Ethiopia goes to the polls on Monday in an election which is expected to return Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party to power, but has been marked by instability, restricted voting and questions over whether the vote can challenge the status quo.
The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said voting will not take place in 46 constituencies in the conflict-affected regions of Amhara and Tigray, citing instability and political tensions.
It said eight districts in north-western Amhara had “unfavourable conditions” because of clashes between militia groups and the army, while voting was also suspended in 38 districts in Tigray, where tensions remain high between the federal government and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front.
Earlier the NEBE said that in places “where conditions do not permit polling on June 1, supplementary voting dates will be arranged".
The election comes as many Ethiopians are focused on everyday issues such as inflation, jobs and security, rather than the campaign.
Surprise results are unlikely and opposition figures and analysts say the vote will not offer a genuine challenge to the government.
“The elections in Ethiopia will be a purely formal affair that lends the government electoral legitimacy. There is no way to change or challenge the government through the elections,” according to Kjetil Tronvoll, a peace and conflict researcher at Oslo New University College.
Voter apathy
Almost every election since the overthrow of the brutal Derg dictatorship of Haile Mariam Mengistu in 1991 has ended with one party winning 90 to 100 percent of seats in parliament, often amid allegations of fraud.
"I don't think my vote can have a significant impact on politics," said Tesfalem, a designer in the capital. He said he will not be voting.
"The voice of the people has never changed anything. And I don't think it will this time either," echoed Amanuel, a teacher in the Oromia region.
They gave only their first names for fear of reprisals, in a political climate that has hardened of late.
The election board says a total of 47 political parties are registered, with nearly 11,000 candidates and millions of voters registered.
But the ruling Prosperity Party won 96 percent of seats in 2021, and is running uncontested in 64 of Ethiopia's 547 constituencies this time.
There are some 40 opposition parties, but none are serious contenders. Even the largest, Ezema, will field candidates in less than 60 percent of seats, hoping to add to its current total of four MPs.
"Conducting elections under these conditions is essentially a ritual intended to show the international community that the government is elected every five years by the people," Merera Gudina, president of the 11-strong Committee of Opposition Parties, told French news agency AFP.
Results are due on 11 June.
(with newswires)
