Today would mark the second day of a crucial meeting by the 36-member executive committee of the ruling EPRDF, in progress at the Prime Minister's Office. It is a very powerful body of the ruling party, which has the right to elect the chairman of the party. It meets every three months, although occasionally this frequency could also be shortened.

This weekend's meeting may perhaps be one of those rare meetings, for the executive committee had met in the first week of July 2009. It is crucial for the meeting is to decide on two issues, gossip revealed; the election strategy the party will be pursuing during the electoral contest next year, and whether or not their chief priest steps down from power, according to gossip.

Not much controversy is expected on the electoral strategy, though it will be interesting to see what sort of paper is presented for endorsement. It is obvious that the ruling party would want to avoid the type of electoral turmoil it had been ill prepared for after the national elections in 2005, gossip anticipates.

The most pressing issue for the executive committee is, however, the ambiguity created following series of public statements by their chairman of his intention to be relieved of his responsibilities as chief of the party. Members of the committee seem to realize that their rank and file as well as the general public is in a state of uncertainty, disclosed gossip. If allowed to linger for much longer than it has now, there would be a political price to pay; thus, the sooner they resolve the issue the better for all, claims gossip.

Nevertheless, gossip claims, there is a strong consensus already reached among members of the study group tasked to present the discussion in a contextual manner that their leader is there to stay. Members of the executive committee may come out of the meeting today putting the matter to rest, perhaps once and for all, according to gossip.

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In a rather different front, the atmosphere around MIDROC Ethiopia and its associates is observed to be uplifting, gossip observed. It appears to be the most appropriate time for businesses and individuals with outstanding claims from this group to renew their demand for settlement. Gossip revealed that there is sudden flow of funds from the Sheikh, after several months of ambiguity.

Gossip sees it as unusual for the Sheikh to transfer a substantial - but undisclosed - amount all at the same time.

Many of the managers within the conglomerate who have been lined up with their requests for funding have been provided with cash now, after the Sheikh released funds as of last Wednesday, August 12, 2009, claims gossip. To the relief of the government, which has reportedly been embarrassed with delays in the launching of construction at the AU hotel, the Sheikh has made cash available in order to commence work there; soon there should be some more activities at the site, gossip anticipates.

Other projects injected with cash are the cement plant by Derba-MIDROC, whose chief operating officer, Haile Assegdie, has gone on vacation relieved, disclosed gossip. The Sheikh has reportedly effected full payment to acquire 1,500 trucks for this project.

Sheraton Addis, which has been reinvigorated lately with an American band captivating the town, is another beneficiary of this sudden bounty, claims gossip. It is been provided with over 1.2 million dollars to replace almost all its beds; it could probably be time after a decade of service, gossip quipped.