15 Facts About Lidetu Ayalew

Lidetu Ayalew is an Ethiopian politician who is the founder and the leader of the Ethiopian Democratic Party.

Lidetu Ayalew was a deputy chairman and chief spokesperson of Coalition for Unity and Democracy, during the 2005 Ethiopian general election.

Lidetu Ayalew came from a modest family background, started his career working in NGOs later owning a profitable auto import business.

Lidetu Ayalew earned Master's degree in Development economics from SOAS University of London.

Lidetu Ayalew rose to political prominence by forming the Ethiopian Democratic Party in 1992 with an initial membership of 120 men and women.

Lidetu Ayalew was the secretary General of the EDP until he led the forming of a new coalition called UEDP, which later join Medhin and became UEDP-Medhin.

Lidetu Ayalew organized various demonstrations protesting some of the policies of the government, particularly alongside students.

Lidetu Ayalew was the vice chairman of this coalition party until internal issues caused the coalition to break up.

Lidetu Ayalew discusses the big gap in the thinking between Ethiopian politicians from the 1970s and early 1980s as compared to politicians from 1990s and 21st century.

Lidetu Ayalew concluded that both the old politicians of the ruling party and various opposition parties have been clearly ineffective and inflexible.

Lidetu Ayalew stated that no matter how democratic they claimed to be in public, the older groups had the remnants of the old leftist Ethiopian movement as opposed to the 1990s democratic school of thought his party developed.

Lidetu Ayalew played a leading role in bringing about the limited rights opposition parties enjoyed leading to the 2005 Ethiopian Election.

Lidetu Ayalew's popularity plummeted significantly in the aftermath of the elections as he was considered to be a puppet of the ruling EPRDF, as a result of former-CUD leader's massive propaganda to defame him.

One of the most important issues Lidetu Ayalew's party has addressed since 2006 was inflation in the country.

On 3 August 2018, Lidetu Ayalew was promoted to the new Government Privatisation Advisory Council to advise Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed concerning his new economic reforms.