On May 31, Ethiopia began voting for its national parliament and regional councils, with more than 50 million registered voters. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party is projected to win a landslide, reinforcing the 49-year-old leader's grip on power.
However, voting did not take place in the northern Tigray region, where the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) cited “unfavorable conditions” following the 2020–2022 civil war and ongoing political instability. At least 8 of 138 constituencies in neighboring Amhara region were also unable to vote due to the Fano armed group controlling large rural areas since 2023.
Abiy's Prosperity Party, founded in 2019, succeeded the long-ruling EPRDF coalition. In the 2021 election, it won 410 of 484 parliamentary seats. Party candidates are campaigning on economic achievements, including improved food security and projected GDP growth of over 10% in 2026 — one of the highest in Africa.
With a population of about 135 million, nearly half under 18, this election holds significant stakes for the East African nation's political future.
Opposition parties remain fragmented and weakened by internal divisions, and accuse the government of repression through arrests of leaders and legal obstacles — charges the government denies. Election results are expected by June 11.
Abiy came to power in 2018 after large protests forced his predecessor to resign. He won the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for a peace deal with Eritrea. However, his government has faced criticism in recent years for jailing journalists, shuttering civil society groups, and conducting military campaigns that caused casualties. The government rejects accusations of systematic human rights abuses, calling its actions necessary for national security.
Relations with Eritrea have deteriorated, partly due to Abiy's repeated statements that landlocked Ethiopia has a right to access the sea, which Eritrea views as a potential military threat.
