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Ethiopia Government 1996
on 28 May 1991 the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
toppled the authoritarian government of MENGISTU Haile-Mariam and took
control in Addis Ababa; a new constitution was promulgated in December 1994
and national and regional elections are scheduled for May 1995; the
administrative regions will elect regional assemblies by popular vote; the
National Assembly will have two chambers - one elected by popular vote and
the other selected as representatives by the regional assemblies; the lower
house of the National Assembly will select or confirm the president, the
prime minister and the cabinet officers and judges; the prime minister will
be the chief executive officer and the duties of the president will be
mostly ceremonial
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Administrative divisions:
14 ethnically-based administrative regions (astedader akababiwach, singular
- astedader akababi) Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Benishangul, Gambela,
Gurage-Hadiya-Kambata, Hareri, Kefa, Omo, Oromo, Sidama, Somali, Tigray,
Wolayta
the following named four administrative regions may have been abolished and
their territories distributed among the remaining ten regions: Kefa, Omo,
Sidama, and Wolayta
oldest independent country in Africa and one of the oldest in the world - at
least 2,000 years
National Day, 28 May (1991) (defeat of Mengistu regime)
new constitution promulgated in December 1994
18 years of age; universal
President MELES Zenawi (since 1 June 1991); appointed by the Council of
Representatives following the military defeat of the MENGISTU government;
following the elections to the National Assembly scheduled for May 1995 the
lower house of the National Assembly will nominate a new president
Prime Minister TAMIRAT Layne (since 6 June 1991); a new prime minister will
be designated by the party in power following the elections to the General
Assembly in May 1995
Council of Ministers; presently designated by the chairman of the Council of
Representatives; under the new constitution and following the elections in
May 1995 the cabinet officers will be selected by the prime minister
elections were held on 5 June 1994; results - government parties swept
almost all seats; in December 1994 the Constituent Assembly ratified the new
constitution with few changes; the new constitution prescribes two chambers
for the new National Assembly - one which is elected by popular vote and one
which represents the ethnic interests of the regional governments
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Political parties and leaders:
Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), MELES Zenawi;
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Other political or pressure groups:
Oromo Liberation Front (OLF); All Amhara People's Organization; Southern
Ethiopia People's Democratic Coalition; numerous small, ethnic-based groups
have formed since Mengistu's resignation, including several Islamic militant
groups
ACP, AfDB, CCC, ECA, FAO, G-24, G-77, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IFAD,
IFC, IFRCS, IGADD, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, ISO, ITU, NAM,
OAU, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WMO, WTO
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Diplomatic representation in US:
Ambassador BERHANE Gebre-Christos
2134 Kalorama Road NW, Washington, DC 20008
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US diplomatic representation:
Entoto Street, Addis Ababa
P. O. Box 1014, Addis Ababa
three equal horizontal bands of green (top), yellow, and red; Ethiopia is
the oldest independent country in Africa, and the colors of her flag were so
often adopted by other African countries upon independence that they became
known as the pan-African colors
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