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The Ethiopian Parliament today approved the recommendation made by the Ministry of Health to hold general elections within one year.
The Ethiopian Ministry of Health made the recommendation to lawmakers last week. The ministry indicated that the country can hold its general elections by taking cautious measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Ethiopia was supposed to hold its general elections last May. But due to the outbreak of the global pandemic, the coronavirus, the National Electoral Board was forced to suspend its electoral preparations last April.
During the parliamentary session this morning, some members of Parliament expressed concern about holding elections before fully restoring peace in all parts of the country.
Parliamentarians said that some areas of the country are still unsafe and it is difficult to freely campaign for elections, citing as an example the recent politically orchestrated deadly violence and displacement in some cities in Oromia and the Benishangul Gumz region of Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, the majority of the deputies voted in favor of holding the general elections this year and urged the government to restore the rule of law in all parts of the country and continue the ongoing dialogue with the different political parties. Now the National Electoral Board can begin anew to prepare to hold the fifth general election in a one-year period.
In a related development, Parliament also approved today the appointment of 40 high court judges, the recently appointed Defense Minister Kene’a Yadeta (PhD), Mines Minister Takele Uma (former Addis Ababa mayor), Attorney General Gedion Timotios (Dr.), Samuel Urkato, Minister of Science and Higher Education, as well as 50 first instance judges.
