Negash Wagesho Appointed to Lead South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region

ADDIS ABABA –  Negash Wagesho (Dr/Eng) has been elected as regional president for the newly established the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Regional State.

Residents of one special Woreda and five zones voted in favor of breaking away from the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ (SNNP) Regional state in a poll held on Sep. 30 and form a new region.

Thirty days later the result was approved by the upper house of Ethiopian parliament paving a way for formation of the South West Ethiopia Regional state.

On Tuesday, the region was inaugurated as the eleventh state of Ethiopia during its council first ever session held in Bonga Town in the presence of higher federal and regional government officials.

During the session, members of the regional council unanimously approved a draft constitution and elected Negash Wagesho as leader of the region with a rank of vice president.

The council has also adopted Amharic to serve as the working language the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Region.

In his inaugural speech, the deputy administrator said the constitutional right that has been witnessed today by exercising the right to self-administration is the result of reforms undertaken in Ethiopia.

Negash said his administration will work hard to improve the livelihood of the people and make use of the region’s resource potential for betterment of its residents.

The new region incorporates five zones – Kaffa, Sheka, Bench Sheko, Dawuro and West Omo as well as Konta special district.