News: Despite objections PM Abiy removes one of the remaining two TPLF members from his cabinet

January 22, 2020

*Fetlework, a.k.a Monjorino, and Keria Ibrahim, Speaker of the House of Federation, attending the last emergency meeting of TPLF. Both are members of the party.*

Addis Abeba, January 22/2020– The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has today announced a fresh appointments of three ministerial positions. One of the three appointments saw Fetlework Gebregziabher, one of the the two remaining members of TPLF in the Prime Minister’s cabinet of 20, removed from her position as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Fetlework, a.k.a Monjorino, a veteran member of TPLF and the front’s deputy chairperson, removed from her position which she held since October 2018 when women took up 50% ministerial position. She is replaced by Melaku Alebel, who was serving as Industry and Investment Bureau Head with the rank of Vice President of the Amhara Regional State.

That leaves Yalem Tsegaye Assfaw, Minister of Women’s, Children’s and Youth, as the only member of TPLF in the ministerial position. Addis Standard has learnt that following the conclusion of its last emergency meeting, in which TPLF passed its final decision not to join the newly merged Prosperity Party (PP), its executive has submitted a letter to the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed cautioning against the removal of its members from federal government offices. A team of six, three from TPLF and three from the Prime Minister’s office, was subsequently formed to look into TPLF’s objection of the removal of its members both from the federal civil service offices and the PM’s cabinet.

The removal of Fetlework also comes at the backdrop of increasing criticisms against alleged removals of Tigrayans from various offices of the federal government, a sign of the deepening rift between the administration PM Abiy and TPLF.

Update:#TPLF passed a final decision to legally separate from #EPRDF (Prosperity Party-PP).TPLF said its relations with federal govt should be based on the rule of law & that it expects division of assets from EPRDF. It also expressed its desire to work with other similar parties pic.twitter.com/wDO1T904mb
— Addis Standard (@addisstandard) January 6, 2020

Today’s appointment also saw the appointment of Getahun Mekuria (PhD), who until today was the minister of of Innovation and Technology, as the incoming Minister of Education. Dr. Getahun fills the post left vacant by Tilaye Gete (PhD) who recently resigned and has become the Deputy Permanent Envoy for the UNESCO with a rank of Minister Plenipotentiary at Ethiopian Mission in Paris, France.

The appointment of Abraham Belay, (PhD), as the incoming Minister of Innovation and Technology is today’s third appointment by PM Abiy. Dr. Abraham was serving as the CEO of Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP), where he was appointed in August 2018 replacing Azeb Asnake, the founding CEO of the state’s giant. Abraham was once a member of TPLF but has left the party since. AS