Meanwhile, the ruling OPDO and several opposition political parties in the Ethiopian parliament believe in the unity of the country which has 80 different ethnicities.

Despite this strengthening of the Emperor's position, the purview of the bicameral Ethiopian parliament was expanded over the 1931 constitution.

The Derg was the Ethiopian parliament, an assembly of all the tribal and army chiefs, the heads of government departments and the religious elders.

The U.S. report also called on all newly elected members of the Ethiopian parliament to take their seats.

The 547-member Ethiopian parliament voted to endorse Mr Meles' plan by 428 votes to 10, with three abstentions.

"Personally, I think war is inevitable," the speaker of the Ethiopian parliament, Dawit Yohannes, said today.

Presently, all except 20 of the elected opposition members have joined the Ethiopian parliament along with the EPRDF party members.

Meles became the first Ethiopian leader to develop a multi-party system, including an opposition party, in the Ethiopian parliament.

Still some opposition parties in the Ethiopian parliament doubted the economic growth.

Eritrea would have its own parliament and administration and would be represented in what had been the Ethiopian parliament and would become the federal parliament.