Ethiopia's ruling party retains parliamentary majority in election marred by insecurity

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) — Ethiopia’s ruling party has maintained an overwhelming majority in parliament following the June 1 election, according to final results on Sunday.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party won 438 seats out of 501 in the House of Representatives, the National Election Board of Ethiopia said. The new parliament is expected to convene in October to reelect Abiy for another five-year term.

The election was marred by a crackdown on dissent. Insecurity in the Oromia and Amhara regions resulted in 143 polling stations failing to open, the election board said. Fighting between the Fano armed group and the federal government in Amhara, and the Oromo Liberation Army rebels in Oromia, has been the main cause of instability as the government seeks to disarm the groups.

Turnout was 94%. More than 50 million people, out of Ethiopia’s estimated population of 130 million, were registered to vote, the board said.

The Tigray region, where hundreds of thousands of people had died in the war between the federal forces and regional groups, was again excluded from the election, denying it a voice in parliament and further pushing it to the margins. The region has not had federal representation for six years.

The electoral board chairperson, Melatwork Hailu, said Sunday that the board maintained “institutional neutrality and performed its duties solely in accordance with the law and electoral guidelines, without interference.”

The presence of observers from regional organizations such as the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development, who were confined mostly to Addis Ababa, helped provide the election with international legitimacy. The missions were criticized for not deploying more personnel across the country.

Opposition criticizes climate of fear and intimidation

The election faced criticism, with most of the ruling party opponents prevented from participating, while its most prominent critics were imprisoned, in exile, or had disappeared.

Those who chose to run in the election complained that it was neither free nor fair and that the political environment was rife with fear and intimidation.

Yitayal Assefa, who ran under the opposition banner of the All Ethiopia Unity Party and lost, told The Associated Press on Sunday that he felt the government had an overwhelming advantage while opposition members were harassed and did not stand a chance.

“My participation was not about winning but about fighting for my voice and political ideals within the political spectrum against a government that is assured of a win, win or lose,” he said.

Merara Gudina, a professor at Addis Ababa University and an opposition leader who refused to participate in the election, told the AP that the vote was a “sham” and that the ruling party’s win was no surprise.

He said the result will “negatively affect the already deteriorating stability of the country.”

Abiy’s administration has been accused of human rights violations against critics and journalists despite the promise of democracy and peace he made in 2020.

Abiy won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for solving a long-standing conflict between Ethiopia and neighboring Eritrea, though the two countries are currently at loggerheads, with Addis Ababa accusing Asmara of supporting rebel groups to destabilize it, while Eritrea accuses Ethiopia of threatening to seize its sea port.

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