Hailemariam Desalegn: Next Ethiopian Leader?

In my 9^th August 2012 post entitled “The ideal Ethiopian leader”, I argued that a leader’s demographic characteristics must be discussed about in addition to her/his emotional and intellectual maturity. It was my take to see the next leader be an elected female president who is over 50 years old. My other preferences were that she be functionally educated, religious, from smaller ethnicities, and an Ethiopian residing in Ethiopia. Only time will tell us who is gonna take the position. 

Although Government Communications Minister, Bereket Simon, indicated that Hailemariam Desalegn is the next EPRDF favorite, we have not yet seen an official (national) consensus and confirmation. And there are reports that seem to indicate eminent power struggle within the governing EPRDF, which is  overwhelmingly dominated by TPLF. Giving Hailemariam the very front seat is, to me, the ‘golden mean’ that should ‘represent’ all interest groups. Do you think this is weird? I got my own rationales.

Post-Meles Stress Disorder

                                         The late PM Meles Zenawi, Google picture

Following the announcement by the government in Ethiopia of the death of the late Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, the cyber world witnessed heated debates over his legacy. I could identify three major lines of arguments or groups of people. One, there are several people who compassionately argue that the death of Meles is roughly equivalent to the death of Ethiopia's and Africa's future. They labeled the late minister a national hero, a genius, courageous, developmental, and irreplaceable. These group of people admire his initiatives to: make basic education accessible, provide village-level health services, construct asphalted roads in all parts of the country, build large-scale hydroelectric dams, champion the free use of mother tongue and culture, strengthen pan-Africanism, and fight for Africa and the developing world when it comes to climate change and development aid.

Beyond the Death of EOTC Patriarch

                                        The late Abune Paulos patriarch, Google picture

The Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahdo Church (EOTC), his holiness Abune Paulos, has passed away from natural causes. I pray that his soul rests in peace! We as Christians, however, need to reflect on the implication this has to the church and the nation at large. It is not a perfect time to talk about what the late patriarch failed to accomplish as such. We need to look forward for now and contribute what we could do to the smooth operation of the church. Obviously, EOTC must deal with this very  responsibly and it will do. One must-to-do thing is for sure bringing the two synods together and elect a great father who is selfless, accommodating, and God-fearing. We do not need a bishop who is busy with secular issues, for which we happen to have exceptional experts.  Nor one who is dear and near to ruling parties at the cost of the church's traditions and values. 

The Ideal Ethiopian Leader

What qualities should the ideal Ethiopian leader possess? Commonsense has it that leaders, be they presidents or prime ministers, must be  patriotic, selfless, wise, popular, ambitious, social, orator, charismatic, intelligent, and unifying. These qualities seem to transcend socio-economic and cultural boundaries; these are the qualities sought from a potential leader regardless of time and place. The qualities, one way or another, reflect leaders' state of mind, social skills and emotional intelligence. Election campaigns aim at, albeit much done implicitly, assuring potential voters that leaders really possess the expected qualities. One can however ask whether other qualities are worth mentioning as well. In this post, I like to raise the important  demographic characteristics a 21st Century Ethiopian leader should possess.

Do You Know Your Personality?

How much do you know yourself? Seems strange question? I am not talking about how much you weigh and how heigh you are. Nor am talking about your color or body built as such. As many people have objective and latest knowledge of their physical/biological conditions through regular check ups with their GP's. Based on the information they get from their doctors, they try to take several measures that help them to stay fit and neat. They avoid harmful conditions or habits and capitalize on those conditions or habits that nourish their biology. This way, they thought to promote happiness and prolong their longevity in general. But this post is about the noblest quality that distincts we Homo Sapiens from other species, our psychological 'gait'.