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.
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. The leader of the PFDJ party and current President of Eritrea is Isaias Afewerki.
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.
Famous quotes containing the words people, front, democracy and/or justice:
“Much literary criticism comes from people for whom extreme specialization is a cover for either grave cerebral inadequacy or terminal laziness, the latter being a much cherished aspect of academic freedom.”
—John Kenneth Galbraith (b. 1908)
“I may be able to spot arrowheads on the desert but a refrigerator is a jungle in which I am easily lost. My wife, however, will unerringly point out that the cheese or the leftover roast is hiding right in front of my eyes. Hundreds of such experiences convince me that men and women often inhabit quite different visual worlds. These are differences which cannot be attributed to variations in visual acuity. Man and women simply have learned to use their eyes in very different ways.”
—Edward T. Hall (b. 1914)
“We have been weakened in our resistance to the professional anti-Communists because we know in our hearts that our so-called democracy has excluded millions of citizens from a normal life and the normal American privileges of health, housing and education.”
—Agnes E. Meyer (18871970)
“...I feel anxious for the fate of our monarchy, or democracy, or whatever is to take place. I soon get lost in a labyrinth of perplexities; but, whatever occurs, may justice and righteousness be the stability of our times, and order arise out of confusion. Great difficulties may be surmounted by patience and perseverance.”
—Abigail Adams (17441818)