Ethiopians Cast Ballots in Elections Expected to Extend Ruling Party's Rule

Polls opened across Ethiopia on Monday as millions of citizens voted in parliamentary and regional elections widely expected to hand Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party another landslide victory. Voting began at 6 a.m. local time, with long queues forming outside polling stations in the capital, Addis Ababa, and elsewhere.

The Prosperity Party, in power since 2018, won 96 percent of parliamentary seats in the 2021 election and is running unopposed in dozens of constituencies, according to multiple reports. More than 50 million people were registered to vote out of Ethiopia's estimated population of 130 million, choosing more than 500 members of the House of Representatives, who will in turn select the prime minister.

Abiy, 49, cast his ballot in his hometown of Beshasha in the Oromia region. He told reporters that "the Ethiopian people have demonstrated that they do not need anyone to advise or lecture them in order to build their state and establish a democratic system," and that the next five years "will be a period where we see many historic turning points for Ethiopia," as reported by Africa News.

Coverage Comparison

Reports from Africa News, Al Jazeera, AllAfrica, BBC, Deutsche Welle, and France 24 all noted the expectation of a Prosperity Party victory, but focused on different aspects of the vote. Africa News highlighted the contrast between the enthusiasm in Abiy's hometown of Beshasha and the muted atmosphere in Addis Ababa, where few election posters were visible. BBC reported that Abiy "is not directly elected" but that voters choose representatives to the 547-member parliament, with the party securing at least 274 seats earning the right to form the government. Al Jazeera emphasized the absence of voting in Tigray, where the electoral board cited "unfavourable conditions" following the civil war. France 24 focused on the "corridor project" launched in 2024 to modernize Addis Ababa, which has led to the mass eviction of over 10,000 people in the capital alone.

Key Claims

  • The Prosperity Party is expected to win a landslide victory, continuing its dominance from the 2021 election, when it won 96 percent of seats. (Multiple sources)
  • No election is taking place in the northern Tigray region due to ongoing tensions and the aftermath of the 2020-2022 civil war. (Multiple sources)
  • Voting was extended by six hours until midnight due to high turnout in several areas. (Africa News, Al Jazeera)
  • The electoral commission reported that 143 polling stations did not open due to security issues, with disruptions in parts of Oromia and Amhara. (Africa News, Al Jazeera)
  • Opposition parties and analysts expressed concerns about the competitiveness of the election, with some describing it as a "symbolic exercise" to confer legitimacy on the incumbent. (Al Jazeera, BBC)
  • Abiy faces criticism for growing authoritarianism and a crackdown on dissent, in contrast to his early years when he won the Nobel Peace Prize for mending relations with Eritrea. (Multiple sources)
  • The economy has grown by more than seven percent annually under Abiy, and officials project growth to top 10 percent in 2026. (Africa News, BBC)

Perspectives

Prosperity Party and supporters: The ruling party emphasizes national unity, economic reform, and development, pointing to improved food security and infrastructure projects. Supporters in Beshasha expressed pride in Abiy, with one farmer stating he "has always possessed a uniquely gifted nature given to him by God." (as reported by Africa News)

Opposition parties and analysts: Opposition leaders and analysts, including Kjetil Tronvoll of Oslo New University College, describe the polls as a "symbolic exercise" and the least competitive since multiparty democracy was introduced in 1991. They cite restrictions on campaigning, media repression, and the exclusion of Tigray and parts of Amhara. (as reported by Al Jazeera, BBC, and Africa News)