The Imperial Parliament of Ethiopia () was the
bicameral
Bicameralism is a type of legislature, one divided into two separate assemblies, chambers, or houses, known as a bicameral legislature. Bicameralism is distinguished from unicameralism, in which all members deliberate and vote as a single grou ...
legislature of the
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historical ...
from 1931 to 1974. It consisted of the lower house, the Chamber of Deputies, and the upper house, Senate. The legislature was established in the
1931 Constitution, all members appointed, primarily by the
Emperor of Ethiopia
The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century ...
.
The 1955 Constitution introduced elections to the lower chamber. The last elections took place in
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: Citing progress in peace negotiations, U.S. ...
. The legislature was abolished by
Derg
The Derg (also spelled Dergue; , ), officially the Provisional Military Administrative Council (PMAC), was the military junta that ruled Ethiopia, then including present-day Eritrea, from 1974 to 1987, when the military leadership formally " c ...
.
Senate
The Senate, ''Yaheg Mawos sena Meker-beth'', was established in 1931. Initially, its members were appointed, and they came from the nobility, the aristocracy, cabinet ministers, and civil servants.
The chamber was reformed in the 1955 constitution so that the members were appointed by aristocrats. In 1974, there were 125 members in the chamber.
Senate Presidents
*
Negash Bezabeh
Negash is a village in the Tigray Region of Ethiopia, which straddles the Adigrat to Mekelle road north of Wukro. It is located in Wukro woreda.
History
Negash is considered to be the earliest Muslim settlement in Africa; a cemetery from ...
, 1942-1943
*Blattengeta
Lorenzo Taezaz Lorenzo Taezaz (30 June 1900 – 23 June 1947) was an important diplomatic official for Ethiopia. He served as Emperor Haile Selassie's diplomatic representative during the Emperor's exile in Britain following the Second Italo-Ethiopian War, being t ...
, 1943-1944
*Tsahafe Taezaz
Wolde Maskal, ?-1945
*
Mangasha Jambare, 1945-1946
*Ras Bidwoded
Makonnen Endelkachew
'' Ras Betwoded'' Mekonnen Endelkachew (16 February 1890 – 27 February 1963) was an Ethiopian aristocrat and Prime Minister under Emperor Haile Selassie. Mekonnen was born in Addisge, the nephew of the noted Shewan general and politician ...
, 1957-1961
*Ras
Asrate Kassa
''Leul'' ''Ras'' Aserate Kassa (born Aserate-Medhin Kassa; 30 April 1922 – 23 November 1974) was a Viceroy of Eritrea and a member of the nobility of the Ethiopian Empire. He was the fourth son of ''Ras'' Kassa Haile Darge, and his wife Princ ...
, 1961-1964
*Lt-Gen.
Abey Abeba
'' Lij'' Abiye Abebe ( am, አብይ አበበ; born 1918 – 23 November 1974) was an Ethiopian politician and son-in-law of Emperor Haile Selassie.
Biography
Son of '' Liqa Mequas'' Abebe Atnaf Seggad, Abiye was born 1918 in Addis Ababa ...
, 1964-1974
Sources:
Chamber of Deputies
The Chamber of Deputies, ''Yaheg Mamria Meker-beth'', was established in 1931. Initially, the members were chosen by the
Emperor of Ethiopia
The emperor of Ethiopia ( gez, ንጉሠ ነገሥት, nəgusä nägäst, "King of Kings"), also known as the Atse ( am, ዐፄ, "emperor"), was the hereditary monarchy, hereditary ruler of the Ethiopian Empire, from at least the 13th century ...
, the nobility and the aristocrats.
The chamber was reformed in the 1955 constitution, and members were to be elected. In 1974, there were 250 members in the chamber.
Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies
*Blattengeta
Belatcho Yadete, ?-1945-?
*Grazmatch
Gebre Kristos Wolde Michael, ?-1953-?
*Lij
Haile Mariam Kebede, 1955-1958-?
*
Girma Wolde-Giorgis
Girma Wolde-Giorgis (; 28 December 1924 – 15 December 2018) was an Ethiopian politician who was the president of Ethiopia from 2001 to 2013. He was the second person to hold the office of president since the founding of the Federal Democrati ...
, 1961-1965
*Fitawrari
Bayissa Jemmo, ?-1966-1967
*Ato
Tadesse Taye Tadesse or Tadese is a name of Ethiopian origin. Notable people with the name include:
Given name
*Tadesse Alemu (?–2007), traditional Ethiopian singer
*Tadesse Birru (1921–1975), Ethiopian army officer and revolutionary
* Tadesse Mamechae (Tad ...
, 1967-1969-?
*Ato
Seife Taddese, 1970-1974
*Ato
Abebe Wendimeneh, 1974
See also
*
Ethiopian Empire
The Ethiopian Empire (), also formerly known by the exonym Abyssinia, or just simply known as Ethiopia (; Amharic and Tigrinya: ኢትዮጵያ , , Oromo: Itoophiyaa, Somali: Itoobiya, Afar: ''Itiyoophiyaa''), was an empire that historical ...
*
List of legislatures by country
This is a list of legislatures by country. A "legislature" is the generic name for the national parliaments and congresses that act as a plenary general assembly of representatives and that have the power to legislate. All entities included in ...
References
{{reflist
History of Ethiopia
Ethiopian_Empire
Defunct bicameral legislatures
Defunct national legislatures
1931 establishments in Ethiopia
1974 disestablishments in Ethiopia