By: Mohamed Duale
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, Oct 5 — Ethiopia’s House of People’s Representatives elected former Finance Minister Ahmed Shide as speaker on Monday as the country’s newly elected parliament opened its first regular session.
The House also unanimously elected Ayelech Eshete as deputy speaker. Eshete previously served as state minister of education and has held several other government positions.
Shide, a senior figure in Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government, served as Ethiopia’s finance minister before his election to lead the lower chamber of parliament.
The appointments are part of the formation of Ethiopia’s new federal institutions following the recent national election and the start of a new parliamentary term.
In the upper chamber, the House of Federation elected Muferihat Kamil as speaker and Desta Ledamo as deputy speaker.
The House of Federation also elected chairpersons and deputy chairpersons for four standing committees as it established its leadership and working structures for the new term.
