Ethiopians vote in general, regional elections

SANAA, Jun. 21 (YPA) – Voters in Ethiopia will cast ballots on Monday in general and regional elections that Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed described as evidence of his commitment to democracy.

The 44-year-old prime minister has led sweeping political and economic reforms since his appointment by the ruling coalition in 2018.

Some human rights activists say that “the gains have been squandered, and they accuse the government of being involved in violations in the war in the Ethiopian province of Tigray.” The government denies the charges.

Abiy said last week that the vote would be “the first attempt at free and fair elections” in Ethiopia, whose economy has been battered by the coronavirus epidemic and conflict in Tigray, after it recorded rapid growth in the past.

The resonance of the election results may go beyond Ethiopia’s borders. The country in the Horn of Africa has diplomatic weight in the volatile region, has peacekeeping forces in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, and is one of the world’s most promising economies.

The newly established Welfare Party, headed by Abi al-Saqq, is leading in a crowded square with voters, mostly from smaller parties based on ethnicity. Party billboards adorn the capital, Addis Ababa.

Not all parties will participate in the vote. In Oromia, Ethiopia’s most populous province, the main opposition parties are boycotting the vote, “accusing regional security forces of intimidation”. Officials did not respond to calls for comment, according to Reuters.