With selection of Hailemariam Desalegn from Wolaita and Demeke Mekonnen from Amhara as prime minister and deputy prime minister, Meles Zenawi’s and TPLF’s dream of ruling Ethiopia for at least 50 years has ended today.
Meles Zenawi had never intended for this to happen. His intention was to retire in 2015, after making his wife the prime minister and continue to rule behind the scene while residing at the 100-million-birr residence he built inside the National Palace. The family dynasty he plotted to establish went into flames when he was hit with an ‘unknown’ illness some time in May or June this year.
Nevertheless, what has happened in Ethiopia today is a ‘miracle revolution,’ because for the regime’s two most visible figures, the prime minister and his hand-picked patriarch, to die in a period of two weeks is nothing short of a miracle. Their death is now creating opportunities for positive changes in the country. We will soon know if there are going to be changes by the kind of actions that Hailemariam will take in the coming few days and weeks — primary among them are the immediate release of all political prisoners.
In ceding power, the TPLF, the leading party in the 4-party coalition (Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front [EPRDF]), had been out-maneuvered and out-played by Bereket Simon in the absence of Sebhat Nega and other more experienced leaders who were purged by Meles Zenawi from the TPLF politburo in the TPLF in 2010. Their attempt to return to the TPLF leadership after Meles died was blocked by Bereket’s allies, paving the way for Hailemariam to assume power.
Most of what has transpired inside the regime since the death of Meles in July, including the 12-day zombified funeral, was managed and orchestrated by Bereket. He promoted Hailemariam from SEPDM and Demeke (his protege) from ANDM to save his own skin, because if the hardliners in the TPLF hold on to power, his fate could be ugly. Until the inexperienced Hailemariam is situated in his new position and develops leadership skills, he will depend on Bereket, who will remain the most powerful person in the regime for some time to come.
On the TPLF side, they all know Bereket, who is an Eritrean, is behind their demise, and the TPLF cadres are now saying that they have been pushed aside by the Eritrean wing of TPLF/EPRDF. They argue that without the Eritreans in the TPLF, namely Berhane Gebrekiristos, Teodros Adhanom, Neway Gebreab, Isayas Woldegiorgis (the deputy chief of security) and others, TPLF would have fought to keep the premiership for itself. Bereket was able to build a coalition of ANDM, SEPDM, some from OPDO and the Eritrean wing of the TPLF to get Hailemariam elected.
The U.S. Gov’t, particularly the Africom, also played a key role in the selection of Hailemariam. The Africom made sure that the corrupt TPLF generals remain quite, or else they will loose all the properties they bought in the US. The family of many of the TPLF generals, such as Seare Mekonnen and Tadesse Werede, live and attend school in the U.S. They are not in the mood to die for TPLF supremacy.
The influence of Eritreans in the TPLF/EPRDF cannot be discounted, but the TPLF presents an immediate threat to Ethiopia and thus it must be quashed and obliterated for there to be any chance of real change. Let’s not forget that it is TPLF that has been plotting to dismember Ethiopia and create ‘Greater Tigray.’
ADDIS ABABA (Bloomberg) — Ethiopia’s ruling party, EPRDF, confirmed acting Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn as the successor to the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.
Meles, who led Ethiopia for 21 years and who oversaw one of Africa’s fastest-growing economies, died on Aug. 20 from an infection contracted while he was recovering from an undisclosed illness. Hailemariam, Meles’s deputy in the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front and a former foreign minister, took over in an acting capacity the next day.
“Out of three candidates, Hailemariam has got the unanimous vote of council members and will serve as chairman of EPRDF and Demeke Mekonen will serve as well as deputy chairperson of EPRDF,” Communications Minister Bereket Simon said in the capital, Addis Ababa. “Whoever’s elected as chair and deputy chair of party will automatically be the nominees for the premiership and deputy premiership. So both Mr. Hailemariam and Mr. Demeke will represent the party and be candidates and be presented to parliament for approval when it starts its formal session in early October.”
Ethiopia, the continent’s second-most populous nation, is a key U.S. ally in its battle against al-Qaeda in the region. Ethiopian troops in December invaded Somalia for the second time in four years to join the battle against al-Shabaab, al-Qaeda’s Somalia affiliate.
The federal parliament, which has only one opposition lawmaker out of 547, is expected to swear in Hailemariam on Oct. 8, Bereket said.
At Meles’s funeral on Sept. 2, Hailemariam vowed to continue with his state-led development model that channeled loans, aid, investment and domestic revenue into infrastructure, industry and public services. The result was growth that averaged 10 percent in the past eight years, according to the government.
Human-rights groups criticized the government for cracking down on civil liberties and introducing anti-terrorism laws in 2009 that have been used to jail opposition politicians and journalists.
The EPRDF is a coalition of four parties representing the Amhara people, the Oromo, the Tigray and a collection of southern groups. Meles was leader of the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, which led the ouster of a military junta in 1991, while Hailemariam hails from the southern bloc. His deputy is from the Amhara National Democratic Movement.
The EPRDF’s council, which has 45 representatives from each bloc, chose Meles’s successor from the 36-member executive committee of the party. Ethiopia’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for 2015.
(SVT) — It was an emotional press conference where Swedish journalists Martin Schibbye and Johan Persson who talked about their experiences in Ethiopia. The atmosphere was charged and the two journalists were greeted as heroes with applause when they entered the hall, straight from the airport.
Martin Schibbye talked about how they were forced to stay in the desert to record the fake film about the arrest that was used as evidence in the trial – a film that SVT has previously shown.
Lost a lot of blood
“It was action-taking and so they ran around there. We did not think it was true. I thought: ‘Will they let us see these and then live?’ He talked about the film that orchestrated the arrest.
The journalists were terribly frightened. Johan Persson was injured during the arrest and lost a lot of blood.
“I thought that these people are not really wise. I was afraid that I would get blood poisoning,” says Johan Persson.
The Swedes were trying to negotiate with the ‘filmmakers’ to go to a hospital and also meet officials of the Sweden embassy.
“They wanted us to condemn ONLF but we did not. We agreed to say that we were Swedish journalists. We were terribly afraid that they would shoot us,” says Persson.
Martin Schibbye also tells the mock execution he was subjected to. A soldier pulls him out of the middle of the desert and ask him to walk in front of soldiers. He hears cocking of a rifle.
He says he is “no more mr nice guy” and now I’ll die if I do not tell the truth. I have several times thought why people go to mock execution just like that in front of the guns? Now I understand, you can not do anything else.
Johan Persson was told that Martin Schibbye have been killed and after he heard shots.
Will not give up the fight for freedom of expression
But the journalists said they will not give up his fight – now await further work to talk about their experiences in a book, continue to review and to fight for freedom of expression. When the Swedes left prison, a fellow prisoner threw himself toward them. He was hit with batons several times by the guards:
He said: “Tell the world what is happening here,” says Martin Schibbye.
“We must not allow journalists to be convicted as terrorists; it must never happen again,” says Martin Schibbye and raises his voice.
“We have become better journalists because of this,” says Persson.
“We have been afraid to speak, to write, to live in such a country that has given the concept of freedom of speech, democracy and freedom a new meaning,” says Martin Schibbye to SVT.
Ethiopia’s ruling junta, EPRDF, convened today to choose a successor to the late dictator Meles Zenawi. Today’s meeting has just ended, but there is no official announcement on any decision yet. The meeting was chaired by acting prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn. The following is the only official news so far:
A two-day EPRDF Council meeting began today (September 14th) here in Addis Ababa. The EPRDF secretariat announced that the 180 member council will agree on a chairman and deputy-chairman for the Front following the death of Prime Minster Meles Zenawi It is also expected to decide on a number of related matters.
In the Ethiopian New Year, Ethiopian National Transitional Council (ENTC), in collaboration with Tinsae Ethiopia, has intensified its call to the people of Ethiopia to get organized and liberate ourselves from the TPLF regime.
During the past week, Tinsae Ethiopia members in Addis Ababa and other cities have been working closely with the ENTC to distribute pamphlets (see below) and writing on walls to call for regime change.
Because of the extremely tight security we did not want to endanger our members by asking them to take photos of all their activities, but they were able to send us some photos, including the following two.
