Abiy Ahmed elected as President of Prosperity Party

ADDIS ABABA – The Prosperity Party (PP) congress elected Abiy Ahmed as the president of Ethiopia’s ruling party.

Abiy received the highest 1,480 votes of the PP’s congress which held its first ever gathering over the weekend, beginning Friday.

Adem Farah and Demeke Mekonnen also received 1,370 and 970 votes, respectively, in an election that took place the second day of the three-day session. Both become the deputy presidents of the ruling Prosperity Party.

PP’s president Abiy urged members of the congress to continue supporting the new leadership.

“I appeal to you all for support as much as you can so that we can fulfill the historic opportunity given to us to serve Ethiopia,” he said. “Nothing can be changed without your hard work and struggle.”

The election of Adem as vice president of the ruling party has been welcomed by the Somali Regional state administrator Mustafa Omer.

“The Somali people in Ethiopia have today lived to see their son elected as the deputy president of the ruling Prosperity Party,” tweeted Mustafa.

“Unthinkable just years back when Somalis were branded unfit to comprehend ‘revolutionary democracy’! Congratulations brother Adan Farah. We are at the center.”

The congress, in its final day of the session, has also elected 225 members of the Party’s Central Committee (CC) from 250 candidates proposed.

It also chose 45 of the CC’s members to serve as the party’s Executive Committee (EC). The president, vice presidents of the party as well as the administrators of the regions and city administrations are members of the EC.

The congress, which has been going on for the past three days, has concluded with a 6-point statement outlining the party’s future direction.