The secretive leadership of the Ethiopian People Revolutionary Party (EPRP) is currently in turmoil over the active role being played by some of its top leaders in fanning disagreements inside Kinijit.
Ethiopian Review’s Research Department (ERD), formerly known as ER’s Intelligence Unit, has learned that the leadership is currently split into two camps — one led by President Girma’s son-in-law, Ato Iyassu Alemayehu, and the other faction led by Ato Mersha Yoseph.
The Mersha faction is deeply concerned that Ato Iyassu (a.k.a. Hama Tuma, among his multiple other names) is meddling in the internal affairs of another organization, unnecessarily creating enemies for EPRP. According to ERD sources, Ato Mersha and friends are concerned that the backlash from the Iyassu faction’s involvement in the Kinijit internal affairs on the side of Shaleqa Yoseph will have a long-term negative impact on EPRP. Ato Mersha also believes that it is against EPRP’s ideology and strategic interest to side with the Shaleqa’s backward feudalist faction.
On the other hand, the Iyassu faction believes that the decaying Tigrean People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) is a lesser threat, and that feudalists like the Shaleqa group can easily be managed or manipulated. But the popular Kinijit poses a long-term threat to EPRP. The strategy adopted by Ato Iyassu and friends is that Kinijit’s popularity must be brought a few notches down in order to minimize its threat. Iyassu is looking at the popularity of Kinijit leaders with a great deal of trepidation, if not envy.
It is normal to have a clash of ideas within a political party, but on this particular issue every body — and the first daughter (Ghenet) — are digging their heels, causing a leadership crisis in the normally cohesive EPRP leadership.
A central committee meeting is being considered to settle the dispute one way or another.
Meanwhile, ERD has started looking into EPRP’s questionable financial activities. So far it has been discovered that EPRP owns several properties, including apartments and restaurants in many countries. This should raise concern among democratic forces who believe that a political party should not own or get involved in operating businesses.
There will be more updates on this as more evidences are uncovered.
የራሷ እያረረባት የሌላውን ታማስላለች