Days before its inaugural anniversary, Tigray’s Interim Regional Administration (TIRA) is moving forward with the establishment of a 105-member Advisory Council (AC), replacing the disbanded Tigray Regional State Council as per the Pretoria Agreement signed in November 2022 between the Government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) .
President Getachew Reda who is the head of TIRA, has signed a 25-page regulation comprising 26 articles, stipulating that the Council will convene quarterly. Article 9.1 mandates the AC’s accountability to the law, the conscience, the people, and TIRA’s head.
In a letter dated April 2, 2024, Getachew Reda has instructed the Cabinet Secretariat for Decentralized Administration and Democratization, headed by General Tsadkan Gebretensae, to establish the AC.
Article 7 outlines the AC’s composition:
- 38 members from each of the 38 electoral districts elected during the previous election.
- 9 members from Tigray’s civil societies.
- 40 members from Tigray’s political parties, including 10 from TPLF, and 6 each from Baytona Greater Tigray, Salsay Weyane Tigray, Tigray Independence Party, and Arena for Democracy and Sovereignty Party, as well as 3 each from Assimba Democratic Party and Axumay Waela.
- 6 members from Tigray security forces.
- 2 members with one each from the Irob and Kunama nationalities.
- 3 members from Tigrayans residing in Addis Ababa.
- 3 members from the Tigrayan diaspora.
According to Article 9.2, the Supreme Court, Auditor, Media Agency, and he Endowment Fund for the Rehabilitation of Tigray (EFFORT) will be answerable to the AC. Additionally, Article 9.3 mandates the AC Chair to report to the head of TIRA, and Article 9.4 stipulates that secretaries, secretariats, joint committees, and AC committees report to the AC Chair.
The Advisory Council will establish six 5-member committees, namely the Economic Development Affairs Committee, Infrastructure and Rehabilitation Affairs Committee, Social Development Affairs Committee, Resource Administration and Audit Affairs Committee, Peace, Security, Justice, and Democratization Affairs Committee, and Youth and Women Affairs Committee.
The duration of the AC will coincide with that of TIRA, which remains unspecified. UMD Media Sources suggest the AC could be established within the next two weeks.
It’s worth noting that members of the committee, including representatives from political parties, the TPLF, TIRA, and CSOs, have expressed grievances over TIRA’s disregard for the outcomes of their meetings spanning over four months including the , claiming the newly proposed regulation is biased in favor of the TPLF which will have at least 48 seats.
