Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, February 15 (Infosplusgabon) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn resigned on Thursday after months of popular protests which necessitated the declaration of a state of emergency at one point but declared he would stay on until a new successor is named.
The Prime Minister, who is also the Head of Government and the Commander in chief of the armed forces, said in a speech broadcast on state television that his resignation should be part of efforts to seek a solution to the current political situation in the country.
The Prime Minister, who took over as the leader of the Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Patriotic Front (EPRDF) after the death of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, said he would stay on until Parliament accepts the resignation and a new successor is named, according to the state media.
In Oct 2016, Hailemariam declared a state of emergency in Ethiopia after anti-government protests spread from the capital Addis Ababa, to neighbouring regions and covered most parts of the country.
Tens of thousands of people were arrested in Ethiopia after the government declared the state of emergency, which remained in force for almost a year before it was lifted.
However, anti-government protests continued amid shootings to death of protesters by the government forces. The protests continued to spread in the regions of Oromia, which covers most parts of the capital, Addis Ababa, and in Amhara regions in Ethiopia.
Hailemariam said his resignation from the position of Prime Minister and the Chairman of the EPRDF, which he assumed in 2012, should provide a suitable base for reforms to install democracy.
The EPRDF Council, which comprises 180 members of the ruling federal coalition, is expected to convene a congress meeting to discuss and elect the next party Chairman, who is also the Prime Minister.
Hailemariam is quoted to have called for “new leadership” as a solution to the crisis engulfing the country.
The Ethiopian Prime Minister presided over an economic boom, building on the gains made under the leadership of his predecessor, Meles, who died while still in office.
Hailemariam decried the injuries and displacement suffered by people affected by the current crisis in the country, but he did not mention deaths.
The Premier’s resignation came a day after the Ethiopian government announced the release of 746 prisoners, including journalist Eskender Nega, who was jailed for his criticism of government policies.
Bekele Gerba, the leader of the Oromo Federalist Movement, was also freed on Wednesday after an unsuccessful trial.
FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/AFG/GABON 2018
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