Vote counting in Ethiopia’s long-delayed parliamentary elections has begun after polls finally closed at 9 pm local time Monday following a three-hour extension. The vote process was reportedly riddled with intimidation and irregularities, in addition to the four regions who did not vote at all for various reasons.
In two of the voting regions, opposition observers were reportedly chased away from polling stations, said election board chief Birtukan Midekssa.
“This will jeopardise the credibility of the election process,” said Birtukan.
Some areas, such as Sidama state, were allowed to vote on Tuesday after the polling stations there ran out of ballots.
Ethnic violence is blamed for lack of voter registration in the Benishangul-Gumuz region.
And in nearly one-fifth of Ethiopia’s 547 constituencies, the polls were not open because of the war in northern Tigray, or logistical problems. Tigray’s 38 constituencies have no scheduled date for the vote.
In more than 100 of the country’s 547 constituencies, polls were not even open on Monday – either because of the ongoing war in the northern Tigray region or logistical issues elsewhere. No date has been set for voting in Tigray’s 38 constituencies.
Others who missed out on the vote on Monday (and Tuesday) will vote in September, according to the electoral board, and at that time, the next government is slated to be formed.
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Delays, election abuses
Opposition observers, from leading parties such as the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice, headed by Berhanu Nega, were reportedly chased out of polling stations.
“In the Amhara region and in the south, there is an additional serious problem that we have observed which is that in a number of places they have kicked out our observers or they wouldn’t allow them from the start in the morning,” said Nega in a video circulated on social media.
“We have compiled this and informed the election board about this. We have also informed the authorities hoping that there will be some solution to this before one can conclude in any form or shape that this is a reflection of the whole process,” he added.
Some opposition parties boycotted the elections altogether.
Other opposition parties said they were prevented from campaigning in several parts of the country, while Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed called the delayed polls “the nation’s first attempt at free and fair elections”.
Although Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is expected to remain in power, his star has tarnished after central government waged a war in the Tigray region.
Some results have been posted, while preliminary results are expected within the next five days. Final results will be posted in the next two weeks.
