In an overnight meeting that lasted six hours, leaders of the thirteen opposition organizations meeting in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia elected Mr. Tewelde Gebresselase as Secretary General of the executive council and Mr. Abdella Mahmoud as chairman of the legislative council. 

Yesterday, the congress finished discussing and agreeing on its charter and bylaws.

Since election in the EDA is based on consensus, there seemed to be an impasse for the whole day, Thursday [May 8, 2008], and participants were worried and tense fearing last year’s experience--which the EDA was split with disagreement into two blocs based on a vote impasse—would be repeated.  

By Thursday, 7 PM local time, when signs of crisis appeared, members of the civil societies pressured the leaders to lock themselves in the meeting room and not go out until they resolved their issues and elected leaders.

The conferees exited the hall leaving the leaders behind.

The Eritrean Liberation Front-Revolutionary Council (ELF-RC) had presented Mr. Mengisteab Asmerom as its candidate for the top position.  But this was blocked by the Eritrean Liberation Front (ELF), whose chairman, Mr. Hussein Khelifa, argued that since Mengisteab and Hussein had chaired two competing blocs when the EDA split, the two groups should exempt themselves from nominating their members for the post.  

The ELF-RC accepted this rationale.

Meanwhile, Mr. Mohammed Nur Ahmed of the Eritrean Democratic Party (EDP) who was chairing the overnight meeting had withdrawn his name for consideration in the interest of maintaining neutrality over the proceedings.

On Friday, 2 am local time, Tewelde Gebreselasse and Abdella Mahmoud were elected by unanimous agreement to the two top positions.