MP Abadula Gemeda of Ethiopia’s lower house of parliament has recently presented his letter of resignation.
Although he has not declared the reasons behind his resolution, suspicions have been centered on the disapproval of the government’s response to unrest that roiled Ethiopia’s Oromiya region in 2015 and 2016.
The violence caused the government to impose a nine-month state of emergency that was only lifted in August.
His resignation is the first in the history of the ruling EPRDF coalition which came into power in 1991. The party has never had its highest-ranking official resign from any position.
However, he has promised to disclose his reasons once his resignation was approved by parliament. “Given the existence of circumstances that do not enable me to continue in this position, I have submitted my resignation to my political party and the House of People’s Representatives,” he said in a short speech on national television.
“I will disclose the reasons behind my decision once my request is reviewed by the House of People’s Representatives,” he added.
