Endelkachew Makonnen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lij Endalkachew Makonnen (1927 - November 24, 1974) was an Ethiopian politician. Born in Addis Ababa, his father, Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia in the 1950s. Endalkachew Makonnen was a member of the aristocratic Addisge clan that were very influential in the later part of the Ethiopian monarchy. He would be the last Imperial Prime Minister appointed by Emperor Haile Selassie.
[edit] Prime Minister
The Oxford-educated Endalkachew himself served as Prime Minister from February 28 to July 22, 1974. During this period, the Imperial government was under assault by protesting students and striking workers who demanded investigation of corruption in the highest levels of government, reforms in land tenure, and political reforms as well. Endalkachew Makonnen attempted to address these demands by presenting reforms that began to change the very nature of the Ethiopian monarchy. Under his urging, Ethiopia experienced its first (although brief) experience with freedom of the press. The Emperor also agreed in principle to having the Prime Minister be responsible to the elected Lower House of Parliament rather than to the Crown. He also attempted to address concerns over the succession to the throne that had arisen with the severe stroke of the Crown Prince Asfaw Wossen, by getting the Emperor to name the Crown Prince's son Zera Yacob as "acting Crown Prince" and Heir-Presumptive.
[edit] Arrest
However, before any of these changes could take place, the Derg, a military committee investigating corruption, arrested Prime Minister Endalkachew as a member of the previous cabinet of Prime Minister Tsehafi Tezaz Aklilu Hapte-Wold, on July 22. The Derg then asked Lij Mikael Imru, to assume the Prime Minister's office. In September 1974, Emperor Haile Selassie was overthrown in a military coup by the Derg, and 61 officials of his previous governments, including Endalkachew, were executed on November 23, 1974.
[edit] Previous posts
Lij Endalkachew had previously served in a variety of diplomatic and political posts. He was Ethiopian Ambassador to Britain, and later Permanent Representative to the United Nations, and was one of the people under consideration for the post of UN Secretary General in 1972, before Kurt Waldheim was appointed. He had also served as minister for Posts and Communications, and had served as the International President of the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA).
