AddisFortune gossip - #Ethiopia|n Government and Capitol Hill: Lobbying Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn was in his trademark gracious mood early last week when he received an America delegation led by the Republican Senator James (Jim) Inhofe. While the Senator from Oklahoma praised Hailemariam for Ethiopia’s involvement in helping warring faction of South Sudan conclude a peace deal, Ethiopia’s Prime Minister said as much about the United States’ generosity in helping Ethiopia through the Power Africa Initiative (PAI). Inhofe is known to be one of the great friends the EPRDFites have up on Capitol Hill, gossip claims. The PAI is a presidential initiative that pledges to commit over seven billion dollars in five years to help eight countries, including Ethiopia, exploit their energy potential. It would have been delightful news for the administration, had it not been for the renewed campaign by a member of the US Senate, who appears to be determined to revitalise the HR 2008, which called for greater space for democracy and respect for human rights by the Ethiopian government. First introduced by Russ Feingold, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, the bill pledged 20 million dollars in support, but failed to pass the Senate’s floor due largely to lobbying by a firm the Ethiopian government hired at the time, gossip recalled. Credit also goes to Senator Inhofe, who had tabled a competing bill against those...continue reading...j.mp/1dLHXkk
Posted on: Tue, 28 Jan 2014 21:17:16 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015