President Girma W. Giorgis had a light moment in Bahir Dar last week with Addisu Legesse, deputy prime minister, who is also chairman of the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), one of the political parties in the ruling EPRDF. The party was commemorating its 27th birthday last week, which the regional government organized with its own version of the Ethiopian millennium celebration.

Several businessmen and women, some of whom were born in the region, were in Bahir Dar to join the celebration, which included public festival, party conference and photo exhibition. On the right are Bezuayehu Tadelle, chairman of East Africa Holdings, Woldiher Yizengaw, general manager of Ghion Industrial Group, and Minwuyelet Atnafu, one of the senior shareholders of the Star Business Group. They were following a music festival held at the Martyrs Monument in Bahir Dar.

Above is Bezuayehu touring a photo exhibition depicting the field years of ANDM and its fighters, along side Tadeowos Bekele, owner of Boston Spa. The latter is building a luxury lodge ashore Tana Lake, a second resort to what he has built in Bishoftu (Debre Ziet). Behind them is Kassa (Sherifo) T. Haimanot, a veteran fighter of ANDM, who is now head of the trade and tourism bureau of the regional administration.