PM Abiy removes one of the remaining two TPLF Members from his Cabinet

Despite Objections PM Abiy removes one of the remaining two TPLF Members from his Cabinet

Addis Abeba, January 22/2020– The office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has today announced a fresh appointments of three ministerial positions. One of the three appointments saw Fetlework Gebregziabher, one of the the two remaining members of TPLF in the Prime Minister’s cabinet of 20, removed from her position as Minister of Trade and Industry.

Fetlework, a.k.a Monjorino, a veteran member of TPLF and the front’s deputy chairperson, removed from her position which she held since October 2018 when women took up 50% ministerial position. She is replaced by Melaku Alebel, who was serving as Industry and Investment Bureau Head with the rank of Vice President of the Amhara Regional State.

That leaves Yalem Tsegaye Assfaw, Minister of Women’s, Children’s and Youth, as the only member of TPLF in the ministerial position. Addis Standard has learnt that following the conclusion of its last emergency meeting, in which TPLF passed its final decision not to join the newly merged Prosperity Party (PP), its executive has submitted a letter to the office of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed cautioning against the removal of its members from federal government offices. A team of six, three from TPLF and three from the Prime Minister’s office, was subsequently formed to look into TPLF’s objection of the removal of its members both from the federal civil service offices and the PM’s cabinet.

The removal of Fetlework also comes at the backdrop of increasing criticisms against alleged removals of Tigrayans from various offices of the federal government, a sign of the deepening rift between the administration PM Abiy and TPLF.