• Ethiopia's PM Zenawi is famous for drafting bills overnight and doing so single-handedly when he feels like his radical actions need the backing of the constitution. The PM skillfully and suddenly changed the country's law the night after the 2005 election in Ethiopia in order to "legally" weaken the opposition's voice in parliament, after the combined opposition forces gained over one third of the seats in the 2005 parliament. According to a book review below by Capital newspaper, Ethiopia's former Minister of Defense Siye Abraha, in his new book, details how PM Zenawi suddenly changed the country's legislature.

(Capital) In his book Freedom and Justice in Ethiopia, former Minister of Defense and ex-rebel Siye Abrha reveals in detail how he was treated at the court and ended up in the Central Police Prison, commonly known as Maekelawi.

Siye also writes about the border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Some of the presented facts are common knowledge. That Eritrea invaded Ethiopia in 1999 is evident and that there was a difference of opinion between Meles and Siye on the Eritrean issue is also widespread. But that they were not even on talking terms following the 1999 EPRDF congress is fresh information.
The ego document also memorizes the way proclamation no. 239/2001 that disallows bail for corruption cases was submitted to parliament and was approved in one day right after Siye was freed on bail. The proclamation has only one page and one article. The way it was approved of, at high speed, was unprecedented in the country’s legislature.

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