An opposition party in Tigray said on Tuesday that elections in Tigray are in the best interests of its people, but warned that holding a vote without resolving post-war political, security and humanitarian crises would entrench injustice and undermine prospects for lasting peace.
The Tigray Independence Party said Tigray has been left without constitutional self-administration since the signing of the Pretoria peace agreement in November 2022 and elections are essential to restoring legitimate self-rule in Tigray but argued that current conditions make a credible vote impossible.
Speaking at a press briefing, TIP chairman Dr. Dejen Mezgebe said the people of Tigray had effectively been stripped of their right to self-administration following the Pretoria agreement that ended a two-year war on Tigray.
“Legally and politically, Tigray does not currently have the institutional authority to ensure self-administration,” the party said, adding that the absence of elected representation had left Tigray in a political and legal vacuum. The party said the absence of an elected government has left Tigrayans without representation or accountability at a time when decisions affecting the region’s future are being made.
Under the Pretoria agreement, signed in November 2022 between the Ethiopia’s federal government and the TPLF, Tigray was expected to hold elections within one to two years, TIP said adding that the commitment had not been honoured due to a combination of internal and external factors.
According to the party’s chairman these factors include the continued displacement of hundreds of thousands of Tigrayans, the presence of “illegal administrations” in parts of Tigray, and the ongoing occupation of territories constitutionally recognized as part of Tigray.
While reaffirming that elections are in the best interests of the party and the people of Tigray, TIP warned that proceeding without addressing these issues could undermine the credibility of the process and produce damaging outcomes. TIP said planning elections while these issues remain unresolved would amount to pursuing a “hidden agenda”.
TIP emphasized that territories constitutionally recognized as part of Tigray must be restored before elections can take place, and displaced residents must be allowed to return to their homes and voter constituencies.
According to a recent data from the Interim administration, hundreds of thousands of Internally displaced Tigrayans are still living in makeshift camps across Tigray with tens of thousands more living in neighboring Sudan due to continued occupation of their home by the Amhara and Eritrean forces. The party said holding elections while these populations remain unable to vote in their home areas would amount to disenfranchisement.
TIP also expressed its concerns regarding the post war elections preparations process. The party said Tigray’s post-war reality required a special electoral framework, arguing that standard election procedures cannot be applied in what it described as a post-genocide context.
“The usual mechanisms of elections cannot be used in Tigray,” the party said, citing incomplete implementation of the Pretoria agreement, damaged election infrastructure, unresolved transitional justice issues and widespread psychological trauma.
The party said an election conducted while election infrastructure remains damaged, justice processes have not begun, displaced people cannot return, illegal administrations remain in place and constitutional authority has not been restored would fail to meet the needs of the population.
“It will only bring serious consequences and will not address the people’s demands,” TIP said.
The party also expressed its concern about how Ethiopia’s National Election Board is preparing for elections, accusing it of ignoring Tigray’s post-war realities. TIP said preparations by the Ethiopian elections board to hold elections in Western Tigray risk legitimizing the illegal administrations that should’ve been dismantled following the Pretoria agreement.
“Any attempt to hold elections in areas still under occupation or to legitimize illegal administrations through elections is unacceptable,” the party said.
The party also sharply criticized the position of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front regarding elections, saying the future of Tigray and the rights of its people are being viewed through the narrow interests of a single political party.
During a press briefing In November 26,2025 the Tigray’s people’s Libration Front’s spokesperson told local medias that “An election in Tigray that does not involve the TPLF will not happen,” The spokesperson said reiterating that restoring TPLF’s legal status is non-negotiable prerequisite.
The Tigray independence party condemned the TPLF statement, calling the stance irresponsible and dangerous.
“If elections are postponed in Tigray, it should not be because of the legal status of the TPLF, but because of the vital issues facing the people of Tigray,” the party said, arguing that tying elections to a party’s status amounts to holding the population hostage to partisan interests. The Tigray Independence Party called on political stakeholders in Tigray to condemn the positions of the TPLF.
The party called on Ethiopia’s federal government to fully implement the Pretoria agreement, dismantle illegal administrations, remove all non-federal and foreign forces, and facilitate the return of internally displaced people. It said an all-inclusive interim administration should be established to oversee the transition and election process once conditions allow. The party stressed that the federal authorities should focus on addressing these fundamental issues instead of prioritizing technical election timelines.
The Tigray Independence Party’s statement on elections and related concerns has not yet received an official response by the National Election Board.