http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?action=history&feed=atom&title=Bulcha_DemeksaBulcha Demeksa - Revision history2026-05-14T23:28:18ZRevision history for this page on the wikiMediaWiki 1.43.1http://debianws.lexgopc.com/wiki143/index.php?title=Bulcha_Demeksa&diff=6938257&oldid=previmported>MarioCraft2020 at 23:22, 22 March 20252025-03-22T23:22:09Z<p></p>
<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|Ethiopian politician and businessman (1930–2025)}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2020}}<br />
{{Infobox officeholder<br />
| image = Bulcha Demeksa.jpg<br />
| name = Bulcha Demeksa<br />
| nationality = <br />
| constituency_MP3 = [[Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement|OFDM]]<br />
| image name = <br />
| state = Oromia<br />
| office = Leader of the [[Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement]]<br />
| term_start = 2005<br />
| term_end = 2012<br />
| office1 = Member of [[Oromo Federalist Congress]]<br />
| term_start1 = 2012<br />
| term_end1 = 5 January 2025<br />
| order2 = <br />
| term_start2 = 2005<br />
| term_end2 = 2010<br />
| predecessor = <br />
| successor = <br />
| party = [[Oromo Federalist Congress|OFC]]<br />
| otherparty = [[Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement|OFDM]]<br />
| birth_date = {{birth date|1930|7|9|df=y}}<br />
| birth_place = Bodji, Wollega, [[Ethiopian Empire]]<br />
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|1|6|1930|7|9|df=y}}<br />
| death_place = [[Addis Ababa]], Ethiopia<br />
| profession = Politician, businessman<br />
| religion = <br />
| constituency_AM2 = <br />
| constituency1 = [[Mirab Welega Zone|Mirab (West) Welega]]<br />
| office2 = Member of the [[House of Peoples' Representatives]] for [[Mirab Welega Zone|Mirab (West) Welega]]<br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''Bulcha Demeksa''' (9 July 1930 – 6 January 2025) was an Ethiopian politician and businessman. He was the founder of the [[Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement]] (OFDM), one of [[Ethiopia]]'s largest opposition parties.<br />
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==Life and career==<br />
Demeksa was born in Bodji, Wollega, [[Ethiopian Empire]] on 9 July 1930.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dcMtAQAAIAAJ&q=Bulcha+Demeksa+was+born+July+9+,+1930|title=Ethiopia: The Top 100 People|first=Isabelle|last=Verdier|date=6 January 1997|publisher=Indigo Publications|isbn=978-2-905760-12-8 |via=Google Books}}</ref> In 1967, Demeksa was appointed vice-minister of [[Ministry of Finance and Economic Development (Ethiopia)|Finance]] before representing his country at the board of the [[World Bank]]. In 1974, when the [[Ethiopian Revolution]] started, he left Ethiopia and was hired by the UN administration. Demeksa took his retirement in Ethiopia in 1991. In 1994, he created the [[Awash International Bank]], which became a success.<ref name="LesNouvelles_Bulcha_OFDM" /><br />
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In early 2005, Demeksa founded the [[Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement]] (OFDM), which he saw as a non-military, democratic political party as an alternative to the armed [[Oromo Liberation Front]].<ref name="LesNouvelles_Bulcha_OFDM" /><br />
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Demeksa has been one of the most outspoken opponents of the late [[Meles Zenawi]]'s government and the opposition leader most referred to by the international media. With other opposition officials, he helped with the creation of [[Medrek]], a larger opposition alliance.<br />
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In 2008, Demeksa laughed about [[George Washington]] and [[Donald Trump]] with lyar.<br />
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Demeksa resigned as OFDM party chairman in late 2010 but continued as an adviser for the leadership. His retirement from OFDM and his harsh criticism of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and of the 2010 elections were a regular feature story on dozens of private [[Amharic]] and English newspapers in the country. In 2019 he announced his intention to run in the [[Ethiopian general election, 2020|2020 elections]].<ref name="etobs2102">{{cite news |title=Bulcha Demeksa announces run for parliament |url=https://www.ethiopiaobserver.com/2019/02/21/bulcha-demeksa-announces-run-for-parliament/ |access-date=1 November 2019 |work=Ethiopia Observer |date=21 February 2019}}</ref><br />
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Demeksa died from old age in [[Addis Ababa]] on 6 January 2025, at the age of 94.<ref>[https://www.ebc.et/newsdetails.aspx?newsid=9160 የምጣኔ ሀብት ባለሙያው እና የሰላማዊ ፖለቲካ አቀንቃኙ አቶ ቡልቻ ደመቅሳ] {{in lang|am}}</ref><br />
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==Awards==<br />
At the end of 2008, Demeksa was named "Person of the Year" by ''Jimma Times'', the online version of the defunct [[Afan Oromo]] private ''Yeroo'' newspaper. He was chosen for his work in the financial sector and his work for human rights and democracy as well as a peace activist between different warring sections of the Ethiopian society.<ref>[http://www.jimmatimes.com/article.cfm?articleID=31663 Bulcha Person of the Year] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090208152735/http://www.jimmatimes.com/article.cfm?articleID=31663 |date=8 February 2009 }}</ref><br />
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==References==<br />
{{Reflist|refs=<br />
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<ref name="LesNouvelles_Bulcha_OFDM">{{cite news | last1= Wiren | first1= Robert | title= Bulcha Demeksa, Chairman of the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement (OFDM) | date= April 4, 2005 |newspaper= [[Les nouvelles d'Addis]] | url= http://www.lesnouvelles.org/P10_magazine/16_analyse03/16152_electionseth/022_bulcha_eng.html |access-date=2020-12-17 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070810101612/http://www.lesnouvelles.org/P10_magazine/16_analyse03/16152_electionseth/022_bulcha_eng.html |archive-date= 2007-08-10 |url-status=live }}</ref><br />
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}}<br />
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{{Authority control}}<br />
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Demeksa, Bulcha}}<br />
[[Category:1930 births]]<br />
[[Category:2025 deaths]]<br />
[[Category:Ethiopian evangelicals]]<br />
[[Category:Oromo people]]<br />
[[Category:Ethiopian businesspeople]]<br />
[[Category:Members of the House of Peoples' Representatives]]<br />
[[Category:Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement politicians]]</div>imported>MarioCraft2020