Ethiopia: Former President Gidada Funeral Preparations Underway

The funeral for Ethiopia's late President Negasso Gidada is currently in preparation by the country's government. 

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Dr. Gidada was receiving medical treatment in Germany for an unspecified illness. He passed away on Saturday at 75 years old. 

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed sent a message commemorating the former president as a veteran of Ethiopian politics and decades-long career in higher government positions. He added that a national assembly has been tasked with the responsibility of organizing the funeral arrangements.

Gidada's service as President of Ethiopia began in 1995 and continued until he stepped down in 2001 after a public falling out with former Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

After receiving a Ph.D. in history at the Goethe University in Frankfurt, Germany, Gidada served as a member of the Oromo Democratic Party (ODP). The ODP is one of the four parties that make up the country's ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Front (EPRDF). 

Before serving as the first head of state after Ethiopia ratified a new constitution and converted into a federal state in 1995, Gidada served as the country's Minister of Information during the transitional government of the early 1990s. He also contributed as chairman of the Ethiopian Constitutional Assembly leading up to the country's shift to the current constitution.

Most recently in his political career, Gidada ran as an independent for a seat in parliament in 2015. He won the election as an independent but was re-established into the EPRDF in 2017 where he served as an advisor.