Ethiopia: Ruling coalition names Abiy Ahmed as new chairman – set to be sworn in as Prime Minister

(Reuters) – Ethiopia’s ruling coalition – the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) – late Tuesday selected Abiy Ahmed to become the country’s new prime minister to replace Hailemariam Desalegn who resigned last month.

The 42-year-old Ahmed will be sworn in on Monday, the country’s parliament said, after the ruling coalition chose him as its chairperson.

Ethiopia is Africa’s second most populous country and has had the fastest growing economy on the continent for the past decade, but protests that began in 2015 have caused the biggest threat to the EPRDF since it took power in 1991.

“The House of People’s Representatives will hold an extraordinary session on April 2 to swear in Dr. Abiy Ahmed,” the body said in a statement.

His predecessor Hailemariam, stepped down after sustained protests in the Oromiya and Ahmara regions where people say they are politically and economically marginalized. Ahmed will now face pressure to appeal to legions of disaffected youth and to push through promised reforms.

The event was initially scheduled for Saturday. The statement did not give a reason for the postponement.