The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has officially announced that elections for the upcoming 7th general elections will not be conducted in 46 constituencies across the Amhara and Tigray regions. This critical update was shared during a comprehensive press briefing detailing the pre-election preparations and voting schedules. The decision highlights ongoing administrative and logistical adjustments shaping the country’s upcoming electoral landscape.
In her detailed press statement, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu clarified that the suspension of voting heavily impacts constituencies in northern Ethiopia. Specifically, the directive excludes 8 constituencies in the Amhara region—notably including South Gondar, West Gondar, Ambasel, and Degadamot—alongside 38 separate constituencies located throughout the Tigray region. This structural adjustment significantly changes the geographical scope of the upcoming democratic process.
Alongside the constituency reductions, the electoral board revealed a narrowing field of political contestants after disqualifying six prominent parties from the race. Following these disqualifications, the total number of actively competing political parties has been reduced to just 42. This shift alters the competitive dynamics of the national ballot and concentrates voter choices among the remaining officially recognized political organizations.
According to the chairperson, the disqualified political groups represent both regional and national interests. Among those barred are three entities operating predominantly within the Tigray region: Simret, Qanchi Haqi, and the Tinsae Seb’an Enderta Party. The remaining three disqualified national organizations include the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP), the Sidama Federalist Party (SFP), and the Gambella Peoples’ Liberation Movement (GPLM). Additionally, the board rejected 80 individual candidates put forward by nine separate parties for failing to meet basic administrative criteria.
Addressing escalating friction with the opposition, Chairperson Melatwork Hailu directly answered complaints from the Ethiopian Social Democratic Party (ESDP) regarding the sudden removal of 309 of its candidates. She clarified that the board’s technical rejection of the 80 candidates was due to missing deadlines, whereas the ESDP’s 309 candidates were removed following a binding court ruling issued after they had already been registered and certified. The chairperson emphasized that these two legal scenarios are entirely unrelated, drawing a firm line between administrative errors and judicial mandates.