The Prime Minister of Ethiopia is the

head of government The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, ...

and

Chief Executive A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a central executive officer (CEO), chief administrator officer (CAO) or just chief executive (CE), is one of a number of corporate executives charged with the management of an organization especially ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

. Ethiopia is a parliamentary republic with a Prime Minister as head of the government and the Commander-in-Chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister is the most powerful political figure in Ethiopian politics. The official residence of the prime minister is the Menelik Palace in

Addis Ababa Addis Ababa (; am, አዲስ አበባ, , new flower ; also known as , lit. "natural spring" in Oromo), is the capital and largest city of Ethiopia. It is also served as major administrative center of the Oromia Region. In the 2007 census, t ...

. The Prime Minister is elected from the members of the

House of Peoples' Representatives The House of Peoples' Representatives is the lower house of the Ethiopian Federal Parliamentary Assembly. Located in the capital Addis Ababa, the House has 547 members. All are elected in theory for five-year term in single-seat constituencies. ...

and presents a government platform. The Prime Minister must receive a vote of confidence in the

to exercise executive power as

Abiy Ahmed Abiy Ahmed Ali ( om, Abiyi Ahmed Alii; am, አብይ አሕመድ ዐሊ; born 15 August 1976) is an Ethiopian politician who has been the 4th prime minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia since 2 April 2018. He won the 2019 ...

is the third Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia serving since April 2018.

Origins and History

The office of Prime Minister has been consistently used in modern Ethiopian history. Prior to the establishment of modern government institutions, Ethiopia was under an

absolute monarchy Absolute monarchy (or Absolutism (European history), Absolutism as a doctrine) is a form of monarchy in which the monarch rules in their own right or power. In an absolute monarchy, the king or queen is by no means limited and has absolute pow ...

system with the King of Kings presiding as the absolute ruler of Ethiopia. The role of head of government emerged as a cabinet position in the late 18th and early 19th century following the introduction of modern government by

Emperor Menelik II , spoken = ; ''djānhoi'', lit. ''"O steemedroyal"'' , alternative = ; ''getochu'', lit. ''"Our master"'' (pl.) Menelik II ( gez, ዳግማዊ ምኒልክ ; horse name Abba Dagnew (Amharic: አባ ዳኘው ''abba daññäw''); 17 ...

. The heads of government of Ethiopia have been

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

(1909–1943), and then

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister i ...

(1943–present). The 1995 Constitution transform Ethiopia to a parliamentary republic and made the Prime minister as the

of Ethiopia.

Absolute Monarchy Era (1270–1974)

The Chief Minister of Ethiopia

The first

at the cabinet level was

Habte Giyorgis Dinagde '' Fitawrari'' Habte Giyorgis Dinagde ( am, ሀብተ ጊዮርጊስ ዲነግዴ; ; 1851 – 12 December 1926) also known by his horse name Abba Mechal was an Ethiopian military commander and government official who, among several other pos ...

as the Emperor's loyal Chief Minister under

. The Chief Minister is the chair of the cabinet and the

Ministry of Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in state ...

who serve at the pleasure of the King of Kings who is the absolute ruler. In modern Ethiopian history there were there Chief Ministers including Tafari Makonnen under Empress Zewditu and Betwoded Wolde Tzaddick under Emperor Haile Selassie.

The 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia

The office of the Prime minister was officially established following the 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia. The 1931 constitution was the first modern time constitution that attempted to create modern system of government in Ethiopia. The 1931 Constitution of Ethiopia name Emperor of Ethiopia as the absolute ruler of Ethiopia and the Prime Minister as the leader of the council of ministers that coordinates a day to day government activities with the consent of the Emperor of Ethiopia. Until the 1955 revised Constitution of Ethiopia there was three Prime ministers including the first Prime Minister

Makonnen Endelkachew '' Ras Betwoded'' Mekonnen Endelkachew (16 February 1890 – 27 February 1963) was an Ethiopian aristocrat and Prime Minister under Emperor Haile Selassie. Mekonnen was born in Addisge, the nephew of the noted Shewan general and politician ...

and the last Prime Minister

Abebe Aregai ''Ras'' Abebe Aregai (18 August 1903 – 17 December 1960) was an Ethiopian military commander who, during the Italian occupation, led a group of resistance fighters (collectively known as the ''Arbegnoch'' or "Patriots") that operated in ...

who was assassinate during the failed 1960 Ethiopian coup d'état attempt. Following the assassination of Prime Minister

Imru Haile Selassie Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie, CBE (Amharic: ዕምሩ ኀይለ ሥላሴ; 23 November 1892 – 15 August 1980) was an Ethiopian noble, soldier, and diplomat. He served as acting Prime Minister for three days in 1960 during a coup d'état ...

served as Acting Prime Minister for only three days.

The 1955 Constitution of Ethiopia

The revised 1955 constitution of Ethiopia put in effect in 1961 following the failed 1960 Ethiopian coup d'état attempt.The 1955 revised Constitution of Ethiopia attempted to take Ethiopia towards a

Constitutional Monarchy A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...

system. Under the 1955 constitution the office of the Prime Minister and Chamber of Deputies was given autonomy and power. Although the Prime Minister and parliament's power was stronger on paper, in practice the Emperor of Ethiopia control a significant power and rule the country as de jure absolute ruler. The first prime minister under the 1955 Constitution of Ethiopia was Prime Minister

Aklilu Habte-Wold '' Tsehafi Taezaz'' Aklilu Habte-Wold ( am, አክሊሉ ሀብተ ወልድ; 12 March 1912 – 23 November 1974) was an Ethiopian politician under Emperor Haile Selassie. He was foreign minister of Ethiopia from 1947 to 1958 and Prime Minister f ...

and the last Prime Minister was Mikael Imru who was dismissed following the 1974 revolution which established Provisional Military Government (PMG).

The Provisional Military Government (PMG) (1974–1987)

In September 1974 the last emperor of Ethiopia

Haile Selassie Haile Selassie I ( gez, ቀዳማዊ ኀይለ ሥላሴ, Qädamawi Häylä Səllasé, ; born Tafari Makonnen; 23 July 189227 August 1975) was Emperor of Ethiopia from 1930 to 1974. He rose to power as Regent Plenipotentiary of Ethiopia (' ...

was overthrow by a military coup. The Military Administration abolished the Monarchies of Ethiopia and established Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia. Chairman of the Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia was head of the government. From 1974 until 1987 the office of the Prime Minister was not in use until the declaration of

1987 Constitution of Ethiopia The Constitution of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (), also known as the 1987 Constitution of Ethiopia, was the third constitution of Ethiopia, and went into effect on 22 February 1987 after a referendum on 1 February of that year. ...

which created People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

The People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) (1987–1991)

The Prime Minister office become in effect following the declaration of People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The

name the Prime Minister as the

and the principal advisor to the President of the People's Republic. The Prime Minister also holds the highest rank in the civil service of the central government. The Prime Minister is formally approved by the National Shengo upon the nomination of the President. In practice, the Prime Minister is chosen within the

Workers' Party of Ethiopia The Workers' Party of Ethiopia ( am, የኢትዮጵያ ሠራተኞች ፓርቲ, Ye'Ityopia Serategnoch Parti, WPE) was a Marxist–Leninist communist party in Ethiopia from 1984 to 1991 led by General Secretary Mengistu Haile Mariam. The Wo ...

(WPE) through deliberations by incumbent WEP Politburo members and retired WEP Politburo Standing Committee members. The first Prime Minister of the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was Prime Minister Fikre Selassie Wogderess who served from 1987 to 1989. The last Prime Minister was

Tesfaye Dinka Tesfaye Dinka Yadessa (3 November 1939 – 6 December 2016) was an Ethiopian politician who was Minister of Finance (1983–1986), Minister of Foreign Affairs (1989–1991), and Prime Minister (26 April–6 June 1991) of Ethiopia. He was the hea ...

who flee to the United States in exile following the dissolution of the London peace conference which end the PDRE and established the

Transitional Government of Ethiopia The Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TGE) was an era established immediately after the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) seized power from the Marxist-Leninist People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (PDRE) in 1991. ...

(TGE).

Transitional Government of Ethiopia (TEG) (1991–1995)

The end of the

Ethiopian Civil War The Ethiopian Civil War was a civil war in Ethiopia and present-day Eritrea, fought between the Ethiopian military junta known as the Derg and Ethiopian-Eritrean anti-government rebels from 12 September 1974 to 28 May 1991. The Derg overthrew ...

in May 1991 results the end to the People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia constitution. A new provisional constitution and

was formed. The

, was de facto Semi-presidential system with the President as head of state and Prime Minister as head of the government. The Prime Minister is appointed by the President, along with other ministers in the Cabinet. The Prime Minister coordinate and chair cabinet meetings with the consultation of the President of the

. The only Prime Minister who served during

was Prime Minister Tamrat Layne.

Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (FDRE) (1995–present)

A draft of a new constitution was declared in 1995 as the Constitution of The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. The

1995 Constitution of Ethiopia The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (), also known as the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia, is the supreme law of Ethiopia. The constitution came into force on 21 August 1995 after it was drawn up by the Constituent Asse ...

transform Ethiopia to a parliamentary republic with the President of Ethiopia as

head of state A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...

and the Prime Minister as

. The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia explicitly vests executive power in the Council of Ministers chaired by the Prime Minister as

and de jure Commander-in-Chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces. The Prime Minister is nominated among members of the

and must be approved by two-third majority vote of confidence. In practice, the Prime Minister is the leader of the largest party with the highest number of sites in the

. The Prime Minister nominates the Member of Council of Ministers for approval by

by two-third majority. The first Prime Minister of

FDRE Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the no ...

was Prime Minister Meles Zenawi who served from 1995-2012. The current Prime Minister is

serving since April 2018.

Nominations and Appointment of the Prime Minister

After a General Election, National Election Board of Ethiopia will announce the official results. Based on the results the President of Ethiopia nominate the leader of the party with majority number of seats in the

as ''Prime Minister Designate of Ethiopia'' to form the Federal Government of Ethiopia. The leader of the party must be a member of the

to be nominated as '' The Prime Minister Designate of Ethiopia''. If no party wins an over all majority the President of Ethiopia will invite leader of the relative majority (plurality) political party to form a coalition government with other parties. The Prime Minister Designate must be approved by two thirds majority vote of confidence in the

to be appointed as Prime Minister of Ethiopia. After being appointed Prime Minister of Ethiopia, The Prime Minister shall present before the

and make a declaration of loyalty to the Constitution and the People of Ethiopia.

Security

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia is the most protected government official. The Prime minister's security detail is under the command of the

Republican Guard A republican guard, sometimes called a national guard, is a state organization of a country (often a republic, hence the name ''Republican'') which typically serves to protect the head of state and the government, and thus is often synonymous wit ...

which is a special armed unit of the

Ethiopian National Defense Force The Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) ( am, የኢፌዲሪ መከላከያ ሠራዊት, Ye’īfēdērī mekelakeya šerawīt, lit=FDRE Defense Force) is the military force of Ethiopia. Civilian control of the military is carried out t ...

. The Republican Guard's Counter Military Unit is responsible for protecting the prime minister's official residence Menelik Palace commonly known as 4 Killo National Palace. The Counter Military Unit is an élite paramilitary force armed with heavy assault rifles such as Israel-made Tavor-21 and American M-4's as well as having snipers, helicopters and armored vehicles.

Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia (DPME)

Article 76 of the constitution states that "The Council of Ministers comprises the Prime Minister, the Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and other members as may be determined by law. On Article 75 of the constitution states DPME is responsible to the Prime Minister. The Deputy Prime Minister Carry out responsibilities which shall be specifically entrusted by the Prime Minister. The DPME (Deputy Prime Minister of Ethiopia) also act on behalf of the Prime Minister in his absence."

References

External links

{{Heads of state and government of African states * Government of Ethiopia 1943 establishments in Ethiopia