ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA – The African Union has deployed a 73 member election observation mission to Ethiopia ahead of the country’s seventh general election scheduled for 1 June, as international scrutiny grows over a vote taking place amid ongoing conflict and political tensions.
The African Union Election Observation Mission will be led by Uhuru Kenyatta, the former Kenyan president, following an invitation from the Ethiopian government.
According to the AU, 61% of the observers are women and the delegation includes ambassadors accredited to the African Union, election officials, civil society representatives, human rights specialists, media experts and youth representatives drawn from 37 African countries.
Observers are expected to deploy across multiple regions to monitor polling day procedures, including the opening of voting stations, ballot casting, vote counting and tabulation processes.
The mission said its assessment would be guided by Ethiopia’s electoral laws alongside continental frameworks including the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance and the AU principles governing democratic elections in Africa.
The observer team is also expected to hold consultations with the National Election Board of Ethiopia, political parties, candidates, civil society organisations, media institutions and diplomatic representatives based in Addis Ababa.
Ethiopia’s election comes as authorities confirm voting will not take place in all constituencies in Tigray region and in eight constituencies in Amhara because of security concerns linked to ongoing conflict.
More than 50 million voters are registered for the election, with 42 political parties and over 10,400 candidates competing nationwide.
The AU mission said it will issue a preliminary assessment of the election on 3 June in Addis Ababa, while a final report is expected within two months after the vote.