New PM Will Govern ‘Jointly’ With the Deputy Prime Minister

Will Hailemariam ever be sworn-in as the new Ethiopian Prime Minister?

11 September 2012 [ESAT]
Head of the ruling EPRDF secretariat, Redwan Hussien, stated on the state daily—Addis Zemen—that the incoming Chair and Vice Chair of EPRDF will only lead the organization jointly for not more than 6 months until the front’s general assembly.

In his statement, Redwan said the front’s official documents dictate that the general assembly meet with in two to two and half years. Accordingly the assembly will be called in the coming 6 months. Until the general assembly EPRDF’s Council will meet in the coming days to choose the new Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Front replaced the late Meles Zenawi.

Redwan said during the general assembly all central committee members including the soon to be selected Chairperson and Vice chairperson will relinquish their power and compete for a new a party position anew.

Redwan downplayed the talk of power struggle. He claimed that the pervading sentiment with in the Front now is not of a squabble as some allege.  Instead, the biggest agenda of discussion is to select that best can coordinate and lead the organization. He attributed what he termed as decade’s long camaraderie within the Front for the smooth succession process.

Many people suspect the Front is scheming to sabotage the Deputy Prime Minister’s ascension to the Prime Ministership as the constitution suggests and Bereket Simon and a raft of other government spokespersons alluded.

ESAT’s in house political analyst believes perhaps the Front will allow Acting Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn to take the Prime Ministerial position. Nevertheless the wording that the leadership will lead the country ‘jointly’ is a clear indication that the influential TPLF heavyweights within the front are scheming to maintain power by proxy through the incoming Vice Prime Minster.

Since the death of Prime Minister Meles has officially been disclosed the power vacuum and the sporadic chatter of power struggle within the ruling EPRDF is only rising. Especially after the officially scheduled swearing in ceremony of the Acting Prime Minister has been cancelled and later deferred indefinitely and later on the EPRDF executive committee meeting concluded without any discernible decision, talk of power squabble with in EPRDF is only growing.