ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA — Millions of Ethiopian citizens began casting their ballots on Monday as the country officially launched its seventh General Election, marking a major milestone in the nation’s political journey. The nationwide democratic exercise is being closely monitored both domestically and globally due to Ethiopia’s substantial regional influence, demographic scale, and growing geopolitical importance across the African continent.
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed cast his ballot in his hometown of Beshasha, joining millions of citizens participating in the vote. The Prime Minister’s active participation highlighted the importance of civic engagement and emphasized the central role of the ballot box in defining the country’s future political landscape.
The scale of this nationwide election is reflected in its historically high operational figures. More than 54 million registered voters are eligible to participate in the process. Citizens are choosing representatives for a new federal parliament as well as members for nine regional state councils. The newly elected federal parliament will subsequently fulfill the critical institutional role of forming the next federal government and establishing the country’s development trajectory for the coming years.
Voting stations opened precisely at 6:00 a.m. across the country, with long queues of citizens forming early in the morning. Voters are selecting representatives from a pool of 42 registered political parties. In total, more than 10,000 candidates are actively competing for public office across approximately 52,000 polling stations established nationwide to guarantee broad voter access.
To facilitate an electoral exercise of this magnitude, a comprehensive network of election officials, security personnel, observers, and local polling staff has been deployed across every region. International observers are actively monitoring the voting process on the ground, while a wide array of local and global media outlets are providing extensive coverage of the unfolding events. Political analysts describe the election as a foundational institutional process that will directly shape the country’s governance, stability, and economic development plans in the years ahead.
source: Ethiopian News Agency (ENA)
