# Imperial Parliament of Ethiopia

Part of a series on the :
History of Ethiopia :
Early history Prehistory   Dʿmt 980 – 400 BC :
Middle Ages Aksum 100 – 940 AD Zagwe dynasty 900–1270 Early Solomonic period 1270–1529 Amda Seyon's Expansions 1314–1344 :
Early modern history Ethiopian–Adal War 1527–1543 Oromo migrations 1543 – 17th cent. Habesh Eyalet 1557 – 17th cent. Gondarine period 1632–1769 Zemene Mesafint 1769–1855 Ottoman border conflict 1832–1848 :
Modern history Unification 1855–1913 Menelik's Invasions 1878–1904 First Italo–Ethiopian War 1895–1896 Modernization 1913–1974 World War I 1914–1918 Second Italo–Ethiopian War 1935–1936 Italian East Africa 1936–1941 World War II 1941 Italian guerrilla war 1941–1943 Federation with Eritrea 1952–1962 Eritrean Independence War 1961–1991 Ethiopian Civil War 1974–1991 Ogaden War 1977–1978 :
Recent history Eritrean–Ethiopian War 1998–2000 Eritrean border conflict 1998–2018 Police massacre 2005 War in Somalia 2006–2009 East Africa drought 2011–2012 Oromo protests 2014–2016 Ethiopian civil conflict 2018–present Tigray war 2020–2022 :
Topics
Economic history
Emperor
Aristocracy
Military
Army of the Empire
Expansion
Currency
Aksumite
Famines :
vte :
The Imperial Parliament of Ethiopia (Amharic: የኢትዮጵያ ንጉሠ ነገሥት ፓርላማ) was the bicameral legislature of the Ethiopian Empire 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 1955 Constitution introduced elections to the lower chamber. The Ethiopian Parliament Building was the meeting place of the imperial parliament. The last elections took place in 1973. The legislature was abolished by the Derg.

## Senate

The Senate, Yaheg Mawossegna Meker-beth(የሕግ መወሰኛ ምክርቤት), 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

| Name | Took office | Left office |
| Bidwoded Wolde Tsadeq Goshu | 1931 | 1936 |
| Kentiba Gebru Desta | 1941 | ? |
| Negash Bezabeh | 1942 | 1943 |
| Blattengeta Lorenzo Taezaz | 1943 | 1944 |
| Tsahafe Taezaz Wolde Maskal | 1944 | 1945 |
| Mangasha Jambare | 1945 | 1946 |
| Ras Bidwoded Makonnen Endelkachew | 1957 | 1961 |
| Ras Asrate Kassa | 1961 | 1964 |
| Lt-Gen. Abey Abeba | 1964 | 1974 |

## 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 nobility and the aristocrats. The chamber was reformed by the 1955 constitution, and members were to be elected. In 1974, there were 250 members in the chamber.

### Presidents of the Chamber of Deputies

| Name | Took office | Left office |
| Blattengeta Belatcho Yadete | 1943 | 1945-? |
| Grazmatch Gebre Kristos Wolde Michael | ?-1953 | 1953-? |
| Lij Haile Mariam Kebede | 1955 | 1957 |
| Wossen Hailu | 1957 | 1960 |
| Girma Wolde-Giorgis | 1961 | 1965 |
| Fitawrari Bayissa Jemmo | ?-1966 | 1967 |
| Ato Tadesse Taye | 1967 | 1969-? |
| Ato Seife Taddese | 1970 | 1974 |
| Ato Abebe Wendimeneh | 1974 | 1974 |