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Landslide in Ethiopia
Ethiopia’s ruling Prosperity Party secured 438 of the 486 seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives, according to election results released Sunday by the National Elections Board (NEBE) chairperson Melatwork Hailu.
“- Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party secured 438 of the 486 seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives - While more than 40 parties ran against the PP, most lacked financial backing and the PP was unopposed in 64 constituencies ADDIS ABABA: Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party (PP) won a landslide victory in legislative polls held June 1, the election commission said Sunday, giving it almost 90 percent of the seats”
The June 1 legislative elections went ahead despite voting not taking place in parts of the country, including areas in the Tigray, Amhara and Oromia regions.
More than 40 parties ran against Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party, but the NEBE said the ruling party was unopposed in 64 constituencies and that the party’s victory accounts for roughly 90 percent of the contested seats.
Under Ethiopia’s parliamentary system, citizens elect members of the House of Peoples’ Representatives, who then choose the prime minister from among their members, with the vote expected between late September and October.
Conflict shadows vote
Voting was disrupted by security concerns, with the commission saying 143 polling stations did not open on election day and that voting was interrupted in several locations in Amhara and Oromia.
In Tigray, the region did not participate in the election, and the BBC said the region and its six million inhabitants, comprising 38 constituencies, were completely excluded from the poll.
The BBC linked the election’s risks to armed groups fighting the government, noting that 143 polling stations failed to open because of safety concerns caused by armed groups fighting the government.
Cameron Hudson, an Africa analyst who once worked for the US State Department, told the BBC, "The risks are real and are driven by both sides," as people in Tigray worried about recruitment to join the military.
Next term, new tensions
The BBC said the Prosperity Party, which won 438 of the 501 contested seats, will form the new government with Abiy set to be sworn in for another term at the beginning of October.
“Ethiopian prime minister's party gets another big parliamentary majority Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party secured a landslide victory in the country's recent elections, winning 438 seats, roughly 90% of the available parliamentary majority”
The election outcome is expected to give Abiy another five years in office, as the legislature elects the prime minister, and the NEBE said the party’s victory accounts for roughly 90 percent of the contested seats.
In Tigray, the BBC reported that just before the election the TPLF restored its pre-war administration, disbanding an interim one appointed by Prime Minister Abiy.
Shewit Wudassie, a member of Salsay Weyane, told the BBC, "People in Tigray are worried as many youths are being recruited to join the military," while the local authorities denied there is any "forced recruitment" and Tesfaye Abadi said, "The youths are simply getting training to defend themselves."
