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· Ethiopia’s general election now will be held on 21st of June, announced the electoral commission yesterday (Thursday)
· The country is going through several crises
· No one has been registered to vote in some areas affected by ethnic violence
· That includes the most populous areas of the country, Oromia and Amhara
Ethiopia’s general election now will be held on 21st of June, announced the electoral commission yesterday (Thursday) . It was postponed earlier as reported by www.trendnafrica.com and no fresh ate was given for holding the election. The election was initially scheduled in August 2020 and was postponed to June 5, 2021, due to the coronavirus epidemic
The electoral commission announced a further delay a few days ago to the election citing logistical obstacles. It did not set date that time. The opposition alleged that it was another ploy to further postpone the election indefinitely. The ruling party sources point out that the fresh date for elections will set aside unwanted speculations and provocative statements by vested interests.
The vote is a crucial election for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed. In 2018, he promised to organize the most democratic elections in Ethiopia. The elected representatives chose the Prime Minister, who is the head of government and the president, who has only a titular role. The country is going through several crises. Disturbances, which many describe as a war, in the northern Tigray region after the government launched a military intervention six months ago to dislodge the ruling regional TPLF party, caused the country in terms of people who lost lives and thousands who fled to neighboring countries.
Further to complicate the issues, the second most populated country in Africa has only 36 million registered voters. The process of registration is still on, though by this time it should have been completed. No one has been registered to vote in some areas affected by ethnic violence. That includes the most populous areas of the country, Oromia and Amhara. Several opposition parties, including a party from the Oromia region, where Abiy is from, have announced that they will boycott the elections. They claim that their candidates have been arrested and their premises vandalized.
