Africa-Press – Ethiopia. October 23, 2025 5 minutes read Addis Abeba – The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has proposed 1 June 2026 as the date for the country’s 7th general election, and held a consultative meeting with political party leaders on 20 October 2025. While the Board said the schedule remains open for revision pending further discussions, opposition parties voiced concern over the prevailing security situation and shrinking political space, questioning the feasibility of holding a credible election under current conditions.
A senior political party leader who took part in the Board’s consultation informed Addis Standard that the National Election Board of Ethiopia announced election activities are scheduled to begin on 30 October 2025, with election day set for 1 June 2026. The draft timetable, the source said, outlines key pre-election activities leading up to the announcement of the final results.
According to the press release, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu stated in her opening remarks that the objective of the discussion was to incorporate key perspectives from political parties and ensure that their concerns are considered in a way that promotes transparency, fairness, and credibility, with the aim of reaching a common understanding.
Participants commended the preparatory electoral activities that the Board has already begun, noting efforts to make the upcoming national election more transparent, credible, and inclusive than previous ones. However, they also raised concerns related to peace and security, as well as to the requirement for candidates’ endorsement signatures.
In her closing remarks, the Chairperson addressed the issues raised and reaffirmed that the Board, which is mandated to conduct general elections every five years, will continue consultation meetings on all concerns expressed by the parties, in the presence of relevant government stakeholders. She also urged political parties to actively engage in voter education and other efforts that support a free and fair election.
The Board stated that it is currently working on several key initiatives, including the launch of additional regional offices, digital registration of polling stations (XY coordinate mapping), the development of a technology-based voter and candidate registration platform, and the recruitment of field trainers.
However, several opposition leaders expressed doubts about the feasibility of holding an election under the current national conditions.
In an interview with Addis Standard, Professor Merera Gudina, Chairperson of the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), said the conditions necessary for a fair, free, and credible election “simply do not exist.”
“For elections to be fair, free, and credible, two basic conditions must be fulfilled: a political space that allows a level playing field for competing parties, and the necessary security for them to campaign peacefully. Under the existing situation, both are non-existent across the country,” he said.
Professor Merera noted that five years ago, the OFC had 206 offices across Oromia, but now maintains only three – in Finfinne, Ambo, and Assela. “The fortune of all genuine opposition parties is no better,” he added. “In the three major regions – Oromia, Amhara, and Tigray – there is no security to field candidates, conduct campaigns, or protect ballot boxes. These regions constitute about 70 percent of the country’s population.”
He stressed that even if the government promises to provide security, “the OLA, Fano, and Tigraian forces must agree. Otherwise, you cannot campaign even in Sululta or Sebeta.” He also warned that under current conditions, it would be impossible to deploy both national and international observers, which are vital for ensuring the credibility and legitimacy of the election.
“In the nutshell, the existing Ethiopian condition favors bullets more than ballots,” he said. “Unless the government wants to play yet another joke in the name of elections, both security and political space are sine qua non for anything that resembles elections.”
Earlier in June, the Caucus of Ethiopian Opposition Parties, a coalition of six opposition groups including OFC, voiced strong objections, arguing that there are “no conducive conditions” for NEBE to conduct the 7th national election.
In a statement issued on 9 June, the Caucus accused NEBE of “partisanship” and “subservience to the ruling party,” alleging that the Board is proceeding with preparations while “on the verge of replacing three (60%) of its existing leadership.”
Regardless, President Taye Atske Selassie told lawmakers on 06 October that Ethiopia will hold the national election during the current fiscal year (June-July 2026).
The President made the announcement came during his 40-minute address outlining the government’s annual plan at the joint opening session of the 6th year term of the House of People’s Representatives and the 5th year term of the House of Federation this afternoon. A total of 511 members from both Houses attended the session.
A senior political party leader who participated in the Board’s consultation also informed Addis Standard that numerous issues were raised during the meeting, particularly regarding the lack of a conducive environment for holding elections.
He said about twelve key problems were presented by the participating parties, including “the country’s peace situation, the erosion of the rule of law, and the difficulty of movement for election-related activities.” He added that parties also raised concerns over “the influence of the ruling party on democratic institutions, particularly security, intelligence, courts, and police,” as well as the appointment of party-affiliated officials in leadership positions down to the Woreda (district) level.
“How can a credible democratic election be held under these circumstances?” he quoted participants as asking.
According to him, the NEBE responded that it had released an election timetable in line with its legal obligation. “We are carrying out our mandate,” Board representatives reportedly said. “The rest of the governmental bodies and institutions should work to create a conducive environment; we only do what concerns us.”
The political leader told Addis Standard that the temporary timetable presented by the Board begins implementation on 30 October 2025, with election day set for 01 June 2025. He added that the timeline might be revised through further consultations.
He described the reactions of participating parties as mixed – with some indicating readiness to participate, while others questioned the practicality of holding an election “when roads are closed, abductions are frequent, and many party offices remain shut.”
Ethiopia’s last general election, held in 2021, took place amid the war in the Tigray region and widespread insecurity in parts of Oromia and Benishangul-Gumuz, preventing voting in several constituencies. While the ruling Prosperity Party won an overwhelming majority, opposition groups and observers criticized the poll for lacking inclusivity, citing arrests of candidates, restricted political space, and limited media access.
The upcoming 7th General Election is expected to test Ethiopia’s political transition and institutional readiness, as peace and security concerns persist across key regions.
Furthermore, in July this year, the House of Peoples’ Representatives approved amendments to the Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties Registration, and Electoral Code of Conduct Proclamation, tabled by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).
However, the amendment, which introduced 26 new articles to the previous law, including a mandatory digital identification requirement for candidates, was met with criticism from several opposition parties.
In separate statement issued today, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced the launch of a mock debate among political parties ahead of the upcoming 7th general election. The launch came a day after the Board presented the draft election timetable to political parties.
In her opening remarks, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said the initiative aims to enhance the debating skills of political parties on key policy and programmatic issues. “This mock debate will position you to present your programs and policies effectively in the upcoming mainstream media debates that the Board will organize,” she stated.
According to the Board, the mock debate, which runs from 21 to 24 October 2025, follows a series of training sessions provided to political parties to strengthen their debating capacity. The NEBE prepared 16 different topics for the debates, with two to four parties engaging on each topic. At the end of each session, the remaining parties will cast a secret vote to determine the winner.
The Board noted that similar capacity-building trainings were held last year to help political parties improve their participation and contribute to the country’s democratic development.
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