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Dr.
Negasso stripped of privileges of ex-president
 A
joint decision of the Speakers of the House of Peoples' Representatives and the
House of the Federation has stripped Dr. Negasso Gidada, former President of
Ethiopia, of the privileges and rights accruing to him as Ex-President and
provided for by Proclamation No. 255/2001. According to the decision, which was
read to the House of Peoples' Representatives by the Speaker of the latter, Ato
Dawit Yohannes, on Thursday, Dr. Negasso was stripped of the benefits for his
failure to observe his duty of remaining aloof from any partisan politics. The
decision indicated that Dr. Negasso's candidacy in the Dembi Dolo constituency
to contest for a seat in the House of Peoples' Representatives was a clear
indication that he had violated his duty of remaining aloof from partisan
politics stipulated in Proclamation No. 255/2001, and hence he had been deprived of
his benefits in accordance with the provisions of the same proclamation.
Meanwhile,
in an exclusive interview with The Reporter Dr. Negasso said that he entered
into the election taking advantage of the rights stipulated in the constitution.
He noted that what was stated in the decision that he had engaged in partisan
politics by so doing was not right. Dr. Negasso indicated that he was
informed about the decision in person before it was delivered to the House
of Peoples' Representatives. He remarked, however, that what was stated in the
decision that he had been informed by letter by the registrar of the House of
the Federation on February 25, 2005 concerning the appeal he made to the letter
was not correct.
Dr.
Negasso said that he was in Dembi Dolo on February 25 and that he did not
receive any letter. "They stated in the joint decision that I did not make
an appeal to the decision of the House, but there was no way I could have done
that in a situation where I did not receive a letter from the House informing me
of its decision," he added.
The
House of Peoples' Representatives did not hold deliberation on the decision
delivered by the Speaker as the letter said that the decision was presented just
as an information.
Proclamation
No 255/2001, the Proclamation to provide for the Administration of the
President, stipulates that an Ex-President is entitled to, among others, to such
benefits as a regular house of residence maintained by government and a monthly
maintenance allowance of 5,000 birr.
Source: Ethiopian
Reporter
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