Ethiopia’s ruling party has maintained an overwhelming majority in parliament following the 1 June election, according to final results released on Sunday.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party won 438 seats out of 501 in the House of Representatives, the National Election Board of Ethiopia said. The new parliament is expected to convene in October to reelect Abiy for another five-year term.
The election was marred by insecurity in the Oromia and Amhara regions, where 143 polling stations failed to open, the election board said.
Fighting between the Fano armed group and the federal government in Amhara, and the Oromo Liberation Army rebels in Oromia, has been the main cause of instability as the government seeks to disarm the groups.
More than 50 million people, out of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 130 million, were registered to vote, the board said. Turnout was 94%.
The Tigray region, where hundreds of thousands of people had died in the war between the federal forces and regional groups, was again excluded from the election due to insecurity and political tensions. The region has not had federal representation for six years.
Foreign observers
The electoral board chairperson, Melatwork Hailu, said Sunday that the board maintained “institutional neutrality and performed its duties solely in accordance with the law and electoral guidelines, without interference.”
The presence of observers from regional organisations such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, who were confined mostly to Addis Ababa, helped provide the election with international legitimacy.
Yitayal Assefa, who ran under the opposition banner of the All Ethiopia Unity Party and lost, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he felt the government had an overwhelming advantage while opposition members were harassed and did not stand a chance.
“My participation was not about winning but about fighting for my voice and political ideals within the political spectrum against a government that is assured of a win, win or lose,” he said.
Prime Minister Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for solving a long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and neighbouring Eritrea, though the two countries are currently at loggerheads, with Addis Ababa accusing Asmara of supporting rebel groups to destabilise it, while Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of threatening to seize its sea port.
