Ethiopia’s ruling junta, EPRDF (a coalition composed of TPLF, OPDO, ANDM, and SEPDM), is engulfed in leadership crisis after it failed to agree on a new chairman in the wake of Meles Zenawi’s death.
Meles died without putting in place a succession plan, and as a result the ruling junta is facing disintegration, according to observers.
OPDO, ANDM and SEPDM are backing the current acting prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn to assume both the chairmanship of EPRDF and the prime minister’s position, but the TPLF seems to be having a second thought.
The junta has scheduled another executive committee meeting for next week, allowing TPLF time to elect a new chairman. TPLF leaders are hoping that their new chairman will also become the EPRDF chairman.
The state-run ETV reported (watch below) that the EPRDF meeting focused on the regime’s “growth and transformation plan” (GTP), but what really happened in the meeting was a heated debate on the late dictator’s replacement. It is OPDO-ANDM-SEPDM vs. TPLF, but there seems to be a disagreement even among the TPLF, with Berhane Gebrekristos and Tedros Adhanom leaning toward Hailemariam.
Propaganda chief Bereket Simon and ANDM member, who is now the most senior member of the junta, appears to be playing a dominant role in the EPRDF. He is also fully backing Hailemariam.