Leaders Named to New Commission

May 18 , 2019

Parliament approved Tassew Gebre (PhD) as commissioner of Administrative Demarcations & Identity Issues Commission; and also approved Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s (PhD) recommendation to make Ustaz Abubeker Ahmed the deputy commissioner. The appointments were met with 25 opposition votes. The purpose of the Commission, which reports to the Prime Minister’s Office, is to provide alternative recommendations to the House of the Federation and the Prime Minister by studying problems and conflicts related to the administrative demarcations and issues of identity. The commission faced resistance from members of parliament on grounds of “unconstitutionality”. Similarly, Parliament approved the appointment of Berhaneyesus Demerew and Yetnebersh Nigusse as commissioner and deputy commissioner, respectively, in a majority vote with four against and 10 abstentions.