Ethiopia

Polls Open in Ethiopia for Seventh General Election

Is Ethiopia's election a milestone of democratic progress or a predetermined coronation dressed up as democracy?

Published JUN 1

Polls Open in Ethiopia for Seventh General Election

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Above: A voter casts her ballot at Shalla Park polling station in Addis Ababa, on June 1 during the 2026 Ethiopian parliamentary elections. Image credit: Marco Simoncelli/AFP/Getty Images

The Spin

Pro-government narrative

Ethiopia's seventh general election reflects eight years of real transformation — record coffee exports, 40 billion trees planted, double-digit economic growth and a historic peace deal with Eritrea. International media fixates on instability while ignoring measurable gains in infrastructure, digital inclusion and agricultural output. Regional and AU observer missions are on the ground, and the electoral board has registered 54 million voters through modernized digital systems.

Dawan Africa The Reporter Ethiopia ENA English The Jerusalem Post

Government-critical narrative

Ethiopia's election is a sham dressed up as democracy. Millions in Tigray, Amhara and Oromia remain shut out by conflict, while much of the opposition is either jailed or financially crippled. The Prosperity Party is running unopposed in dozens of constituencies, leaving little doubt about the outcome. Abiy Ahmed has traded his Nobel Peace Prize reputation for authoritarian entrenchment, and no observer mission can disguise what critics see as a predetermined coronation.