The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that voting will not be held in eight of the 138 constituencies in the Amhara region in the parliamentary elections scheduled for June 1.Elections will also not take place in the 38 constituencies of the Tigray regional state at the same time as in other parts of the country.

NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said in a press briefing on Tuesday that a total of 46 constituencies in the Amhara and Tigray regions will not participate in the elections. She said voting will not be held in eight constituencies in the Amhara region and in 38 constituencies in the Tigray region. The affected constituencies in the Amhara region are located in South and West Gondar, Ambassel, and Dega Damot. She said voting in those areas would be held at a later date, without giving a specific timeframe.

Although 48 opposition parties have registered to take part in the election, six parties will not compete in the seventh national election, she said. Three parties excluded from the race in the Tigray region are Simret, Kanchi Haqi, and Tinsae Seb’a Enderta, while the remaining parties are the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), the Sidama Federalist Party (Sifepa), and the Gambella Peoples’ Liberation Movement (GPLM).

NEBE has registered more than 10,400 candidates for the general election, drawn from various political parties and independent contenders competing at both federal and regional levels. Eighty candidates were excluded for failing to meet all requirements. The Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), which had 309 candidates registered and certified, was later excluded from the race following a court ruling.
The campaign unfolded under considerable strain across several Ethiopian regions grappling with insecurity and conflict. Against this backdrop, some opposition parties contend that conditions are not yet in place for the election to proceed safely and peacefully. Regional actors are also dealing with ongoing violent insurgencies, including the group Fano, which has threatened to disrupt voting in the Amhara region.

The Prosperity Party holds a strong supermajority in the House of Representatives, with over 80% of the seats. It also controls major state media outlets, which have largely been used to support the campaign of the head of government, who has been in power for eight years.