The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially withdrawn the legal status of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), citing the party’s failure to implement ‘corrective measures’ ordered by the Board. The decision follows the expiration of a three-month deadline issued to the TPLF in February 2025 to hold its general assembly .
The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially withdrawn the legal status of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), citing the party’s failure to implement ‘corrective measures’ ordered by the Board. In a statement issued on Wednesday 14 May, NEBE accused the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) of failing to comply with the provisions of Proclamation No. 1332/2016, despite the recognition of its legal personality under a ‘special arrangement’ following the Pretoria Agreement signed in November 2022.
“Tigray People’s Liberation Front has been revoked, its registration has been cancelled it has been deregistered as a political party, it is not a political party now”
Sajid Nadeem, Geopolitical Analyst – Ethiopia
The TPLF party, which has dominated Ethiopian politics for nearly 30 years, disputes this decision. It claims that it never recognised the ‘special registration’ proposed by the NEBE and believes that the Pretoria Agreement guarantees its automatic return to its previous legal status. The NEBE categorically rejects this position, stating that the TPLF’s interpretation « is not acceptable ».This effectively reclassifies the TPLF as an ‘illegal political party’ and confirms NEBE’s February 2025 warning to revoke the group’s legal status.
“TPLF, it now can not claim any of its accounts, any of its assets in Ethiopia because it is no longer a political party”.
Sajid Nadeem, Geopolitical Analyst – Ethiopia
It should be noted that the TPLF had already lost its political party status by late 2020, when the war between Tigrayan rebels and government forces began. According to analysts, if the party’s legal status is not reinstated, it is unlikely to participate in the 2026 presidential election.
