* Hailemariam Desalegn to be sworn in within two days
* Meles Zenawi's death leaves gaping political hole
* Body lying at prime minister's private residence
By Aaron Maasho
ADDIS ABABA, Aug 22 (Reuters) - Ethiopia's acting prime minister Hailemariam
Desalegn will run the country until an election in 2015, showing that the
ruling party is determined to ensure a swift and smooth transfer of power
following the death of Meles Zenawi.
Meles, 57, died late on Monday in a Brussels hospital after a long illness,
leaving a gaping hole in Ethiopian politics and depriving Western powers of
a trusty ally in the fight against Islamist militants in the Horn of Africa.
"He (Hailemariam) will be the prime minister until 2015. He is to be sworn
in and he is to finish the five-year term of government and that is
indisputable," government spokesman Bereket Simon told Reuters.
Parliament would be summoned within the next two days and Hailemariam would
be sworn in as prime minister, Bereket said.
Crowds of mourners, many holding candles, gathered to witness Meles' casket
arriving in the capital, Addis Ababa, late on Tuesday. His body is now lying
in his private residence as preparations are made for a state funeral.
Bereket said that the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front (EPRDF) party, a coalition of region-based parties, would hold a party
congress at an undisclosed date to nominate a leader but said there was no
scenario under which Hailemariam would not remain as premier.
After taking power in 1991 from Mengistu Haile Mariam's military junta,
guerilla fighter Meles became one of the central political figures on the
continent and drove domestic economic growth into double figures.
An astute economist, Meles advocated a blend of heavy state spending and
foreign private investment, focussing lately on energy and infrastructure
projects, although Ethiopia remains one of the world's biggest recipients of
aid and average incomes are roughly a third of those elsewhere in
sub-Saharan Africa.
Many Ethiopians complain that while he forged closer business ties with
global powerhouses such as China, that did not translate into more jobs for
Ethiopians and that despite a burgeoning middle class in urban areas, some
three quarters of the country's population still live on less than $2 a day.
Speculation had been rife that a potentially divisive race for the top post
would follow Meles' death. Asked whether all coalition members of the party
had approved Hailemariam's selection, Bereket said: "They have no problem
with this."
Analysts said Meles' succession appeared a done deal but said there might
still be horse-trading going on behind the scenes that might flare up and
destabilise the party.
"COMPETENCE VACUUM"
A sombre mood hung over Addis Ababa under leaden skies.
Flags flew at half mast across the sprawling capital of Africa's second most
populous country, and residents crammed around stalls in the rain to read
newspaper headlines that hailed the late leader.
Privately owned Daily Monitor ran the banner: "Grief Across Nation" while
state-run Ethiopian Herald proclaimed "Visionary Leader of Monumental
Legacy: We salute, we celebrate you."
Talk of Meles' succession filled Addis Ababa's cafes as the country looked
ahead to an era without an austere politician who ruled firm-handed for more
than two decades.
The EPRDF has scrambled to assure citizens and foreign allies the policies
of the former bush-fighter-turned-economic-reformer would be continued.
"Meles' death won't have an impact. The government has laid the foundations
for a peaceful transition through the constitution," said Mikael Demiss, an
accountant at one cafe.
While Meles' supporters mourned him as the saviour of a long-suffering
nation, opponents hailed the death of an autocrat one group described as a
"genocidal tyrant".
Rights groups criticised him for cracking down hard on dissent but the West
generally turned a blind eye to the repression, reluctant to pick a fight
with a partner in the fight against al Qaeda-linked groups in Africa.
More than 150 opposition politicians and their supporters have been detained
since lawmakers approved in 2009 new anti-terrorism legislation. Journalists
have also been targeted.
Mehari Tedla Maru of the Institute for Security Studies think-tank in Addis
Ababa said Meles' death was unlikely to trigger a power struggle within the
EPRDF.
But he said Meles' hold on power was so complete any successor would be
unable to match his abilities and reputation as a towering political figure.
"While a power vacuum is less likely, the competence vacuum will be severe,"
Mehari said.
Across the street, Elias Maereg swept the floor of a boutique selling men's
clothes.
"I only hope that all that has been achieved in the country during the past
20 years can be maintained," he said.
C Thomson Reuters 2012 All rights reserved
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Received on Wed Aug 22 2012 - 17:56:26 EDT
