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Ethiopia’s parliament is expected to reconvene after the Ethiopian new year, to be marked on September 11th. This is to enable a smooth transition of power, following the death of prime Minister Meles Zenawi. His deputy will be sworn in before parliament and is expected to complete Zenawi’s term in 2015. Infighting within the ruling political party threatens a smooth handover but as CCTV’s Robert Nagila reports the government has moved fast to stamp its authority within the civilian and military authorities.
As thousands of Ethiopians lined the streets to mourn the death of their Leader prime Minister Meles Zenawi, behind the scenes the government had gone into overdrive to ensure a smooth transition?
After the 2005 elections almost 200 people were killed by security forces and an estimated 30,000 opposition figures jailed in a bid to silence dissent.
In 2009 using a new anti-terror law, Zenawi had his opponents and journalists arrested and jailed Zenawi ensured the ruling party - The Peoples Revolution Democratic Front controlled 99%of parliament
Robert Nagila, Nairobi said, "why the panic within political circles, after all zenawi dealt with hisopponents ruthlessly and effectively but within his party, with no clearsuccession plan.infighting emerged."
To avoid a crisis one faction of the party came out immediately backing the deputy prime minister Hailemariam Desalegn a relatively unknown, citing the constitution, government spokesman Simon Bereket has quickly became the face and voice of that faction
Simon Bereket, Ethiopian government Spokesperson said, " I assure you everything in the country is stable and everything will continue on a path charted by the primeminister."
Dina Mufti, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Spokesman said, "there wont be any change inour domestic policy or foreign policy, these policies are constructive andproductive for us, so we don’t envisage any change."
47year old Hailemariam was a close advisor to Zenawi up until 2010 when he was appointed deputy prime minister.
Over the last few years, Zenawi had gradually given up his posts as chairman of various parliamentary committees and handed them over to Hailemariam, almost as if he was grooming his deputyBut the issue is complicated by that fact although Ethiopia is ruled by a coalition of regional parties, the party from Tigray, the TPLF, has continued to hold most of the real power, in both the army and the government? Hailemariam isfrom a region in the south, with the least political clout.With this in mind the government sought to allay any fears regarding the transition
Dina Mufti, Ethiopian Foreign Affairs Spokesman said, "we are in mourning, but we will rise from the ashes, as i have told you, the system is intact, the ruling party is intact adminsitration is de-centralised to the regions the army is intact and so is the security apparatus."
Ethiopia’s ruling party, will meet to plan a smooth political transition, but with the next election in 2015 the fate of Dessalegn as interim prime minister till then will be subjected to speculation.
中国公共网摘编：GAN JADE |
