Abiy Ahmed's Challenged Victory
Abiy Ahmed Secures Landslide Re-election in Ethiopia, Facing Unrest and Criticisms
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Key Points
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Election commission chair Melatwork Hailu said the election was held in 501 of 547 constituencies, with about 40 million people voting out of 54 million registered voters—while 143 polling stations failed to open due to security concerns.
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Bluewin reported voter turnout at 94% and said results were originally supposed to be announced by June 11.
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In Amhara and Oromia, voting was blocked by specific armed groups: Fano militias in Amhara and the proscribed Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) in Oromia, both of which rejected the election and its results.
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Northern Tigray was not only excluded from the vote, but described as comprising six million people across 36 constituencies; it was also excluded for the second consecutive parliamentary election (having been left out in 2021), with local and federal tensions raising fears of a renewed conflict.
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On opposition participation details, Daily Sun reported the Prosperity Party was unopposed in 64 constituencies, and that the best-represented challenger party, Ezema, fielded 293 candidates compared with the PP’s 461.
Ethiopia's ruling Prosperity Party has won a landslide victory in the June 1 parliamentary elections, securing 438 of 501 contested seats — nearly 90% of the total. Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is expected to be sworn in for another five-year term in early October after the new parliament convenes, The Star reported.
The vote was held in 501 of 547 constituencies. About 40 million of Ethiopia's 54 million registered voters cast ballots, according to Journal News. But 143 polling stations never opened, armed groups blocked voting in two major regions, and six million people in northern Tigray were shut out entirely.
Armed Groups Shut Down Voting Across Two Regions
In the Amhara region, Fano militias blocked polling stations. In Oromia, the Oromo Liberation Army — which the federal government has labeled a terrorist group — did the same. Both groups rejected the election outright. The OLA claimed "no true election can occur while Oromia is under military occupation." Together, they forced 143 stations to stay closed on election day, Daily Sun reported.
Northern Tigray was excluded altogether — for the second consecutive national election. The region holds six million people across 36 constituencies. It was left out of the 2021 vote during the civil war, and federal-regional tensions kept it out again this time. Analysts warn the exclusion raises fresh fears of renewed conflict in the north, according to Winnipeg Free Press.
Opposition Too Weak to Mount a Real Challenge
The Prosperity Party ran unopposed in 64 constituencies. Its strongest challenger, Ezema, fielded just 293 candidates compared to the PP's 461, according to Daily Sun. That left huge parts of the country with no real electoral contest. Ezema leader Berhanu Nega faced internal criticism after his party failed to make a meaningful dent in the PP's dominance.
The election board's chair, Melatwork Hailu, said the vote was "largely successful" despite the disruptions. She pointed to the high turnout — reported at 94% by Bluewin — as proof of public demand for democracy. Critics called that figure "statistically suspicious" given the active conflicts across multiple regions.
Abiy Claims a Mandate, But Security Threats Loom Large
Abiy hailed the result as a "mandate for unity and progress." His 438-seat majority gives the Prosperity Party the power to pass constitutional changes with ease. Analysts say that could allow Abiy to push Ethiopia away from its ethnic-federal structure toward a more centralized system of government, according to South China Morning Post.
With both Fano and the OLA rejecting the results, security analysts expect military pressure to intensify in Amhara and Oromia. At the same time, the exclusion of Tigray keeps foreign investment risk high. Some economists argue the strong majority at least gives Abiy a stable hand to negotiate with international lenders like the IMF as Ethiopia works through a serious debt crisis, Dayton Daily News reported.
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