The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced the dismissal of two election executives in Addis Ababa for engaging in unlawful activities during the seventh national general election. NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu disclosed the administrative action during a press briefing held on the evening of June 2, 2026, stating that the decision followed investigations by the board’s monitoring teams and tips received from various stakeholders.
In a related breach of electoral laws, the chairperson reported that election executives at a polling station in Burji were caught filling out ballot papers themselves. Consequently, the polling station was immediately shut down, and the voting process conducted at that specific location was entirely annulled. While specific details of the illicit acts were not elaborated, the board emphasized its swift intervention to safeguard the credibility of the election.
Providing an update on the post-voting phase, Melatwork noted that vote counting was still underway at more than 1,000 polling stations across Addis Ababa. Beyond the capital, counting processes had also not yet concluded in certain polling stations within the Sidama, Amhara, Somali, and Gambella regional states as of Tuesday evening.
The board attributed the delay in vote counting to the exceptionally long queues on election day, which extended voting hours past midnight in several locations. Conversely, the chairperson pointed out that the voting and counting processes in most other regions of the country had been successfully completed on schedule.
Among the prominent grievances addressed during the election process was the unauthorized presence of government administrative personnel in civilian clothing inside polling station perimeters. NEBE confirmed these reports through its monitoring experts and took immediate corrective action, ordering the individuals to cease their interference and vacate the premises.
Addressing complaints regarding political party agents being barred from entering polling stations as observers, the chairperson stated that the board resolved the issue promptly. Following the intervention, the restricted agents were permitted to re-enter and directly participate in monitoring the ongoing vote-counting process to ensure transparency.
Concluding her briefing, Melatwork declared that the 7th general election was completed peacefully and successfully. She assured the public that the final election results would be verified according to the law, with winners identified and officially announced within a minimum of 10 days and a maximum of 20 days. The board continues to receive feedback and complaints through its dedicated call center line, 6412.