The council of Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has elected Abiy Ahmed (PhD), Chairman of Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO), as its chairman today, Tuesday March 27.
According to the party’s tradition and the past experience, the chairman of the Front is the one that will be front runner to fill the now vacant Prime Minister post of the country.
EPRDF’s Council meeting, which followed the week-long executive committee meeting, has been deliberating on the depth of each party’s renewal and criticism and self-criticism agenda for the past week. The council dwelt based its discussion on the reports submitted by each party (complied by the Executive Committee) discussing the renewal process and its impact before going to the ballots to elect its chair and deputy.
Abiy was elevated to the chairmanship of his party OPDO a month ago receiving the baton from Lemma Megersa, who is President of the Oromia Regional State.
As chair of the Front, Abiy is expected to take the Prime Ministerial position replacing the outgoing Hailemariam Dessalegn.
Hailemariam resigned from his post both as chairman of the front as well as the premiership on February 15, 2018.
Shiferaw Shigutie, the chair of the Southern Ethiopian People’s Democratic Movement (SEPDM), was quoted as saying this week’s that the Executive Committee meeting will be tasked with filling the leadership gap created due to the resignation of Hailemariam.
Abiy will be sworn in as the nation’s Prime Minister in the coming session of the House of People’s Representatives.
