PM Abiy Molds New Government with Old Faces
The House of Peoples’ Representatives (HPR) blessed new ministers into PM Abiy Ahmed’s cabinet for the new under-formation government after Prosperity Party won June’s elections. The PM reshuffled the executive body with three ministers appointed from opposition parties.
The number of ministries has increased by three, to reach 22, with the Ministry of Labor & Skills, Irrigation & Lowlands, and Trade and Regional Integration being the new creations. The Ministry of Industry now stands on its own.
Opposition party ministers hail from Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (Ezema), Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and National Movement of Amhara (NAMA). Veteran opposition party leader since the EPRDF days, Berhanu Nega (Prof.), took the helm as Minister of Education after his party agreed to work with the ruling party.
Nonetheless, the absence of Sileshi Bekele (Eng.), a skilled GERD diplomat, from the new list of ministers, has left room for doubt.
Photo Credit: Samuel Habtab
Eden Teshome
