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Thursday, August 23, 2012

Demeke Mekonnen


Demeke Mekonnen Hassen was born in Wello Region, and later was resettled to Chagni Woreda of Agew-Awi Zone in Amhara Regional State when the Derg Regime relocated people to resettle in other areas. He joined the Addis Ababa University science Faculty  and studied Biology received his BA in 1988.
After graduation, he returned back to his native region to begin his career in teaching. Demeke was sent to a high school in Feres Bet, a small town located in Dega Damot Woreda in West Gojam Zone, off the main road from Addis Ababa to Bahir Dar. He taught biology in Feres Bet High School, for two years, before he was transferred to Bure town in the same regional state.
It was in Bure, which housed the lone high school in the area named after former governor of the region, Ras Bitweded Mengesha Atikim, that Demeke met Alemitu Kassaye, a student of the high school at that time, and later on a mother of his three children.
Demeke joined the ruling EPRDF in the early 1990s.
Demeke first took part in the national election held in 1995, and won a seat in the Amhara Regional Council, where he was appointed general secretary. In the middle of his term, he went to England to do his post graduate studies in conflict management. Upon his return, he was assigned to establish and lead the ethics and anti-corruption commission of the region.
He was then moved to head the administrative and security affairs bureau of the region, where he had served up until 2005. He was then promoted to the vice presidency of the regional state following the highly contested election in 2005, under the presidency of Ayalew Gobeze. A year later, he was elected to the executive committee of ANDM, a member of the EPRDF coalition formed in 1983, in Jerba Yohannes of Wag Himra Zone. Finally, he was elevated to the position of deputy chair of the party replacing Tefera Walwa; and in 2010 became the first non-combatant chairman of the ANDM,replacing Addisu Legesse

His service terms have been as follows:

Public Posts: Commissioner of Amhara Region Ethics & Anti-Corruption Commission;
Head of  Amhara  Region Administrative & Security Affairs Bureau and Amhara Region Cabinet member( till – 2005);
Vice President and Head of Capacity Building Bureau of Amhara Region (2005 – 2008);
Minister of Education (2008 – present);
Member of House of People’s Representatives (2010-present).

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