The new puppet cabinet strenthens Meles as he reinforces himself with minorities under his direct control.With criticism from the international community regarding the over-representation of Tigray in all sectors of the goverment, he has relieved many tigrays to backroom posts while surrounding himslef with yes-men minorities who cant challenge him on policy, mainly many who have proven themself on a regional level.Still the departments and the important positions across the sections of the goverment where goverment control are focused are Tigray dominated whilst bolstering minorities from the country which are easier to manipulate and control.
Abdulfeta Abdoulahi Hassen, Minister for Labor and Social Affairs
Abdurahman Sheik Ahmed, SPDP, Ministry of Trade
Alemayehu Tegenu, Ministry of Water and Energy
Amin Abdulkadir, Minister of Culture and Tourism
Bereket Simon, ANDM, Minister of Communications Affairs
DebreTsion GebreMariam, TPLF, Minister of Communications and Information Technology
Demeke Mekonen, ANDM, Minister of Education
Desse Dalke, Minister of Science and Technology
Diriba Kuma, Minister of Transport
Haile-Birhan, ANDM, Minister of Justice
Hailemariam Desalegn, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs
Junedin Sado, OPDO, Minister of Civil Service
Melaku Fenta, Director of Revenue and Customs Authority
Mekuria Haile, Minister of Urban Development and Construction
Manyazewal Mekonnen, Minister of Industry (replacing Girma Biru)
Shiferaw TekleMariam, Minister of Federal Affairs
Sinknesh Ejigu, Minister of Mines
Siraj Fegeta, Minister of Defense
Suffian Ahmed, OPDO, Minister of Finance
Tewodros Adhanom, TPLF, Minister of Health
Zenebu Tadesse, Minister of Women, Youth and Children’s Affairs
The cabinet is a rubber-stamp body as is the parliament. The real power is in the hands of the 9-member TPLF politburo, that has instituted and is in charge of an ethnic apartheid system in Ethiopia.
On the other hand, the two organizations that represent minority ethnic groups, Tigrean People Librations Front (TPLF) and the Southern Ethiopia Peoples’ Democratic Movement (SEPDM) have re-elected their former leaders, Meles Zenawi and Hailemariam Dessalegn respectively. Surprisingly, these two individuals are again elected as chairman and deputy chairperman of EPRDF. Such election of leadership may not be surprising if EPRDF was a multinational organization. EPRDF is the architect of ethnic politics in the country which assigns political postions based on ethnic quotas. But when it comes to real political positions, this ethnic quota does not work. If EPRDF lives up to its ethnic quota system, this formula should have been applied here too. As creator of all other junior parties, TPLF formulated the statute of EPRDF which says each organization will be represented with the same number of executive committee members. It is completely contrary to the ethnic quota system the regime follows in allocating other comparatively insignificant political appointments. This regulation is basically to save TPLF which will be at weaker position if EPRDF is organized in accordance with the proportion of population each member organization claim to represent. According to the population census of 2007, Oromo consists of 25.4 million (34.5 % of total population), Amhara 19.8 million (26.9 %), SNNPR 10.3 million (19.4 %) while Tigray 4.4 million (6.1 %). If the quota system is applied in organizing the ethnically structured EPRDF, parties representing Oromo and Amhara ethnic groups could have got prominence. Together, the two ethnic groups consist of 61% of total population correspondingly having majority in EPRDF power structure. Despite OPDO and ANDM do not have any legitimacy in their respective constituency; TPLF should have sought better representation of these parties in power structure of EPRDF, at least for the purpose of manipulating public opinion.
As it has been clearly indicated in various occasions, post-1991-Ethiopia is dominated by TPLF, a party representing small minority ethnic group. Especially the total control of the military and security machinery by TPLF left the official state apparatus nominal.
