Ethiopia gets first female President

Thursday, 25th October 2018

Ethiopian members of parliament have elected Sahle-Work Zewde as the country's first female President.

Her election to the ceremonial position comes a week after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed appointed a cabinet with half the posts taken up by women.

In her first speech as President, she spoke about the importance of maintaining peace.

Ms Sahle-Work is an experienced diplomat who has recently held a position with the United Nations.

She was elected after an unexpected resignation of former President Mulatu Teshome.

Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome submitted a letter of resignation on Wednesday to the country's parliament, according to state media reports.

Teshome, 63, took office in 2013 and had often spoken for a more democratic and inclusive government in the Horn of Africa country, which has faced political upheaval and unrest for many years.

Immediately before becoming president, Ms Sahle-Work was the UN representative at the African Union.

President Sahle-Work has served as an ambassador for Ethiopia in Senegal and Djibouti. She has also held a number of UN positions, including head of peace-building in the Central African Republic.

In the Ethiopian constitution, the post of president is ceremonial with the prime minister holding the political power.