Ethiopia holds General elections amid security gaps, Tigray excluded
Ethiopians voted Monday in parliamentary and regional elections. The Prosperity Party of the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expected to secure a landslide victory despite unrest in several regions.
More than 50 million voters were registered, but polling was suspended in parts of Oromia and Amhara due to security concerns, and the entire northern Tigray region was excluded because of “unfavourable conditions” following the 2020–2022 civil war.
Over 143 polling stations failed to open, though long queues formed elsewhere, said election commission head Melatwork Hailu.
Abiy, in power since 2018, praised the progress of Ethiopia after casting his vote. “The Ethiopian people have shown they need no outsiders to lecture them on building democracy,” he said.
His party campaigns on improved food security and projected economic growth exceeding 10% in 2026. Nearly half of Ethiopia’s 135 million people are under 18.
Media remains tightly regulated; several outlets, including the BBC, were denied accreditation. African Union observer, former Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta, reported that voting progressed smoothly.
