Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi
Meles Zenawi Asres; 9 May 1955 – 20 August 2012, born Legesse Zenawi Asres) was the Prime Minister of Ethiopia from 1995 until his death in 2012. From 1989, he was the chairman of the Tigrayan Peoples' Liberation Front, and the head of the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Frontsince its formation in 1991. Before becoming a prime minister in 1995, he had served the president of the transitional government of Ethiopia from 1991 to 1995...
NationalityEthiopian
ProfessionWorld Leader
Date of Birth8 May 1955
CityAdwa, Ethiopia
CountryEthiopia
Famine has wreaked havoc in Ethiopia for so long , it would be stupid not to be sensitive to the risk of such things occurring. But there has not been a famine on our watch - emergencies, but no famines.
When you have an emergency, there is the urge to do whatever it takes to see people get assistance.
When push comes to shove, people vote alone.
We have built tens of thousands of schools, clinics and rural roads.
The rule of law is the basis for any democracy. And without the rule of law in democracy, you have chaos.
Our position is that we can sit down and talk to try to solve our problems through dialogue.
Of course everybody's thinking evolves over time. Only dead people cease learning, and I am not certified dead yet. So I am still learning.
In the urban areas, we have focused on infrastructure roads, telecommunications, power.
I would love to be the African leader that steps down, that overthrows this idea of a Big Man ruler. I don't want to stay in office forever.
I cannot separate my achievements from what can be considered as the achievements of the ruling party.
Eritrea is hellbent on destabilising Ethiopia. It does not care who it sleeps with.
Imagine a government which has delivered double-digit growth rates for over seven years losing an election anywhere on earth. It is unheard of for such a phenomenon to happen.
Democracy cannot be a plaything for the capital cities. It has to infiltrate every nook and cranny in the country, including the village.
It is illegal to be a member of an organization that is challenging the constitution by armed force.