Swearing-In

On April 3, 2018, Members of the Parliament convened to endorse Abiy Ahmed (PhD), as Prime Minister of Ethiopia. This filled the vacuum created by the resignation of former Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn, who announced his decision to step down in mid-February with the hope of ending the unrest and political upheaval that has rocked the country since 2015.

Following his swearing-in by the Parliament as the country’s fourth Prime Minister since 1995, Abiy, in his address to Parliament, commended his predecessor’s decision to peacefully transfer his power. “This can be a good learning experience for leaders of African countries,” said Abiy, who exchanged a copy of the Constitution and the flag of the country with Hailemariam during the official transfer of power in Parliament.

During his powerful speech to the nation, he called for national unity and apologized to victims and families affected by the political unrest in the country. “It is time for all of us to learn from our past,” he said. He invited the Eritrean government to the negotiating table to work out a solution to the misunderstandings between the two countries. Likewise, he showed his interest in working out his government’s differences with Ethiopian-born foreign nationals. Furthermore, Abiy pledged to fight the threats to the country’s economy, including the foreign currency shortages, the widening current account gap, unemployment, high external debt and inflationary pressure.

6th Year . April 16  – May 15 2018 . No.60