Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party has won an overwhelming majority, according to election results released on Sunday by the National Elections Board (NEBE).
“The ruling Prosperity Party won 438 out of 486 seats in the House of People’s Representatives,” NEBE Chairman Melatwork Hailu announced.
Legislative elections were held on 1 June, despite no voting taking place in parts of the country, including Tigray and the Amhara and Oromia regions.
Samriddhi Party maintains its hold on power
More than 40 parties ran against Ahmed’s Prosperity Party, but most lacked funding, and the ruling party was unopposed in 64 constituencies. The best-represented rival, Ezema, fielded 293 candidates compared to the Prosperity Party’s 461.
“The party’s victory depends on approximately 90 percent of the seats contested,” NEBE said.
The result will likely give Abiy, who has been in power since 2018, another five years in office, as the legislature elects the prime minister.
Some analysts say the suspension of voting in Amhara, Oromia and parts of Tigray highlights the impact of unresolved conflicts.
“I hope they will use the coming five years to really bring the majority of the country what they really need and deserve, which is peace and security,” analyst Bizuneh Yemenu previously told DW.
Why did voting not take place in Tigray and parts of Amhara and Oromia?
Ethiopia has been rocked by several ethnic nationalist rebellions, with rebel groups still active in many areas.
The Northern Tigray region was the site of a 2020–2022 armed conflict between the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian army.
The Amhara region has seen clashes between the federal government and Amhara nationalist militias known as Fano, while Oromia is home to Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) rebels.
Edited by: Sam Dusan Inayatullah
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