Ethiopia’s government has insisted the country is stable following the death of long-time Prime Minister Meles Zenawi at the age of 57.
Meles died at a hospital in the Belgian capital, Brussels, after a long illness.
State media reported that Deputy Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn would take over until elections in 2015.
At a news conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian government spokesman Bereket Simon said: “There will be no election as the constitutional procedure allows us to continue with the deputy prime minister acting as prime minister for now.”
Bereket said the parliament, which is currently in recess, would reconvene as soon as possible to start the process and swear in Hailemariam.
Meles set Ethiopia on a path of rapid growth and played a key role in mediating regional conflicts.
US President Barack Obama yesterday offered his condolences to Ethiopia.
Meles “deserves recognition for his lifelong contribution to Ethiopia’s development, particularly his unyielding commitment to Ethiopia’s poor,” Obama said in a statement.
“I am also grateful for Prime Minister Meles’s service for peace and security in Africa, his contributions to the African Union, and his voice for Africa on the world stage.”
Obama also said he confirms “the US government’s commitment to our partnership with Ethiopia.”
Former US President Bill Clinton said Meles was part of a “new generation” of African leaders and he was invited to join then British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s crusading Commission for Africa.
Ethiopia in stability pledge after long-time PM dies
