The Central Leadership of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance (EDA) has decided to extend the mandate of the executive office for another six months and to hold a general congress by December of this year, according to sources contacted by Gedab News.

�The general congress will not be limited to EDA-member organizations but will include representatives of civil society groups, journalists, notable citizens, human rights advocates and friendly nations,� reported a source who wishes to remain anonymous. 

Asked on the mechanism of organizing the national congress, our source indicated that the EDA will set up committees that will be tasked with preparing national dialogue conferences; reviewing the charter, bylaws and structure of the EDA and presenting their recommendations at the national congress.

Meanwhile, three member organizations of the EDA are scheduled to hold their organizational congresses between now and December of this year. 

The Eritrean Liberation Front � Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC), which is chaired by Mr. Weldeyesus Amar, is scheduled to hold its congress in the summer of 2006.  This follows the �zonal congresses� it has been conducting recently.

The Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP), which is chaired by Mr. Mesfin Hagos, is scheduled to hold its organizational congress in September 2006.

The National Salvation Front, which brought together three organizations-- SE.DE.GE.E (chaired by Mr. Berhane Hanjema); Eritrean People�s Movement (EPM, chaired by Mr. Abdella Adem) and the Eritrean Liberation Front-National Congress, or ELF-NG, which is headed by Dr. Beyene Kidane�is scheduled to hold its unity congress in July 2006.  

The EDA has been holding its semi-annual meeting in Khartoum, Sudan and is expected to issue a press release on its resolutions upon the conclusion of the meeting.