- ICG Report says that the postponement of Ethiopia’s elections due to COVID-19 was a relief for the country in political turmoil
- The postponement of the elections will necessitate Ethiopia to form an interim government before the term of the current parliament ends
The latest report released by the International Crisis Group (ICG) says that the postponement of the August election of Ethiopia due to Covid-19 was a relief for the country that was facing political turmoil. Dr Abiy took over in April 2018, promising to revive multi-party democracy and restore civic liberties. In spite of his progressive efforts, both at the political and economic front, rival regional, ethnic and political factions clashed over ideology, power and resources, killing thousands and displacing more than three million of people.
Citing public health risk due to Coronavirus, the EEB on March 31 suspended preparations for the vote. on April 10, Ethiopian parliament approved a five-month state of emergency, giving authorities sweeping powers to fight COVID-19. The constitution permits the government to invoke a nationwide state of emergency to deal with epidemics. But according to some reports, even prior to the pandemic, the Ethiopian Electoral Board (EEB) was behind schedule in preparations which had raised concerns of possible delay beyond the constitutional deadline.
The postponement of the elections will necessitate Ethiopia to form an interim government before the term of the current parliament ends in early October. This will mean incorporating the opposition—that was preparing to challenge Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed in August—into some sort of government of national unity.
The opposition has urged for the formation of national unity to take the reins when the term of the current government finishes. Abiy’s government has already expressed its openness to work with the opposition in managing the coronavirus threat. In a welcome move, the Opposition parties have rallied behind the government putting aside political differences and accepted the emergency decree so long as the government does not misuse it for political repression. They have also expressed willingness to be closely consulted in devising an interim arrangement for governing the country when parliament’s term ends. The Report urges Dr Abiy to utilise the positive approach of the opposition parties to collaborate with them to tackle longer-term threats to the country’s democratic transition.
