ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Ethiopia’s governing Prosperity Party secured a commanding parliamentary majority after the June 1 election, final results released on Sunday showed.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party captured 438 of the 501 seats in the House of Representatives, the National Election Board of Ethiopia announced. The newly elected parliament is slated to meet in October to confirm Abiy’s nomination for another five‑year term.
The vote was overshadowed by a crackdown on dissent and heightened insecurity in the Oromia and Amhara regions, where 143 polling stations could not be opened, the election board reported. Clashes between the Fano militia and federal forces in Amhara, together with Oromo Liberation Army activity in Oromia, have driven the instability as the government attempts to disarm the armed groups.
Voter turnout reached 94%, with over 50 million of Ethiopia’s roughly 130 million citizens registered to cast ballots, according to the board.
The Tigray region, which suffered hundreds of thousands of deaths in the conflict between federal forces and regional factions, was once again excluded from the electoral process, leaving it without parliamentary representation and deepening its marginalisation. The area has been without federal seats for six consecutive years.
Election Board Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said on Sunday that the board upheld “institutional neutrality and carried out its duties strictly in line with the law and electoral guidelines, free from any interference.”
Observers from bodies including the African Union and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development were present, though largely limited to Addis Ababa, lending the vote a degree of international legitimacy. However, the missions faced criticism for not expanding their footprint across the broader nation.
The electoral process attracted criticism as many opposition figures were barred from running, while the government’s most outspoken critics have been imprisoned, forced into exile, or have vanished.
Candidates who entered the race reported that the election lacked freedom and fairness, describing an atmosphere pervaded by fear and intimidation.
Yitayal Assefa, a candidate for the All Ethiopia Unity Party who was defeated, told the Associated Press on Sunday that the government enjoyed an overwhelming advantage, with opposition members facing harassment and little prospect of success.
“My candidacy was not about victory but about asserting my voice and political ideals within the broader political landscape, contending against a government that is certain of its triumph, regardless of the outcome,” he said.
Merara Gudina, an Addis Ababa University professor and opposition figure who declined to take part, told the AP that the election was a “sham” and that the ruling party’s victory was predictable.
He warned that the outcome “will negatively affect the already deteriorating stability of the country.”
Abiy’s government faces accusations of human‑rights abuses targeting critics and journalists, even as the prime minister pledged democracy and peace in 2020.
Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for resolving a decades‑long border dispute with neighboring Eritrea, yet the two nations now find themselves at odds, with Addis Ababa alleging that Asmara backs rebel groups aimed at destabilising Ethiopia, while Eritrea claims that Ethiopia threatens to seize its seaport.
