Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party (PP) won a landslide victory in legislative polls held June 1, the election commission said Sunday, giving it almost 90 % of the seats.
Abiy has led Ethiopia since 2018, and is increasingly criticised for growing authoritarianism, in contrast to his early years when he won the Nobel Peace Prize for mending relations with neighbouring Eritrea.
The PP was considered the overwhelming favourite in the country of 130 mn, facing a divided opposition that did not field candidates in many constituencies.
The ruling Prosperity Party secured 438 of the 486 seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives, according to an AFP tally after results were announced by the chairperson of the National Elections Board (NEBE), Melatwork Hailu. The results account for roughly 90 % of the contested seats.
Elections were held in 501 of the 547 constituencies in the country, with roughly 40 mn people voting, NEBE said. A total of 54 mn voters were registered.
The commission said that 143 polling stations did not open on election day due to security concerns, adding voting was interrupted in several locations in Amhara and Oromia, without providing further details.
While more than 40 parties ran against the PP, most lacked financial backing and the PP was unopposed in 64 constituencies.
The best-represented party, Ezema, fielded only 293 candidates compared to the PP's 461.
Voters elect members of the House of Peoples' Representatives, who then choose the PM from among their members. That vote is expected sometime between end of September and October.
Northern Tigray, still recovering from a devastating 2020-22 conflict that claimed 600,000 lives, did not vote. Growing tensions between local and federal authorities have raised fears of a renewed conflict.
Both sides have deployed forces to the region's border, and accuse the other of planning a new offensive.
Polls were also not open in eight constituencies in Amhara, the second most populous region, where Fano nationalist militias — clashing with federal forces for over three years — had threatened to disrupt the electoral process.
ACLED, a conflict monitoring NGO, said that on polling day the Fano had "at least 90 clashes with security forces across the region".
In Oromia, the most populous region, another rebel group — the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) — also disrupted polls, attacking Orthodox Christians in the Arsi district.
At least 11 civilians — and possibly many more, according to witnesses who spoke with AFP — were killed in assaults over several days.
ACLED reported eight armed clashes between the OLA and federal forces.
The African Union said previously that the polls took place in a challenging security environment, particularly in parts of Oromia, Amhara and Tigray.
Critics say Ethiopia has never held truly free and fair elections, with those in power during elections always winning by a wide margin.
Since coming to power, Abiy has overseen fast growth thanks largely to a state-led construction boom and surging exports such as coffee.
However, the World Bank says Ethiopia remains dependent on international aid, and that 43 % of the population lives in poverty.
