The Tigray Interim Administration has moved to enshrine legislation that would allow the federal government to intervene in the region in what analysts say is a bid to consolidate its power amid growing political tensions.
Regional officials say a new regulation signed by Getachew Reda, TIA president, was issued to ensure the legal resumption of the powers and functions of regional councils and executive organs.
The regulation has two major provisions. The first would allow the federal government to intervene in the region on the basis of the ‘System for the Intervention of the Federal Government in the Regions’ Proclamation issued two decades ago. The proclamation permits the federal government to intervene in the case of security deterioration or upon request from regional administrations.
A similar intervention took place in the Amhara region in August 2023, when the regional administration requested federal assistance. The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) is still engaged in conflict with armed groups there.
Some see the TIA’s regulation as a contingency in case tensions with the TPLF faction led by Debretsion Gebremichael, or regional security forces, escalate.
The regulation also recognizes the regional, zonal and woreda cabinets formed following the 2020 Tigray election, which was rejected by the federal government in the lead up to the two-year war.
“Since the terms of the previous cabinets in the region are expired, this cabinet must be included as part of the TIA until the next election is conducted and new regional cabinets come into office,” states the regulation.
The regulation makes the most of federal legislation that would empower the President of the TIA to compel city and district councils to fall in line with the regional administration. It states that all programs, decisions, directives and orders issued by the Interim Administration regarding the regional state’s reconstruction and next region-wide election preparations must be fully accepted and applied by all councils and members of executive organs.
It grants the TIA the power to reshuffle members of administrative leadership, while obligating speakers and deputy speakers of the council are obligated to follow suit and enforce its orders in their respective jurisdictions.
The regulation also refers to an article in the Council of Ministers regulation regarding the establishment of an interim administration in Tigray, which also grants the TIA the powers and duties given to the highest executive organ of a region, including the power to determine and allocate budgets.
