ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia – Voting began in various parts of Ethiopia in the first parliamentary elections following Abiy Ahmed’s accession to prime minister, even as the country continues to grapple with a myriad of challenges, including but not limited to s ‘to limit the conflict in Tigray.
The National Election Council of Ethiopia [NEBE] postponed the 2020 elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but this decision was strongly opposed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Tigray [TPLF], who had withdrawn his support for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, from Oromo.
Nearly 40 million people have registered to vote in parliamentary elections, but polls in many constituencies have been delayed until September due to logistics and security, according to reports. The most affected are the Tigray region where the Ethiopian national defense forces [ENDF] performed an operation.
In a tweet, Abiy Ahmed said: “Considerable work has been done to mobilize the security sector nationally and to respond effectively to identified and emerging threats using technology.”
“I encourage all citizens to be vigilant when they go to the polls tomorrow. I would also like to assure you that the government is well prepared for a peaceful and democratic election,” added the Prime Minister, whose record in matters of human rights has been called into question in recent weeks.
This is the first electoral test for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, 44, who came to power in 2018, defending democratic renewal in Africa’s second most populous country and a break with its authoritarian past.
“This election is different,” said Milton Gebregziabher, a 45-year-old travel agent who votes in the center of the capital Addis Ababa. “There are a number of parties to choose from. In the past there was only one, we didn’t have the luxury to choose.”
Abiy, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who freed political prisoners, welcomed exiles and ended a long cold war with neighboring Eritrea before sending troops to confront dissident leaders in Tigray at the end of the last year, promised that this election will be the most competitive in the history of Ethiopia, free from the repression that has marred the previous polls.
But the specter of famine caused by the ongoing fighting in Tigray and the failure to hold elections on schedule in about a fifth of the constituencies, means the promise is in doubt.
Election officers in purple vests sprayed voters’ hands with disinfectant before checking their IDs against the register.
“I believe this election will light up democracy in Ethiopia,” said Yordanos Berhanu, a 26-year-old accountant leading a line of hundreds.
“As a young Ethiopian, I hope for the future of my country and I think voting is part of it,” she said before slipping her ballots into a purple plastic box for the national vote. and a light green for the regional elections.
In Bahir Dar, the capital of the northwestern region of Amhara, neighboring Tigray, voters said peace and economic growth were the top priorities.
“No matter who wins, we want peace,” Mirkuz Gashaw, a 25-year-old job seeker, said in an interview with Yahoo News.
“As a citizen, I hope our country prosper and grow,” said Etsubdink Sisay, 18, a first-time voter, who aligned with her mother.
Once the votes are counted, national deputies will elect the prime minister, who is the head of government, as well as the president – a largely ceremonial role. Abiy’s ruling Prosperity Party has fielded the most candidates in the national parliamentary elections and is the clear favorite to win a majority and form the next government.
But the elections are taking place as Addis Ababa is accused of frustrating humanitarian efforts in the Tigray region, where ENDF and Eritrean troops have reportedly slaughtered thousands of innocent civilians from November 2020.
Although he defended himself often, Abiy Ahmed’s regime has been marred by key allegations including ethnic cleansing in Tigray, tribal clashes in Oromia and Amhara, as well as kidnappings and arbitrary arrests and detentions of opposition leaders without trial.
AXADLETM.
