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- Ethiopia said that it would not hold polling in at least 26 constituencies during the next round of national polls This, the country’s electoral board sources said, was due to security issues. The second round of elections is only of academic interest since Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party secured a new five-year term in the first round of the Federal Parliament in June by claiming 410 out of 436 contested seats The second round was necessitated by logistical challenges and insecurity. The second round of voting will take place on September 30
Ethiopia said that it would not hold polling in at least 26 constituencies during the next round of national polls. This, the country’s electoral board sources said, was due to security issues. The second round of elections is only of academic interest since Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party secured a new five-year term in the first round of the Federal Parliament in June by claiming 410 out of 436 contested seats. The second round was necessitated by logistical challenges and insecurity. The second round of voting will take place on September 30.
Elections will take place in 47 federal parliamentary seats and 105 regional ones. More than seven million voters will exercise their franchise. Certain constituencies, numbering 18 in Amhara and eight in Oromia region will not vote now. Fighting is going on still in Amhara between government troops and the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) rebel group. In the meantime, Oromia is grappling with an insurgency by the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA).
Polling in certain constituencies in the Afar and Benishangul-Gumuz regions also will not take place. However, the exact number of the constituencies where the polling may not take place is not specified so far. Ethiopia has a total of 547 constituencies nationally. The electoral board has written off plans to hold elections in Tigray, which is currently mostly under TPLF control. In the meantime, Ethiopia’s new government is set to be formed on October 4.
