Prime Minister of Ethiopia

Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia የኢ.ፌ.ዴ.ሪ ጠቅላይ ሚኒስትር
Emblem
Incumbent Abiy Ahmed since 2 April 2018
Residence	Menelik Palace, Addis Ababa
Appointer	President of Ethiopia
Term length	No term limit
Inaugural holder	Habte Giyorgis (Chief Minister) Makonnen Endelkachew (Prime Minister)
Formation	1909 (Chief Minister) 1943 (Prime Minister)

The Prime Minister of Ethiopia is the head of the Ethiopian government and the most powerful figure in Ethiopian politics. Although the President of Ethiopia is the country's head of state, his powers are largely ceremonial, the constitution states that the Prime Minister has more power and serves as chief executive.

The official residence of the prime minister, is Menelik Palace in Addis Ababa. The current Prime Minister is Abiy Ahmed of EPRDF, the twelfth person to hold the position.

List of heads of government

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Party (Coalition)	Elected
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
• Ethiopian Empire (1137–1974) •
1		Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis Dinagde (1851–1926)	1909	12 December 1926†	16–17 years	Independent	—
2		Ras Tafari Makonnen (1892–1975)[a]	1927	1 May 1936 (Exiled)	8–9 years	Independent	—
3		Betwoded Wolde Tzaddick	1 May 1936	14 May 1942	6 years, 13 days	Independent	—
4		Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew (1890–1963)	14 May 1942	27 November 1957	15 years, 197 days	Independent	—
5		Ras Abebe Aregai (1903–1960)	27 November 1957	17 December 1960†	3 years, 20 days	Independent	1957
–		Leul Ras Imru Haile Selassie (1892–1980) Acting[b]	14 December 1960	17 December 1960	3 days	Independent	—
Vacant (17 December 1960 – 17 April 1961)
6		Tsehafi Taezaz Aklilu Habte-Wold (1912–1974)	17 April 1961	1 March 1974 (Resigned)	12 years, 318 days	Independent	1961 1965 1969 1973
7		Lij Endelkachew Makonnen (1927–1974)	1 March 1974	22 July 1974 (Imprisoned by the Derg)	143 days	Independent	—
Vacant (22 July 1974 – 3 August 1974)
8		Lij Mikael Imru (1929–2008)	3 August 1974	12 September 1974 (Deposed by the Derg)	40 days	Independent	—
• Derg (Provisional Military Government of Socialist Ethiopia) (1974–1987) •
Post Abolished (12 September 1974 – 10 September 1987)
• People's Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1987–1991) •
9		Fikre Selassie Wogderess (1945–2020)	10 September 1987	8 November 1989 (Dismissed[1])	2 years, 59 days	WPE	1987
–		Hailu Yimenu (?–1991) Acting	8 November 1989	26 April 1991	1 year, 169 days	WPE	—
–		Tesfaye Dinka (1939–2016) Acting	26 April 1991	6 June 1991 (Deposed)	41 days	WPE	—
• Transitional Government of Ethiopia (1991–1995) •
–		Tamrat Layne (born 1955) Interim	6 June 1991	22 August 1995	4 years, 77 days	ANDM (EPRDF)	—
• Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (1995–present) •
10		Meles Zenawi (1955–2012)	23 August 1995	20 August 2012†	16 years, 363 days	TPLF (EPRDF)	1995 2000 2005 2010
11		Hailemariam Desalegn (born 1965)	20 August 2012	2 April 2018	5 years, 225 days	SEPDM (EPRDF)	2015
12		Abiy Ahmed (born 1976)	2 April 2018	Incumbent	6 years, 358 days	ODP (EPRDF) Prosperity	2021

1. From 2 April 1930, Emperor Haile Selassie I.
2. In rebellion during the 1960 coup d'état attempt.

References

1. "Minutes of the 106th Regular Meeting of the Politburo," 5 November 1989, cited in Gebru Tareke, The Ethiopian Revolution: War in the Horn of Africa (New Haven: Yale University, 2009), p. 143.