Meles Zenawi's death leaves a ticking time-bomb
* 24/08/2012
The death of Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi on the night of Aug. 20
will amount to no less than a time-bomb for the Ethiopian People's
Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and for its hard core, the Tigray
People's Liberation Front (TPLF) because it will ignite previously
restrained ambitions of his would-be successors. Haile Mariam Desalegn,
former adviser to the Prime Minister and current vice prime minister, was
named as acting leader. But there's no saying Desalegn, an engineer from
southern Ethiopia who was Meles Zenawi's favorite, will be able to impose
his authority in lasting fashion on TPLF bosses from the north of the
country. Despite an appearance of calm, the fight for power has already
begun behind the scenes. Some TPLF leaders like Meles Zenawi's widow, Azeb
Mesfin, whose political ambitions grate on others in the party, could seek
the top post for themselves or for one of their own. The leaders Amharas and
Oromos from EPRDF are calling for the post to fall to a non-Tigrean. This
report will help you examine the complicated equation of Meles Zenawi's
succession.
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Received on Fri Aug 24 2012 - 10:59:03 EDT
