TPLF to Install Three Place Holder Deputy Prime Ministers
September 9, 2012
Coming under pressure from different corners and mainly from the international community, TPLF had no choice left but to cave in to their demands including to the ones that are coming from its surrogate groups and various sections of the society. There are rumors that a final deal has been reached to an arrangement in which Hailemariam Desalegn would become the PM and there would be three Deputy Prime Ministers (DPM’s).
Accordingly, Girma Birru of OPDO is mentioned as the frontrunner for the DPM position in charge of economic affairs and all the ministries in this sector report to him. They include ministries of industry, trade, finance and economic development, agriculture, mines, transport, information and communication technology, science and technology, and energy and water development. Demeke Mekonnen of ANDM is likely to take the DPM position with social sector portfolio with the ministries such as education, health, social and labor, women, youth and children, culture and tourism, civil service and justice reporting to him.
The third DPM is expected to be from the TPLF and would be in charge of foreign and security affairs with the direct report of foreign, defense, federal affairs ministries and a multitude of federal security agencies including the notorious federal police. TPLF has not reached agreement within itself as to who among them would take this DPM position and names that come up frequently are Seyoum Mesfin, Abbay Tsehaye and Berhane G/Kirstos. It is expected that it would be decided once the TPLF holds its official CC meeting in which it would elect its chairman to succeed Meles. There are rumors that the TPLF CC has been tied up in a series of tense secret meetings to elect the party’s leaders that include the chairman, deputy and EC members. They decided to keep the meetings secret until they hammer out differences and once that is done they would hold an official meeting to endorse their compromise nominees.
The TPLF has also resolved to install the would-be TPLF chairman as the deputy chairman of the EPRDF and this person may not necessarily take up any official government position. Instead he would be the main person running the real parallel government (effectively the real PM and chairman of EPRDF playing Putin) calling shots from behind HD and the DPM’s. Seyoum Mesfin and Abbay Tsehaye are fiercely vying for this all important position. Some argue that it is a foregone conclusion that one of them would be elected chair and the other deputy. Whoever comes in second in the TPLF constellation of power would be one of the three DPM’s.
Berhane G/Kirstos is also one of the frontrunners mentioned for the chair opening but it is believed that his chances of beating these two old guards are very slim and he might just settle for the senior EC membership and foreign ministry portfolio in the government positioning himself well for any future eventualities. In addition to his aloof demeanor and Eritrean background, what makes Berhane’s claim to the helm of the TPLF unlikely is Seyoum and Abbay have more ties to the military from their rebel days than Berhane who had been mostly based abroad during the armed struggle.
TPLF is said also to be seriously contemplating to increase the number of deputy chairperson of EPRDF from one to three installing one from each member party from which no chairman comes. Whatever the case, it is a foregone conclusion that those who come from the surrogate groups would not have any real power, none whatsoever, no matter where they would be installed. They are just place holders helping in beautifying the ugly TPLF. The EPRDF CC meeting is slated for September 16, 2012.
“They[OPDO, ANDM, ] are just place holders helping in beautifying the ugly TPLF. ”
Well said.
Very good assessment. However, the glue that kept the fragile alliance together seems to be loosened and they are about to lose their grip on power.
It is a good move and some either good or bad will out come from this event. As it is now, the person who can arrest, release, and decide the fate of the nation, direct negotiation with others in terms of security, Military, and intelligence would be TPLF, and by 2015 they will close this gap and run full show just like Meles did. But if individuals are smart enough, they can play a good role but one thing they are going to loose if they want to operates. The reason why they diversified the power and polished the power is because of the donors pressure, that is it. Ethiopia never been on its feet as a country because all donors ware fulled by Habashans. Now, i do think that there is still an opportunity for re-negotiating with all opposition forces to move country forward. Ethiopia need to be democratized by its people or not only by one Ethnic group, it is necessary that we build the country that where every one is abide by the rule of Law otherwise we all going to be a looser.For those who want to rule Ethiopia like before, time is up you can’t rule but you can only pull the country backward into instability, fragile, poverty, and dictatorship. My urge is all Habashans need to reset their minds from bad mentality to positive thinking of sharing power based on true federalism.
Hailemariam Desalegn, one of Axee Meles’s buffoonish servants, chosen from the Xoonaa Kingdom of Walayita is meant to substitute Axum-Tsion Kingdom of Ethiopia. This “Xoonaa man” could be the last chapter with whom Minilik’s imperial tyranny could be coming to an end if the current momentum of “Gullichaa liwiwwix” is going on in this form of aberration. Hence, peoples from those traditionally republican institutions like the Oromo Gadaa system must not loosen the bitter struggle they are undertaking. By ultimately dismantling the rotten Abyssinian “Gullichaa”, they can come to declare their own free Republican state.
Yes in any case they will not lose grip on security and foreign affairs. This stategy work for them to cheat the donours. they will control other areas in name of commissions, directorate, managers, authority. At present those positions are filled by Tigreans in most of them in Minstrial politfolio.Whoever be DPM have no real functional authority. Woyyane section leader have more authority and freedom than OPDO misters. OPDOs can not decide but only implement what is decided by Woyyanes.
Qomoo,
“…My urge is all Habashans need to reset their minds from bad mentality to positive thinking of sharing power based on true federalism.” you wrote.
1.The main problems with Oromos is that some of them are just blind nihilists in the sense that they believe absolutely NOTHING will work and promote any cooperation with the Abeshas.
2.The secong group are wisful thinkers who believe that appealing to Abeshas and showing them that their interests and others interests can converge in order to promote the common good and the bright future for all.
Whether you want to proceed along cooperation or conflict route with Abeshas in my opinion you have to have sufficient capacities comensurate with the size of the Oromo human and material resources, etc. These resources include unities/alliances among Oromo groups and individuals, political capacity, economic capacity, social capacity, psychological capacity, diplomatic capacities, propaganda capacities, military capacity, local, regional and global networkings and positive relationships, etc. You don’t have these or can not build them? Just sit there like a deaf and dumb and be ready to play victim, beg for mercy, occasionally frustrated and explode when the last one eyed old fox or dog drags you all around and clean the dirty floor with your divided lazy body. By the way, even the opdo is learning by doing.
Bubbeedha!