PM Meles Zenawi working from home, local media reports

One of the leading Amharic weeklies, Addis Admas, reported today that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi is recuperating at his residence in the palace.National Palace - Addis Ababa

Addis Admas claimed:

A senior government official indicated that the Premier is carrying out his duties from home communicating with only four officials. According to the senior official, Prime Minister Meles returned home a week ago after taking medical treatments abroad. Two Ethiopian doctors are looking after Meles’s health at the moment. The official also said that the Premier is recuperating and giving instructions after listening to reports and discussing with only four officials.

There are no signs of surgery in the visible part of Meles’s body, the official noted. Meles is given strict instructions by doctors to avoid lengthy meetings and workloads, according to the official.

Though the official indicated that the Prime Minister was scheduled to make a brief statement from office, our sources suggested that it might have been cancelled due to health reasons. [Read more on Addis Admas]

The news adds up to the latest tip, from two independent sources, that there would be a new development next week. While the tip lacked clarity, the suggestions from relatively informed sources ranged from a return of the Premier home to a media appearance.

On the other hand, the revoking of the production-sharing agreement with PetroTrans Co. in the past week is deemed as an indicator that the Premier is actively on duty. As PetroTrans is a highly-connected Chinese company, informed sources indicated that the decision was probably made at the highest level.

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Check the Meles Zenawi archive for previous and forthcoming posts.

Daniel Berhane

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