Abiy Ahmed Ali, 41, sworn-in as #Ethiopia's Prime Minister. In a broad-ranging speech, he made an impassioned appeal to Ethiopian unity and called for democracy, stability and improved relations with Eritrea. If he governors based on those ideals, he'll remake EPRDF and Ethiopia. 
"Ethiopia belongs to all of us." Ethiopians need the rule of law but also justice. I wholeheartedly apologize for youth whose lives were cut short. We are in competition but not against the opposition. We'll welcome home exiled Ethiopians and work with those established abroad.
His speech was timely, uplifting, eloquent, and unifying. In a remarkable ending, PM Abiy paid an emotional tribute to his late mother. He also thanked his wife Zinash Tayachew. I don't recall Ethiopian politicians doing much of that before. Hit lotsa + notes. Hope he delivers.
Ethiopia should not be a nation where some work hard and others steal. ኢትዮጵያ አንዱ ሰርቶ አንዱ ቀምቶ የምኖርባት ሀገር መሆን የለባትም። so many zingers in this speech.
What PM Abiy didn't do in his inaugural speech: Offer policy specifics. He didn't explicitly call for the repeal of SOE or the release of rearrested dissidents and tens of 1000s of political prisoners. Implied but no details on security sector reform. Little on the 1.3 mil IDPs.
From this day forward, the govt. will view opposition political parties not as opponents but as competitors. Their members and supporters are not enemies but our brothers and sisters who hold different political beliefs and viewpoints.
Differences of opinion not a curse. It's a blessing. Let alone a diverse nation like ours, one cannot lead a family with an approach that says my idea is better than yours or that only my perspective should be considered/listened to.
PM Abiy says we can't curb corruption by simply setting up anti-corruption agencies. He quotes Ghandi: There is enough in a country (world) for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed. He pledges to work with the people of Ethiopia to fight official corruption.
To the youth: Ethiopia belongs to you. The future is yours. You should be at the forefront in the effort to build the country. We believe the questions of our youth are not only about economy or equal participation but also about democracy and justice. Admits govt. weaknesses.
Ethiopia has registered laudble growth but it wasn't sufficient to meet the needs of our youth. Progress is impossible without the participation of youth and without benefiting them. Will do everything I can to make Ethiopia a ctry that offers it's youth hope—not hopelessness.
Toward that end, we will work not just to create job opportunities for the youth, but to create more young enterpreuners and business owners. We will fight regressive attitudes and ideas, and usher in an enabling justice, economic and social system to realize this goal.
PM Abiy's comments on women rights and calls for equal participation in politics and development was refreshing. I also hope he follows through with his call on the diaspora: We need your expertise, your knowledge and your experience. We will welcome you home with OPEN arms."
First time EVER seeing what appears to be #Ethiopia's equivalent of the oval office. I hope this moment and gesture marks the beginning of a new era of transparency and open government.
#Ethiopia's new first family. Oh! What a sight to behold: PM Abiy's daughters adorned with beautiful Oromo cultural attire. Happy to see this version of Ethiopiawinet where the "habesha qemis" isn't the standard and only acceptable outfit for such occasion. Baga kanas agarree.
Here is a word-for-word translation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s acceptance speech by Dr. Hassan Hussein (@AbbaKayo): opride.com/2018/04/03/eng…
