House approves appointment of ministers, includes two new Deputy PMs, four ministerial positions

Thursday, 29 November 2012 Addis Ababa: Nov 29, 2012 (FBC) House of Peoples’ Representatives today approved the appointment of two additional Deputy Prime Ministers and four ministers submitted by Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn.

Muktar Kedir, deputy chairman of Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization (OPDO), is appointed Good Governance Reform Cluster Coordinator with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister. Muktar also assumed the position of Minister of Civil Service, the former post of Junedin Sado. Dr. Debretsion Gebremichael, deputy chairman of Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front (TPLF), is appointed Finance and Economic Cluster Coordinator with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister. The house also approved the appointment of Dr. Tedros Adhanom as the country’s new Foreign Minister. Dr. Kesetebirhan Admasu is appointed Minister of Health, a position which was assumed by Dr. Tedros since 2005. Kebede Chane, who served as acting Minister of Trade for over a year, is now appointed with full ministerial responsibility. Presenting the new appointees to the house, PM Hailemarian said the appointment was made based on the succession plan of Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front’s (EPRDF). He said lessons were also drawn from ministerial cabinet structures of other countries, that are registering fast economic growth as well as countries with similar parliamentary form of government to Ethiopia. Hailemariam defended his appointment of Kebede Chane as the trade minister, whose capacity was questioned by the sole opposition member Girma Seifu. “It was during Kebede’s reign as acting minister of trade that the country introduced a modern business licensing and registering law,” Hailemariam defended. The house approved the appointments with an overwhelming majority with the only abstinence coming from Girma. Source: http://www.waltainfo.com/