The Ethiopian premier, Abiy Ahmed, told a gathering of thousands that he was committed to deepening democratic reforms in the country.
The large crowd was there to welcome him to Hawassa, the capital of the Southern regional state.
In further comments, Ahmed said: “Any leader of the country will not serve in office beyond two terms following the amendment to the constitution."
The current constitution stipulates that the term of office for the Prime Minister is unlimited.
Ethiopia uses a parliamentary system of government where the party with majority seats in parliament nominates a prime minister.
Ahmed praised his predecessor, Hailemariam Desalegn, for resisting the temptation to cling to power. Desalegn resigned his position as prime minister and chairman of the ruling EPRDF coalition in February.
He also pledged to prioritise the fight against theft and corruption, improve empowerment of women and fill infrastructure gaps after necessary studies have been conducted to understand the needs.
