People's Front for Democracy and Justice
| People's Front for Democracy and Justice الجبهة الشعبية للديمقراطية والعدالة ህዝባዊ ግንባር ንደሞክራስን ፍትሕን |
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| Leader | Isaias Afewerki |
| Founded | 1994 |
| Preceded by | Eritrean People's Liberation Front |
| Headquarters | Asmara, Eritrea |
| Youth wing | Young People's Front for Democracy and Justice |
| Ideology | Eritrean nationalism,[1] Secular nationalism[2] Catch-all party[1] |
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| This article is part of the series: Politics and government of Eritrea |
The People's Front for Democracy and Justice (PFDJ) (Tigrinya: ህዝባዊ ግንባር ንደሞክራስን ፍትሕን, Həzbawi Gənbar nəDämokrasən Fətəḥən, abbreviated ህግደፍ?, Arabic: الجبهة الشعبية للديمقراطية والعدالة Al-Jabhat Al-Sha'abiyah Lil-Dimuqratiyah Wal-'Idalah) is the current ruling political movement in Eritrea. Successor to the formerly Marxist-Leninist and African socialist Eritrean People's Liberation Front (EPLF), the PFDJ holds itself open to nationalists of any political affiliation.[3]
Creation [edit]
As support for Ethiopia's socialist government collapsed in the 1980s, the Eritrean People’s Liberation Front forged alliances with guerrilla groups. When these groups, which were most prominent in the Tigray province, overthrew the central government, the EPLF would form a separate provisional government for Eritrea.[4]
Following a United Nations-supervised referendum on independence in April 1993, the EPLF, which liberated Eritrea and was pivotal in overthrowing the government of Ethiopia, declared the new nation of Eritrea the following month. In February 1994 the EPLF renamed itself the People's Front for Democracy and Justice as part of its transformation into Eritrea's ruling political movement.[4]
The leader of the PFDJ party and current President of Eritrea is Isaias Afewerki.
Status [edit]
Currently the People's Front for Democracy and Justice is the sole legal party in Eritrea.[5]
There is some debate as to whether PFDJ is a true political party or whether it is a broad governing association in transition. Eritrean National elections were set for 1995 and then postponed until 2001; it was then decided that because 20% of Eritrea's land was under occupation, elections would be postponed until the resolution of the conflict with Ethiopia. However, local elections continued in Eritrea. The most recent round of local government elections were held in May 2004.
References [edit]
- ^ a b O'Kane, David; Hepner, Tricia (2011), Biopolitics, Militarism, and Development: Eritrea in the Twenty-First Century, Berghahn Books, p. xx, retrieved 15 January 2011
- ^ Joireman, Sandra Fullerton (2003), Nationalism and Political Identity, Continuum, p. 133, retrieved 15 January 2011
- ^ Markakis, John (March 1995). "Eritrea's National Charter". Review of African Political Economy 22 (63): 126–129. doi:10.1080/03056249508704109. Retrieved 2006-10-20.
- ^ a b "Eritrean People’s Liberation Front (EPLF)". Encyclopaedia Britannica. Britannica. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ "Eritrea". Africa Review. Africa Review. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
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