Structure

Form of Government: Federal Republic
Official Name: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

President: His Excellency Girma Wolde-Giorgis

Elected by the House of Peoples' Representatives & House of the Federation in September, 2001 for a six-year term.

His Excellency Meles Zenawi
Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Repbulic of Ethiopia

Year of Birth: 1955
Place of Birth: Adowa

His Excellency Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was born in 1955 in the town of Adowa, which is located in northern Ethiopia, where he spent his formative years attending elementary school. Thereafter, he attended the General Wingate High School in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Upon graduating with honors, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi was awarded the Haile Selassie I Prize Trust, a highly selective award given only to the most outstanding students. Following graduation from high school, he entered the University of Addis Ababa's Medical School where he spent the next few years.

In 1975, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi left the university and became a founding member of the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF). In 1985, he became the Secretary General of the TPLF and in 1989 he assumed Chairmanship of the Ethiopian Peoples' Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), a coalition of Ethiopian political organizations. With the defeat of the military regime in 1991, he was elected the President of the Transitional Government of Ethiopia and Chairman of the Council of Representatives.

Deputy Prime Minister: His Excellency Addisu Legesse

Constituents of the federation: Nine states, and two administrative cities, each administered by elected representatives. Power is devolved to regional, woreda and kebele levels.

Legislative Branch:

  • House of People's Representatives, made up of 548 members directly elected by districts;
  • House of the Federation, with 108 members representing the nine regions in the federation.

Judicial Branch: Federal Supreme Court

National Flag

Three wide horizontal stripes of green, yellow and red with the emblem of a radiant star in the center of the flag with a light blue circle providing background to the star.

The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia was established on August 24, 1995, after successful elections took place in May 1995. This completed a four-year transition from a Marxist, military regime to a democracy. A newly elected national parliament and democratic government are in place with a new constitution, which was completed in December 1994.

A policy of decentralization is a major focus of Ethiopia's institutional reform program. As part of this policy, a new federal system that delegates power to nine regional governments was introduced in 1992. The new system is designed to respond to the needs and aspirations of all nationalities in the federation.

The national flag symbolizes the honor and beauty of Ethiopia: green represents the fertility of the country; yellow represents religious freedom; and the red represents the lives that were sacrificed in the protection of national integrity.

The Council of Peoples' Representatives endorsed the proclamation of a new emblem on the national flag. The new emblem has a radiant star with equidistant rays to signify the equality of all the Ethiopian people, regardless of ethnic group, religion, gender etc. The shining rays from the star represent hope for a brighter future for Ethiopia. Surrounding the emblem is a blue background, which denotes peace and democracy in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia: State Structure and Powers Nomenclature of the State: The Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia.

  • The F.D.R.E comprises the Federal Government and the state members.
  • The Federal capital city is Addis Ababa.

Member States of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia

  • The State of Tigray
  • The State of Afar
  • The State of Amhara
  • The State of Oromia
  • The State of Benshangul/Gumuz
  • The State of Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples
  • The State of the Gambella Peoples
  • The State of the Harari Peoples
  • The Somali National Regional State
  • All have equal rights and powers.