Voting in parts of the Amhara and Oromia regions was suspended during Monday’s general election due to security concerns, the National Election Board of Ethiopia said.

While more than 50,000 polling stations were operating nationwide, 143 did not open because of security-related issues, the board said. National Election Board Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said at a press briefing on Monday that voting in the seventh general election began on schedule at 50,188 polling stations across the country at 6 a.m. local time.

However, Melatwork said 695 polling stations did not open as scheduled, explaining that they eventually opened between 30 minutes and one hour late. She also said that 143 polling stations did not open at all due to security concerns. She added that voting was disrupted in some areas of the Amhara and Oromia regions after the process had already begun, due to security incidents.

The board chairperson said armed groups operating in parts of Amhara and Oromia regions blocked transport routes in an apparent effort to disrupt the election. She pointed out Bilonopa, Mekosachi, Qersa, and Kutaber as some of the localities where voting was disrupted after polling had already gotten underway. Previously, it was reported that voting did not take place in at least eight of Amhara’s 138 constituencies, as a militia known as Fano has taken control of swathes of the countryside.

In Central Ethiopia region, the Gurage Unity and Justice Party (GOGOT) said election observers were beaten and prevented from monitoring the vote in Wolkite constituency.

The party also said it witnessed ballot papers being carried and scattered in plastic bags. It added that it has filed a complaint with the National Election Board of Ethiopia, calling for the suspension of voting in the Wolkite constituency and demanding an urgent response.

GOGOT further said that in the Geta woreda, Gumur-1 constituency, its deployed observers and their families were subjected to intimidation and threats.