The ruling party EPRDF saw another major change in its leadership last month with the replacement of about a third of its leadership (13 of its executive members and 50 of its councilors).

However, it is debatable how many of the changes constitute the 2nd phase of the Metekakat plan – i.e., the 3-phase plan to transfer power to a “new generation” of leaders by 2015.

Ambiguity on the definition of “generation” is the first problem.

As noted in my article last February (“Ethiopia’s Ruling Party: Transition plus Confusion”):

“Some among the high officials of the ruling party categorize the leadership into three generations. EPRDF leaders who took part in the armed struggle to remove the military regime constitute the first generation. EPRDF leaders, who were not combatants, but the same age group as the first generation, make up the second generation. Younger EPRDF leaders are deemed as the third generation…

The alternative version of the generational definition put in one sentence in the party’s ideological periodical in 2009 reads: “all members who have been serving in top leadership positions since the years of armed struggle must retire within 5 years of the next EPRDF Congress to be held in September 2010”.
But this seems too narrow to signify a generational transition. Not even wide enough to include long-time senior leaders…who resigned as part of the first phase in 2010.”

As if this was not enough ambiguity, former Dep. PM Addisu Legesse added a third equally alternative definition in the EPRDF Congress last month. After noting the two alternative definitions, he said that Metekakat could also mean “empowering” the new generation leaders (it seems he meant: readying the new generation without the seniors vanquishing  their positions).

Secondly, it is not clear how many of the outgoings left because they wanted to and how many of them failed to secure votes. This is especially difficult with regard to the executive members as their election is conducted in closed door meetings. Information regarding which of them voluntarily declined nomination – in the election of executive members – is hard to come by and, when found, not sufficiently reliable to publish it publicly.

Nonetheless, pending more disclosures, it would be informative to see the changes in the top league of EPRDF in 2010 and 2013.

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Changes in the EPRDF Executive Committee

The EPRDF (Ethiopian peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Party) has three main tiers of leadership that is the EPRDF Congress, the EPRDF Council and the EPRDF Executive Committee.

The 36 seat EPRDF Executive Committee is elected by the Executive Committees of its four members parties  – namely, SEPDM (Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic movement), ANDM (Amhara Nation Democratic Movement), TPLF (Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front) and OPDO (Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization).

[Please see the first part of this series (link) for a brief description of EPRDF leadership structure and elections]

Both in 2010 and in 2013, one third of the EPRDF Executive Committee were new entrants. “New”, however, doesn’t necessarily mean first-timers, as we will see below.

This post is intended to present a tabular summary of the changes in the top league since 2010, when the first phase of Metekakat took place.

The first table shows the current 36 members of the EPRDF Executive Committee elected last month, changes in their membership status since 2010 and related data where necessary.

The second table lists the list of Executive members who left in 2013 (last month) and related data where necessary.

The third table presents list of Executive members who left in 2010 and related data where necessary.

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Acronyms:
EPRDF – Ethiopian peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Party
TPLF – Tigray Peoples’ Liberation Front
ANDM – Amhara Nation Democratic Movement
OPDO – Oromo Peoples’ Democratic Organization
SPEDM – Southern Ethiopian Peoples’ Democratic movement

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Table I – Current EPRDF Executive Committee

* (F) indicates female member.

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Table II – EPRDF Executive members who left in March 2013

Note: There is no official statement indicating that any of the guys above declined nomination for the EPRDF executive committees. However, with regard to some of them, there is a rampant rumor – among their admirers – that they declined after securing high-level of votes. One of those is Speaker of the House Abadula Gemeda, who was not much helpful to my inquiry during lunch-break at the EPRDF Congress last month.

While the general claim sounds illogical to me, I preferred to state “lost re-election?” for each out-going executive members (in the table above), as I might have missed something and to preclude complaint by their fans.

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Table III – EPRDF Executive members who left in 2010

* (F) indicates female member.

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This is the second part of the “Metekakat review” series.

Previous: EPRDF’s leadership structure and elections | Metekakat review

Next: EPRDF’s New Council – who is in and who is out?| Metekakat review (tomorrow)

Forthcoming: Summaries of the changes in the four EPRDF Members parties’ leadership and more data & analyses.