The president had a chief executive power to rule by decree if necessary and was also the commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces.

Following the flight into exile of Mengistu Haile-Mariam, Tesfaye Gebre Kidan served as the acting president of Ethiopia for only six days.

During the Transitional Government of Ethiopia, the presidency had chief executive powers, including appointing and dismissing the prime minister and the commander-in-chief of the Ethiopian Armed Forces.

[2] Presidential tenure is not keyed to that of the Federal Parliamentary Assembly to assure continuity in government and the nonpartisan character of the office.

The president represents the country in various delegations, meetings, and international platforms that may require the attendance of the head of state.

With no longer than a week time the Federal Parliamentary Assembly will convene by an extraordinary session to elect the successor and declare the new president.

[4] The president of Ethiopia is protected by the Republican Guard, which is a special armed unit of the Ethiopian National Defense Force.

The Counter Military Unit carries heavy assault rifles such as Israel-made Tavor-21 and American M-4's and long range snipers that can penetrate bullet proof glass.