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

	Name	Party	Changes since 2010
1	Hailemariam Desalegn	SEPDM (Chair)	EPRDF Deputy in 2010, Chair since Sept. 2012
2	Shiferaw Shigute	SEPDM (Deputy)	No change
3	Redwan Hussien	SEPDM	No change
4	Alemayehu Asefa	SEPDM	No change
5	Mekuria Haile	SEPDM	No change
6	Shiferaw Teklemariam (PhD)	SEPDM	No change
7	Siraj Fagessa	SEPDM	New member
8	Tesfaye Beljigie	SEPDM	New member
9	Dessie Dalkie	SEPDM	New member
10	Demeke Mekonnen	ANDM (Chair)	EPRDF Deputy since Sept. 2012
11	Gedu Andargachew	ANDM (Deputy)	Joined in 2010
12	Ahmed Abitew	ANDM	New member
13	Bereket Simon	ANDM	No change
14	Tefera Deribew	ANDM	Joined in 2010
15	Binalf Andualem	ANDM	Joined in 2010
16	Dr. Ambachew Mekonnen	ANDM	Left in 2010, now back
17	Alemnew Mekonnen	ANDM	New member
18	Ayalew Gobeze	ANDM	No change
19	Abay Woldu	TPLF (Chair)	No change
20	Debretsion Gebremichael (PhD)	TPLF (Deputy)	Joined in 2010
21	Tewodros Adhanom (PhD)	TPLF	No change
22	Azeb Mesfin (F)	TPLF	Joined in 2010
23	Tewodros Hagos	TPLF	No change
24	Alem Gebrewahid	TPLF	New member
25	Gebremeskel Tareke	TPLF	New member
26	Beyene Mekru	TPLF	Joined in 2010
27	Tirfu Kidanemariam (F)	TPLF	New member
28	Alemayehu Atomsa	OPDO (Chair)	Joined in 2010
29	Muktar Kedir	OPDO (Deputy)	No change
30	Sufian Ahmed	OPDO	Joined in 2010
31	Abdulaziz Mohammed	OPDO	Joined in 2010
32	Aster Mamo (F)	OPDO	Left in 2010, now back
33	Workineh Gebeyehu	OPDO	New member
34	Diriba Kuma	OPDO	No change
35	Abera Hailu	OPDO	New member
36	Oumer Hussein	OPDO	New member

* (F) indicates female member.

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Table II – EPRDF Executive members who left in March 2013

Name	Party	Joined in	Reason for leaving
Tagese chafo	SEPDM	Joined in 2010	Lost election?
Debebe Abera	SEPDM	Joined in 2010	Lost election?
Ambassador TeshomeToga	SEPDM	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Berhan Hailu	ANDM	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Addisu Legese	ANDM	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Tsegaye Berhe	TPLF	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Meles zenawi	TPLF	Joined before 2010	Passed away
Abadi Zemo	TPLF	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Zelalem Jemaneh	OPDO	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Kuma Demekisa	OPDO	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Girma Biru	OPDO	Joined before 2010	Lost election?
Abadula Gemeda	OPDO	Joined before 2010	Lost election?

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

Name	Party	Remark
Kassu Illala (PhD)	SEPDM	—
Tsegaye Mamo	SEPDM	—
Ambachew Mekonnen	ANDM	Now back
Tefera Walwa	ANDM	—
Yohannes Buayalew	ANDM	—
Yoseph Reta	ANDM	—
Abay Tsehaye	TPLF	—
Arkebe Equbay	TPLF	—
Seyoum Mesfin	TPLF	—
Aster Mammo (F)	OPDO	Now back
Juneidi Saddo	OPDO	—
Shiferaw Jarsso	OPDO	—

* (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.