Ethiopians Cast Their Votes as Government Hails Peaceful Conclusion of Historic 7th General Election

Addis ababa: The Ethiopian government has declared the country's 7th General Election a success, praising millions of citizens for their participation in what it described as a peaceful and historic democratic exercise.According to Ethiopian News Agency, in a statement issued on Tuesday, the Government Communication Service said Ethiopians had responded overwhelmingly to the call to participate in the election, helping to strengthen constitutional governance and the country's democratic institutions. "Ethiopians have voted, and Ethiopia has won," the statement declared, describing the election as another demonstration of the Ethiopian people's commitment to national causes and collective responsibility.Official figures indicate that more than 54 million citizens registered to vote in the nationwide election, which was held on June 1. Polling stations opened early in the morning across the country, with large numbers of voters forming long queues throughout the day and until midnight to cast their ballots.The government noted that many voters waited for hours to participate, calling the election one of the most significant displays of civic engagement in Ethiopia's electoral history. The election is Ethiopia's seventh national vote and comes as the country continues efforts to strengthen democratic governance and institutional reforms. More than 10,000 candidates representing dozens of political parties and independent contenders competed for seats in federal and regional legislative bodies.The Government Communication Service said the election reflected Ethiopia's determination to build what it called an Ethiopian democratic system through transparent elections and respect for constitutional order. The statement also acknowledged challenges and opposition to the electoral process, but said the election was conducted successfully due to the commitment of citizens and institutions involved in its organization.The government expressed gratitude to voters, security forces, election officials, observers, media organizations, and all stakeholders who contributed to the peaceful conduct of the polls. Earlier in the day, domestic election observers from the Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) reported that voting procedures were largely conducted in accordance with the country's electoral laws and regulations. The coalition deployed more than 3,100 observers across Ethiopia to monitor the process.The National Election Board of Ethiopia is expected to continue the vote-counting and verification process before announcing preliminary and final results in the coming days. The June 1 election has been widely viewed as one of Africa's largest democratic exercises this year, given Ethiopia's population size, geographic scale, and the number of registered voters participating in the process.