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Ethiopia Council of Ministers
The Council of Ministers, defined in the constitution as
"the Government," was the government's highest executive and
administrative organ. The body consisted of the prime
minister, the deputy prime minister, the ministers, and
other members as determined by law. Members were accountable
to the National Shengo, but between sessions they were
accountable to the president and the Council of State.
Members of this council were chosen from regularly elected
members of the National Shengo and served five-year terms,
unless they resigned or were removed by the president. For
example, in early November 1989 Prime Minister FikreSelassie Wogderes resigned his office, allegedly for health
reasons. However, some reports maintained that he was forced
out by Mengistu because of his apparent loss of enthusiasm
for the regime's policies. At the same time, Mengistu
reshuffled his cabinet. Significantly, these events occurred
weeks after the annual session of the National Shengo had
concluded.
The Council of Ministers was responsible for the
implementation of laws and regulations and for the normal
administrative functions of national government. It prepared
social and economic development plans, the annual budget,
and proposals concerning foreign relations. In their
respective areas of responsibility, members of the Council
of Ministers were the direct representatives of the
president and the government; and because they typically
held parallel offices within the WPE, as a group they tended
to be the most significant political actors in the
government.
In 1991 there were twenty-one ministries. Portfolios
consisted of the Ministry in Charge of the General Plan and
the ministries of agriculture; coffee and tea development;
communications and transport; construction; culture and
sports affairs; domestic trade; education and fine arts;
finance; foreign affairs; foreign trade; health; industry;
information; internal affairs; labor and social affairs; law
and justice; mines, energy, and water resources; national
defense; state farms; and urban development and housing. In
addition to these ministries, there were several other
important state authorities, such as the Office of the
National Council for Central Planning, the Institute for the
Study of Ethiopian Nationalities, the Relief and
Rehabilitation Commission, and the National Bank of
Ethiopia.
Data as of 1991
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