Ethiopia Prime Minister resigns

Ethiopia’s Prime Minister, Hailemariam Desalegn, has submitted his resignation as both premier and the chairman of the ruling coalition.

Hailemariam Desalegn said his resignation was “vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy”.

The Prime Minister had been leading the country since 2012.

Hailemariam in a televised address to the nation said, “Unrest and a political crisis have led to the loss of lives and displacement of many,” Hailemariam said in a televised address to the nation.

“… I see my resignation as vital in the bid to carry out reforms that would lead to sustainable peace and democracy,” he said.

Hailemaria, however, said he would stay on as prime minister in a caretaker capacity until the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the country’s parliament accepted his resignation and named a new premier.