Ethiopia’s House of Peoples’ Representatives has elected Ahmed Shide, the country’s long-serving Minister of Finance, as its Speaker, according to the information provided.

The election took place during the first session of the seventh parliamentary term, following the country’s seventh general election held on June 1, 2026. The ruling Prosperity Party nominated Ahmed for the position. Details of the vote and the newly elected Deputy Speaker were not available in the information provided.

Ahmed’s reported appointment would mark a transition from overseeing the federal government’s finances to presiding over the lower house of parliament. He would succeed Tagesse Chafo, who has led the House since October 2018.

From Finance Minister to Speaker

Ahmed has served as Ethiopia’s Minister of Finance since October 2018, overseeing a period marked by major economic reforms, including the shift toward a market-based foreign exchange system, external debt restructuring and an International Monetary Fund-supported reform programme.

Before becoming finance minister, Ahmed served as Minister of Transport from 2016 to 2018 and as Minister of Government Communication Affairs in 2018. He also held the position of State Minister of Finance and Economic Development for several years.

His political career extends to the regional level, where he previously served as Speaker of the Somali Regional State parliament and chaired the former Somali People’s Democratic Party.

Ahmed holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Ethiopian Civil Service College and a master’s degree in Participation, Development and Social Change from the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom.