Ethiopia Declares State of Emergency Amid Prime Minister Resignation
February 16, 2018
“TPLF should declare a state of emergency only if it wants one result: the immediate overthrow of the regime!” – Jawar Mohammed
BY
ADDIS STANDARD
The Council of ministers is set to declare a state of emergency for three months as of this morning, a source close to the government told Addis Standard. The military will be in charge via a command post, which will be “reporting to the Prime Minister,” according to our source.
The move follows yesterday’s resignation of Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn both as Prime Minister, Chairman of EPRDF and his own party, the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM).
Initially, there was a “strong push” against the decision from members of two of the parties that make up the EPRDF: the Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO) and the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the two parties that govern Oromia and Amhara regional states, according to our source.
However, “the state of emergency will be declared this morning as the security situation in the country is getting volatile,” said the source.
Details of parts of the civilian constitution to be suspended will be announced at the end of the ministerial council’s meeting, but it is likely to be not much different than the October 2016 nine-month state of emergency, which was extended by additional four months.
The “government will submit the decision to national parliament within the next 15 days,” our source said, adding the delay to table the decision to the parliament was because the parliament is currently in mid-term recess.
The state of emergency is to be declared amidst increasing power struggle, especially between the OPDO and ANDM, to replace the outgoing Prime Minister.
Abiy Ahmed from Oromo Elected EPRDF Chairman
March 27, 2018
thiopia’s ruling coalition has elected Abiy Ahmed as its new chairman, according to state media. The announcement on Tuesday by state broadcaster FANA means that Ahmed, who hails from the Oromo ethnic group, is now expected to succeed Hailemariam Desalegn as Ethiopia’s prime minister.
The chairman of the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition has historically also taken on prime minister duties.
The EPRDF and its allies control all 547 seats in Ethiopia’s parliament, which must confirm the new prime minister.
Ruling coalition
In a surprise move on February 15, Hailemariam announced that he was stepping down as both prime minister and chairman of the EPRDF.
He said at the time that he would be staying on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until the EPRDF named a successor.
Local news site Addis Standard reported on Tuesday that Ahmed garnered 108 out of 180 votes in a meeting by the EPRDF’s Council, which comprises 45 members each from the four political parties that make up the coalition.
Mainly divided along ethnic lines, the parties are: the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), the Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organisation (OPDO) and the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM).