Ethiopian leader Abiy’s party set to dominate elections despite insecurity

Ethiopians will vote in parliamentary and regional elections on June 1, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party projected to win a majority amid widespread insecurity. The party secured 410 of 484 seats in the 2021 elections, but unrest persists in ethnically organized regions, including Oromiya and Amhara, where the Fano militia controls rural areas. A 2020-2022 civil war in Tigray, which killed hundreds of thousands, ended with a 2022 peace deal, but recent actions by Tigray’s ruling party risk renewed conflict. Voting will not occur in Tigray or eight Amhara constituencies due to unsafe conditions. The Prosperity Party faces a fragmented opposition weakened by internal divisions and government restrictions, including arrests of opposition leaders. The government denies suppressing political activity, citing legal compliance. Over 50 million of Ethiopia’s 120 million registered voters are eligible, with results expected by June 11. Abiy’s party campaigns on economic growth, projecting a 10% expansion by 2026, driven by liberalized trade policies. Critics, however, allege his administration has reversed earlier reforms by detaining journalists and shutting civil society groups. The UN, foreign governments, and rights groups have accused his military campaigns of atrocities, claims the government denies. Abiy’s 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for ending hostilities with Eritrea has soured, as tensions resurfaced over Ethiopia’s demand for sea access. Eritrea, independent since 1993, views the claims as a threat, though Abiy insists dialogue will resolve the issue. Reuters has been unable to report from Ethiopia since February, when the Media Authority revoked accreditation for its journalists.