Voters in Ethiopia yesterday cast their ballots in a delayed national election taking place against the backdrop of war and famine in the northern Tigray region, as well as questions over the poll’s credibility.
It is the first electoral test for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, 44, who rose to power in 2018 championing a democratic revival in Africa’s second-most populous nation, and a break from its authoritarian past.
“This election is different,” said Milyon Gebregziabher, a 45-year-old travel agent voting in the center of the capital, Addis Ababa. “There are a number of parties to choose from. In the past there was just one, we did not have the luxury of choice.”
Photo: Reuters
Abiy, a Nobel Peace laureate who freed political prisoners, welcomed back exiles and ended a long cold war with neighboring Eritrea before sending troops to confront the dissident leadership of Tigray late last year, has promised the poll would be Ethiopia’s most competitive in history, free of the repression that marred previous ballots.
However, the specter of famine caused by the ongoing fighting in Tigray, and the failure to stage elections on schedule in about one-fifth of constituencies, means that promise is in doubt.
Polling began in Addis Ababa soon after the expected start time of 6am with voters wearing masks and wrapped in blankets against the chill.
Electoral officials in purple vests sprayed voters’ hands with sanitizer before checking their IDs against the register.
“I believe this election will shine a light of democracy on Ethiopia,” said Yordanos Berhanu, a 26-year-old accountant at the head of a line of hundreds.
“As a young Ethiopian, I [have] hope for the future of my country and believe voting is part of that,” she said before slipping her ballot papers into a purple plastic box for the national vote and a light green one for the regional election.
In Bahir Dar, capital of the northwestern Amhara region which neighbors Tigray, voters said that peace and economic growth were the priorities.
“No matter who wins, we want peace,” 25-year-old jobseeker Mirkuz Gashaw said.
“As a citizen, I hope our country prospers and grows,” said first-time voter Etsubdink Sisay, 18, who lined up with her mother.
Once the votes are counted, national lawmakers elect the prime minister, who is head of government, as well as the president, a largely ceremonial role.
Abiy’s ruling Prosperity Party has fielded the most candidates for the national parliamentary race, and is the firm favorite to win a majority and form the next government.
Security was ramped up for the election, with police marching in force in Addis Ababa over the weekend, and reinforcements deployed nationwide.
The election was twice delayed — once for the COVID-19 pandemic and again to allow more time to organize the ballot across a huge nation.
About 38 million Ethiopians are registered to vote, but polls are not going ahead in close to one-fifth of the nation’s 547 constituencies, with some areas deemed too insecure — plagued by armed insurgencies and ethnic violence — while in others logistical setbacks made arranging a vote in time impossible.
A second batch of voting is to take place on Sept. 6 to accommodate many of the districts not taking part yesterday, but there is no election date set for Tigray, where UN agencies say 350,000 people face famine conditions and atrocities have been documented.
The northernmost region represents 38 seats in the national parliament and has been governed by an interim administration since November last year, when Abiy sent troops into Tigray, promising a swift campaign to oust its ruling party.
Seven months later the conflict drags on, damaging Abiy’s standing as a peacemaker and overshadowing a vote meant to broadcast his nation’s democratic intent.
Vote counting was due to start soon after polls closed, but the results are not expected for days.
Concerns about credibility have been raised, with traditional ally the US saying that excluding so many voters risked confidence in the process.
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