- Number of polling stations down by 9,000, council seats up 465
Election officials have designated a total of 40,448 polling stations for the upcoming national vote, 9,000 stations fewer than the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) designated for the 2021 polls despite the inclusion of constituencies in Tigray Regional State this time around.
The directory includes polling stations in parts of the country with ongoing security problems, such as western Oromia and the Amhara region, while the NEBE has also unveiled plans for electronic voting in more than 4,200 stations across the Harari, Sidama, and Central Ethiopia regional states.
Election officials have not provided an explanation for the low number of polling stations (compared to more than 49,400 in 2021).
Oromia will host the largest number of stations at close to 13,400, followed by Amhara (11,400), Somali (4,085), and Tigray (2,130). The newly formed Central Ethiopia region has the least number of stations at just 63.
The number of polling stations is not the only change to the electoral process. The vote will determine the representatives for an unchanged 547 seats in the House of Parliament, but voters will also be electing representatives in regional or city councils, the number of which has jumped by 465 since the 2021 vote.
The adjustment brings the total number of regional council seats in the country, including in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, to 2,916. The largest number of new council seats is in the South West Ethiopia Regional State (119) followed by South Ethiopia (70), Benishangul-Gumuz (66), and Afar (46).
Addis Ababa sees the addition of 20 new council seats.
While none of the 38 parliamentary constituencies in Tigray took part in the sixth national elections owing to the northern war, the NEBE’s directory includes polling stations in disputed areas under the Tigray regional administration.
This includes Alamata, SetitHumera, KaftaHumera, Wolkait, Tsegede, and Alamata, which are the subject of disputes with the neighboring Amhara region.
Despite regional officials in Tigray and residents of IrobWoreda repeatedly stating that the area is under the control of Eritrean forces, the woreda is included in the directory.
NEBE Chairperson MelateworkHailu recently told The Reporter that election officials do not foresee security problems as a threat to elections in any part of the country. However, a statement issued by the Board on Friday suggests officials could change their minds on the basis of “assessments.”
Last week also saw opposition political parties issue a joint statement highlighting that security issues in parts of the country are hindering their efforts to prepare for the seventh national election scheduled to take place in five months’ time.
