Sat 10 July 2021:
Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity party has been declared the winner of last month’s national election in a landslide, assuring a second term for Abiy Ahmed.
The vote was a test for Abiy, who came to power in April 2018 after the former prime minister resigned amid widespread protests. Abiy oversaw dramatic political reforms, but critics say he is backtracking from some promises on political and media freedoms.
He also has drawn intense international criticism for his handling of the conflict in the Tigray region has that left thousands of people dead.
Abiy hailed the June 21 vote as the country’s first free and fair election after decades of repressive rule. However, an opposition boycott, war in the northern region of Tigray, ethnic violence and logistical challenges in some areas overshadowed the election. Voting did not take place in three of Ethiopia’s 10 regions.
The leader of the main opposition Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party, Birhanu Nega, lost, while opposition parties won just 11 seats.
Abiy’s party won 410 of 436 parliamentary seats, election board deputy chairperson Woubshet Ayele announced in the capital Addis Ababa. Chairperson Birtukan Mideksa said the board had delivered a credible election.
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