Crunch Time

In one of the most action-packed weeks in recent history, the Ethiopian bi-cameral Parliament has kick-started its unique sixth-year term, having its term extended after the decision to postpone the General Elections due to COVID-19 pandemic, not only to see the desertion of Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) from its ranks but also to take the consequential decision to cut formal ties with the new administration of Tigray Regional State, reflected in the redirection of budget subsidies away from regional council and into lower tiers of government, and pass the momentous decision to approve request for referendum towards the formation of the 11th state by a consortium of five zonal and one special woreda administrations in Southern Regional State. Pictured above are Adem Farah, Speaker of House of Federation (HoF), and Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) leaving the joint session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) and HoF opened by President Sahle Work Zewde on Monday.