(Nov 29, 2012, ADDIS ABABA)--Ethiopian lawmakers approved four new ministers on Thursday, including a
new foreign minister, as Ethiopian leader Hailemariam Desalegn
reshuffles his cabinet. Ethiopia now has three deputy prime ministers.
Two months after Hailemariam Desalegn was named prime minister of Ethiopia, he made the first changes in his cabinet. The parliament approved the appointments of Tewodros Adhanom as foreign
minister, Kebede Chane as trade minister and Muktar Kedir as civil
society minister. Tewodros was previously the health minister; he will
be replaced in that position by Kesetebirhan Admasu.
Government spokesman Shimelis Kemal says that the new ministers are expected to continue current government policies. “Mr. Hailemariam has expressed this time and again that the government
under his leadership will continue to pursue the government policy and
there will be no policy change," he said.
The position of civil service minister had become vacant as Hailemariam
fired the holder of that office, Junedin Sado. The minister’s wife is
facing terrorism charges that are related to ongoing demonstrations by
Ethiopia's Muslim community.
Junedin was part of the Oromo People's Democratic Organization, one of
the parties that make up Ethiopia’s ruling coalition, EPRDF. Shimelis Kemal says that the minister’s party had demoted him. “Due to that scandal he had been criticized and he was removed from party leadership positions," he said. Read more from Voice of America »
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