Prime Minister of Ethiopia


The Prime Minister of Ethiopia is the head of government and chief executive of Ethiopia. The Prime Minister is the most powerful figure in Ethiopian politics and commander in chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces. The official residence of the prime minister, is Menelik Palace in Addis Ababa. The current Prime Minister is Abiy Ahmed of the Prosperity Party, the 10th person to be the head of government of Ethiopia and the fourth Prime Minister since the new constitution formed the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.
Ethiopia is a parliamentary republic with the President as head of state and the Prime Minister as head of government. However, unlike in most parliamentary republics, the 1995 Constitution of Ethiopia explicitly vests executive power in the Council of Ministers and names the Prime Minister as chief executive, with the President limited to an almost entirely ceremonial role.
The Prime Minister is elected from the members of the House of Representatives. The nominee then presents a government platform and must receive a vote of confidence in order to become prime minister. In practice, the Prime Minister is usually the leader of the largest party in the House of Peoples' Representatives.

Origins and history

The heads of government of Ethiopia have been Chief Ministers, and then Prime Ministers. Since 1995 Ethiopia follows a Parliamentary system of government.
The Prime Minister's position is stronger on paper than his counterparts in other parliamentary systems fashioned after the Westminster system. In most other parliamentary systems, the head of state or his or her official representative is nominal chief executive, but in practice is bound to act on the advice of the prime minister. Thus, the head of state de facto holds a purely ceremonial position, while the prime minister is the actual head of government, chief executive, and leading political figure. In Ethiopia, however, the Prime Minister is both de jure and de facto chief executive.
The prime minister is expected to become a member of the House of Peoples' Representatives within six months of beginning their tenure, if they are not a member already. The prime minister is expected to work with other ministers to ensure the passage of bills through the legislature.

Role and power of the prime minister

After each election, the President of Ethiopia invites the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Peoples' Representatives to form a government at the federal level and exercise its powers. In practice the prime minister nominates the cabinet ministers.
The prime minister is also the commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.
The prime minister, in consultation with the Cabinet, schedules and attends the sessions of the Houses of Parliament and is required to answer the question from the Members of Parliament to them as the in-charge of the portfolios in the capacity as Prime Minister of Ethiopia.
The prime minister represents the country in various delegations, high level meetings and international organisations that require the attendance of the highest government office.

Security

The bodyguards of the Ethiopian Prime Minister are equipped with the TAR-21 assault rifle.