ADDIS ABABA: Although it is largely a formality to be finalized when Parliament meets, Hailemariam Desalegn is to be Ethiopia's next prime minister through the 2015 period, where he will oversee a new constitution and a general election citizens hope will be free and fair. The political turmoil in Ethiopia began officially on Monday when Prime Minister Meles Zenawi died after battling a still unspecified illness. Desalegn had been deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister and will now step into the role help by his predecessor for nearly two decades. According to reports and statements from officials, the now acting PM is a humble man who is soft-spoken. The ruling party holds controls parliament with all seats except one, “making it unlikely” that Desalegn's appointment would be opposed. Surprisingly, however, he is a largely unknown figure across the country. Numerous people Bikyamasr.com spoke to said they had only heard the name in passing a few times in recent years. Getachew Reda of the Ethiopian Foreign Ministry, who spoke to Voice of America, was been working closely with foreign minister for the last few years. Reda describe Desalegn as a “leader with good people skills.” “Hailemariam, is very humble, very friendly,” said Getachew. “The sort of person who will not shy away from drawing lessons from everybody, whether subordinate or whatever. He's the kind of person that tries to create consensus among colleagues." The future of Ethiopian politics is wide open at the moment, with international and local rights groups calling on the government to open its doors to reform and change following Zenawi's death.
