It was rumoured but now seems to be true that Bereket Simon is resigning too
borkena,Ethiopian News
October 16,2017
Just a week after the resignation of speaker of the parliament, Bereket Simon is resigning from his position as advisor to the prime minister and from his policy research centre post with a ministerial portfolio.
Based on BBC report, he submitted his resignation letter to the prime minister last week and was seen last in his office on Thursday.
[adToAppearHere]
There has been also rumour in social media for more than a week now that Bereket is also quitting as chairman of Board of Commercial Bank of Ethiopia. The national bank of Ethiopia introduced a 15 % devaluation of Ethiopian currency(birr) in an alleged move to “promote export.”
No clear indication emerged so far that helps explain why Bereket Simon decided to quit at this point. Nor he does seem to have the interest to talk about it.
The report by BBC, however, hinted that from people close to Bereket he was apparently unhappy with his position within Policy Research Center which is under the directorate of one of TPLF’s key man, Abay Tsehaye. Policy recommendations from the centre were apparently rejected or not implemented by influential people in the government, and it is speculated that that might be among the reasons why he quit.
Bereket Simon was a close ally and confidant of the late Meles Zenawi although Bereket Simon was rather placed in ANDM, member of the ruling EPRDF coalition and in charge of what is now called Amhara region of Ethiopia. They were friends since the time of the student movement. Some believed that Bereket was placed in ANDM to manipulate the party in a way to advance the interest of the TPLF.
And it is Tigray People’s Liberation Front that literally crafted ANDM as a political ally although in a bit different way than it did OPDO (Oromo People’s Democratic Organization)
However, politicized Ethiopians with a fairly good familiarity with the student movement that toppled the imperial government of Ethiopia knew Bereket Simon as Mebrahatu Gebrehiwot and they relate him to Eritrea. He is a fluent speaker of Tigrina. It was apparently during the guerrilla war that he changed his name to Bereket Simon.
For many, Bereket, like Meles, is responsible for the deaths of many civilians in Addis Ababa and elsewhere in Ethiopia over the past twenty-seven years.
Under Meles Zenawi, he served as an adviser in the office of the prime minister, as a minister in the ministry of information and later on in government communication ministry.
Unconfirmed reports on social media claim that Bereket is in Virginia, United States, although it is not known why he is there now.
It is not clear if he is continuing as part of the government and in his position within ANDM.
Discord with a potential split is simmering within the ruling party. Some members of the ruling coalition seem to be no longer accepting the supremacy of Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
There is still a rumour that president of the republic is also contemplating resigning. Some even go to the extent of saying that he has also submitted resignation.
Deepening political crisis is surging again in Ethiopia and from the look of it reform agenda is unlikely to address the mounting popular protest.
In the last one week, nearly ten people are killed in connection with the protest in oromia region of Ethiopia.
__
Join the conversation. Like borkena on Facebook and get Ethiopian News updates regularly. As well, you may get Ethiopia News by following us on twitter @zborkena