The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement om, Warraaqsa Federaalistii Uummata Oromoo, OFDM) was a
political party
A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or p ...
in
Ethiopia
Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...
, created in 2005 by
Bulcha Demeksa to further the interests of the
Oromo people as an alternative to the armed
Oromo Liberation Front.
In the
15 May 2005 federal election, the party won 11 seats, all from the
Oromia Region
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benis ...
. In March 2006, the party
Whip was
Mesfin Nemera Deriesa from the
West Wallaga Zone. The OFDM merged with the
Oromo People's Congress
The Oromo People's Congress (OPC) was a federalist and Oromo nationalist opposition political party in Ethiopia. It was founded in April 1996 as the Oromo National Congress by Dr. Merera Gudina, who is its chairman. However, the party licence a ...
(OPC), forming the
Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), in 2012.
Creation
The Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement was created as a non-armed political movement in early 2005 as an alternative to the armed
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF) by
Bulcha Demeksa. Bulcha described the refusal to use guns to obtain political change as the major and fundamental difference between the OFDM and the OLF, stating that the OFDM intended to work within the existing
1995 Constitution of Ethiopia
The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (), also known as the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia, is the supreme law of Ethiopia. The constitution came into force on 21 August 1995 after it was drawn up by the Constituent Asse ...
, of which "many chapters" were acceptable to the OFDM. Bulcha stated that a consensus between Amharas, Oromos and Tigres would be needed for Ethiopia to have a "peaceful federal structure".
2005 regional election
In the August 2005
Regional assembly elections, the party won 10 out of 537 seats in the
Oromia Region
Oromia (Amharic: ) ( om, Oromiyaa) is a regional state in Ethiopia and the homeland of the Oromo people. The capital of Oromia is Addis Ababa.
It is bordered by the Somali Region to the east; the Amhara Region, the Afar Region and the Benis ...
.
2008
Bulcha Demeksa, announced in mid-April that his party would boycott the second round of voting in the
2008 Ethiopian local elections, joining a number of other opposition parties. Despite this, the OFDM picked up one seat in the 116 towns which held elections for their administrative councils.
In June 2008, the OFDM accused the Ethiopian government of ignoring the ethnic conflict in western Ethiopia which allegedly killed 400 Oromos. The OFDM called it a massacre and blamed the government as being at least "an accomplice."
At the beginning of July 2008, the OFDM joined forces with other Ethiopian opposition groups to form
Medrek, formally known as the ''Forum for Democratic Dialogue''. Other members of Medrek include the
United Ethiopian Democratic Forces led by
Beyene Petros,
Arena Tigray
Arena Tigray or Arena Tigray For Democracy and Sovereignty ( ti, ዓረና ትግራይ ንዲሞክራሲን ንሉኣላዊነትን) is an Ethiopian political party based in the Tigray Region and participating in the Medrek coalition federall ...
(the ''Union of Tigrians for Democracy and Sovereignty'', led by
Gebru Asrat), former president
Negasso Gidada, and former
Minister of Defense Siye Abraha.
2009
OFDM Secretary General
Bekele Jirata was arrested 13 January 2009, along with at least 14 other ethnic
Oromo for alleged ties to the outlawed
Oromo Liberation Front and a previously unknown armed group, ''Kawerj'', connections which were denied by the OFDM. He was released 4 February 2009 on bail. No date has been set for his trial.
"OFDM leader Bekele Jirata released on bail"
, ''Jimma Times'' 4 February 2009 (accessed 9 March 2009)
Bekele Gerba joined OFDM in 2009, becoming a member of the executive committee and head of public relations.
2012
The OFDM merged with the Oromo People's Congress
The Oromo People's Congress (OPC) was a federalist and Oromo nationalist opposition political party in Ethiopia. It was founded in April 1996 as the Oromo National Congress by Dr. Merera Gudina, who is its chairman. However, the party licence a ...
(OPC), forming the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), in 2012.
References
{{Authority control
2005 establishments in Ethiopia
2012 disestablishments in Ethiopia
Defunct political parties in Ethiopia
Federalist parties in Ethiopia
Political parties disestablished in 2012
Political parties established in 2005