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Important Statement of 
Major EDA Member Organizations 
 
The Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) announced to  all Eritreans and their friends that its 
Second Congress was successfully conducted between 15 and 20 February 2007.   
 
The issues of Sheria and the question of nationalities, which in the past five years caused hard 
feelings among organizations, required putting a lot of struggle, but at the end seemed to have 
been given a durable solution.  The programme of the Alliance thus emerged out of the 
Congress as one that can embrac e all forces of the opposition with interest for promoting 
peace, democracy and inviolable human rights.  Needless to say, there was urgent need for 
the Alliance to register changes within itself and thus come out with an effective leadership that 
can implement the new programme. 
 
The expectations were that the EDA Congress that scored success in its programme should 
necessarily score similar success at electing a leadership that can cope with the situation and 
set clear plans that can remove on time the dict atorship in Eritrea. Bu t it is with regret and 
sadness that we are forced to announce that ce rtain EDA member organizations have, on 25 
February 2007, taken illegal and irresponsible steps that may hamper the implementation of 
new Charter and plan of action.  
 
The crisis into which the ED A plunged itself after the successful congress that witnessed 
historic compromises is indeed very sad. As a re sult of those compromi ses, the long-standing 
call for a relatively fair proportional representat ion of the organizations  on the basis of their 
roles and size was shelved for the time being [pending studies] and an understanding was 
reached to give equal representation to small and large organizations. This situation created a 
positive atmosphere and [a short-lived] euphoria. 
  
At the first meeting of the C entral Council [that started on 22 February], a call was made to 
introduce changes in the EDA Executive Committ ee. Outgoing chairmanHussein Khalifa and a 
group that he appeared to be leading opposed change and insisted that Hussein Khelifa would 
remain at the head of the EDA.  Arguments over the need fo r change and those opposed to it 
led to the emergence of two blocs. 
  
We [the representatives of ED P, ELF-RC and ENSF] exerted effo rts to resolve the four-day 
impasse but to no avail.  
 
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Finally, the bloc led by Hussein Khalifa claimed that it possessed simple majority in the 22-
person Central Council and that it had decided to elect the chairman in rejection of the 
compromise solutions proposed by our side. We warned that they were splitting the Alliance 
and that this split would contain its dangers. On their part, Hussein Khelifa and group stated in 
unequivocal terms that they will be responsible for what they were doing on the basis of simple 
majority [in an Alliance of 11 organizations].  
  
After this dangerous announcement, we in ELF-RC,  ENSF and EDP reminded them that they 
cannot take any legal decision as they were because Central Council decisions require three-
fourth vote or agreement of member organizations. Thus, instead of taking an illegal action 
based on simple majority [which is non-existent  provision in the EDA statutes], we proposed 
that we all take time and tr y to manage the crisis through all possible means. We thus 
proposed as follows: 
 
1. Resolve the crisis by accepting Hassan Assad from their bloc as chairman of the 
executive body. 
2. If this is not acceptable, then to agree to  form a Central Council Secretariat chaired by 
someone from their side [or a neutral person] and with members from both blocs without 
any objection from either side to the appoint ees to the Secretar iat. The Secretariat 
would be mandated to execute operations and lead the EDA to an extraordinary general 
meeting or congress. The two blocs woul d have their respective spokesmen for 
coordination of work of two blocs. 
 
This realistic and responsible proposal was also  rejected by the Hussein Khalifa group which 
clearly exposed its intention to go ahead completing the split. At this point, the Alnahda Party 
expressed their disappointment  with the developments and declar ed that they were freezing 
their membership in the Alliance until the crisis is resolved. 
 
The Hussein Khalifa group asked to be left alone to meet and decide on its intentions although 
it did not even possess the required two-thirds of EDA CC members to hold a legal meeting. In 
addition to that, they did not possess the cons titutionally required three-fourth to pass 
decisions. On top of that, the CC as a whole did not yet manage to elec t a chairman that can 
chair its meetings. Thus, all legal channels were  not fulfilled for the splitting group to hold a 
meeting or take decisions. However, it was determined to go ahead saying “come what may”.  
 
As we now see it, the programme that we launched at the congress after relentless past 
struggle to straighten the Alliance and start a take-off for victorious common march of all 
opposition forces, is obviously facing problems. We can think of no alternative other than  
reshaping the struggle and going ahead with or without  those who are planting obstacles for a 
successful re-start. At the same time, we deem it necessary to inform our people that those 
forces bent at taking illegal and irresponsible measures at the level of EDA will not in anyway 
serve the interests of our people. 
 
Steadfast Struggle until Victory! 
 
Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) 
Eritrean Liberation Front – Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) 
Eritrean National Salvation Front (ENSF) 
25 February 2007 
  
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