Voting got underway across Ethiopia on Monday in parliamentary and regional elections that are widely expected to deliver a comfortable win for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ruling Prosperity Party, despite ongoing instability in several parts of the country.
More than 50 million voters are registered to cast their ballots. However, polling is not taking place in the northern Tigray region, where election officials said conditions remain unsuitable following the devastating two-year civil war and continuing political tensions.
Abiy, whose party has campaigned on the government’s economic record, said there would be more progress to come as he cast his ballot in his hometown of Beshasha in Oromiya region.
Abiy was appointed in 2018 following mass protests against the long-ruling EPRDF coalition. His Prosperity Party won 410 out of 484 seats in parliament in elections in 2021.
Prosperity Party candidates have touted improved food security and strong economic growth in Africa’s second-most populous country that officials project will top 10% in 2026, one of the fastest rates on the continent.
Nearly half of Ethiopia’s 135 million population is under 18.
Insurgencies In Two Biggest Regions
Abiy faces armed unrest in Ethiopia’s two largest regions. In Oromiya, clashes between government forces and the Oromo Liberation Army have killed hundreds in recent years.
In neighbouring Amhara, the Fano militia has controlled parts of the countryside since 2023, forcing the suspension of voting in at least eight constituencies.
Meanwhile, despite a 2022 peace deal that ended the Tigray war, recent efforts by the region’s main political party to reassert control have raised fears of renewed instability.
Abiy’s Party Faces Weak Opposition
The ruling Prosperity Party is widely expected to secure an easy victory over a divided opposition, with results due by June 11. Opposition groups accuse the government of targeting rivals through arrests and legal restrictions, allegations Addis Ababa denies.
Abiy, who came to power in 2018 promising reforms and won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for making peace with Eritrea, now faces criticism from opponents and rights groups who say democratic freedoms have eroded. The government rejects claims of widespread abuses, saying its actions are necessary for national security.
Relations with Eritrea have also deteriorated in recent years, partly due to Abiy’s calls for Ethiopia to gain access to the sea. Eritrea has viewed the remarks with suspicion, while Abiy insists he seeks a solution through dialogue.
(With inputs from Reuters)
