ethiopian Region of Oromia. This zone is named after the former province of Welega, whose western part lay in the area Mirab Misraq now occupies....
. The Chairman is Bulcha Demeksa
Bulcha Demeksa
Bulcha Demeksa is an outspoken Ethiopian politician and businessman, and founded one of the largest opposition parties in that country, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement. In 1967 he was appointed vice-minister of Finance before representing his country at the board of the World Bank...
.
In the August 2005 Regional assembly elections, the party won 10 out of 537 seats in the Oromia Region
Oromia Region
Oromia is one of the nine ethnic divisions of Ethiopia...
. Bulcha Demeksa, announced in mid-April that his party would boycott the second round of voting in the 2008 Ethiopian local elections
Ethiopian by-elections, 2008
Ethiopia held nation-wide elections for local offices in the kebele and woreda assemblies on 13 and 20 April 2008. By-elections were also held for seats in the Addis Ababa City Council, and in the national and regional parliaments that were vacant due to the Coalition for Unity and Democracy’s ...
, joining a number of other opposition parties. Despite this, the OFDM picked up one seat in the 116 towns which held elections for their administrative councils.
Recent developments
The OFDM recently joined forces with other Ethiopian opposition groups to form MedrekMedrek
Medrek is an Ethiopian opposition political coalition founded in 2008 which contested the Ethiopian general election, 2010. In that election, Medrek won a single seat in the Council of People's Representatives, representing an electoral district in Addis Ababa. This was allegedly due to lack of...
, otherwise known as the Forum for Democratic Dialogue. Other members of Medrek include the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces
The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces is a coalition of several existing political parties of Ethiopia which combined to compete for seats in the Ethiopian General Elections held on May 15, 2005....
led by Beyene Petros
Beyene Petros
Professor Beyene Petros Lodamo is a professor at Addis Ababa University and a member of the Ethiopian House of People's Representatives, representing an electoral district in Badawacho of Hadiya Zone....
, the ARENA party, former president Negasso Gidada
Negasso Gidada
Dr. Negasso Gidada Solon was the President of Ethiopia from 1995 until 2001. He is the son of Gidada Solon, one of the first local ministers of the Protestant church in the Dembidolo area in western Ethiopia.Dr...
, and former Minister of Defense
Ministry of Defense (Ethiopia)
The Ministry of National Defense of Ethiopia is a cabinet level office in charge of defense related matters of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia...
Siye Abraha. In June 2008, the OFDM accused the Ethiopian government of ignoring the ethnic conflict in western Ethiopia which allegedly killed 400 Oromos. The OFDM called it a massacre and blamed the government as being at least "an accomplice."
OFDM Secretary General Bekele Jirata was arrested November 2008, along with at least 14 other ethnic Oromo
Oromo people
The Oromo are an ethnic group found in Ethiopia, northern Kenya, .and parts of Somalia. With 30 million members, they constitute the single largest ethnic group in Ethiopia and approximately 34.49% of the population according to the 2007 census...
for alleged ties to the outlawed Oromo Liberation Front
Oromo Liberation Front
The Oromo Liberation Front , or OLF, is an organization established in 1973 by Oromo nationalists to promote self-determination for the Oromo people against what they call "Abyssinian colonial rule". It has been outlawed and labeled as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government...
and a previously unknown armed group, Kawerj, connections which were denied by the OFDM. He was released 4 February 2009 on bail. No date has been set for his trial.