Last day of campaigning in Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed predicts peaceful elections

Published on : 06/17/2021 – 10:34

His arrival to power in 2018 had brought a wind of change to Ethiopia. On the eve of the eagerly awaited elections – scheduled for June 21 – Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is mired in intercommunal violence and the war in Tigray.

In spite of these circumstances which complicated the preparation of the poll, the Prime Minister maintains his course and the banners of his party struck by a light bulb, symbolizing a bright future, are displayed in the streets of the capital Addis Ababa.

On the last day of the legislative and regional election campaign, Abiy Ahmed, Nobel Peace Prize laureate, on Wednesday hammered home his vision of a united, powerful and radiant Ethiopia, far from war and violence.

Legitimacy

Abiy Ahmed had chosen Jimma, the main town in his native Oromia region, for his last campaign rally. He was greeted there by a compact crowd from his descent from the plane to the stadium where he held his final speech, four days before the poll.

Alternating Afan Oromo, the regional language, and Amharic, the national language, the Prime Minister swept aside international concerns surrounding the vote and displayed his optimistic vision for the country.

These June 21 elections are crucial for him: after being appointed Prime Minister in 2018, he now intends to give his power popular legitimacy. His Prosperity Party is the big favorite.

Originally scheduled for August 2020, these elections have been postponed twice – due to the pandemic and then to organizational delays. They will however be held in a context of rare violence: the Tigray region is in the grip of famine after seven months of war and community conflicts plague the country.

Boycott

This election, presented as national, will not be able to be held in nearly a fifth of the country’s 547 constituencies. In 64 of them, it was postponed to September 6 for security or logistical reasons; in Tigray 38, where Abiy sent federal troops in November to remove dissident regional authorities, it was postponed sine die.

Some opposition parties, including two in the Oromia region, the largest and most populous in the country, are also boycotting the ballot.

With AFP