Addis ababa: The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Election Observation Mission has described Ethiopia's Seventh General Election, held on June 1, 2026, as peaceful and successful. The Mission commended the Ethiopian people, the government, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), and other electoral stakeholders for conducting an orderly electoral process.
According to Ethiopian News Agency, the mission's preliminary findings were presented at a press conference today by Head of the IGAD Election Observation Mission and former Ugandan Vice President Speciosa Wandira Kazibwe. She stated that the election marked an important milestone in Ethiopia's democratic and electoral development. Kazibwe noted that the election reflected a collective commitment to stability, constitutionalism, and democratic progress, demonstrating the impact of reforms aimed at improving election administration, inclusiveness, and credibility.
She emphasized that the IGAD mission was deployed to Ethiopia following an invitation from the Ethiopian government and NEBE, highlighting the country's commitment to transparency and regional cooperation. The observation mission consisted of 26 short-term observers from IGAD member states, with expertise in election management, governance, women and youth participation, and stakeholder engagement.
The mission reported that the electoral process benefited from several institutional and technological innovations, including digital voter and candidate registration, Geographic Information System (GIS) based polling station mapping, hybrid registration approaches, and special voting arrangements for internally displaced persons and members of the Ethiopian National Defense Force. A total of 54,057,861 voters were registered for the election, with women accounting for nearly 46 percent of registered voters.
The observers noted that NEBE successfully organized elections across 501 constituencies through about 52,000 polling stations, deploying more than 195,000 election officials. Voting generally proceeded smoothly, with properly sealed ballot boxes, available election materials, and orderly voter participation.
Positive practices highlighted by the mission included expanded voter education initiatives, broad stakeholder engagement, equitable media access through a transparent airtime lottery system, public lotteries for ballot symbols and candidate placement, and coordinated security arrangements involving political parties, civil society organizations, and security institutions.
To enhance future elections, the mission called for continued investment in digital electoral infrastructure, expanded capacity building for election officials, improved standardization of voter identification systems, and stronger cybersecurity and data protection measures. It also recommended broader civic and voter education programs, particularly in remote and underrepresented areas, while urging political parties to promote peaceful competition and resolve disputes through legal channels.
Furthermore, the mission encouraged policies to increase the participation of women and youth as candidates and leaders and called on security agencies, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to maintain neutrality, professionalism, and effective coordination in future electoral processes.
Concluding its preliminary assessment, the mission congratulated Ethiopia and all electoral stakeholders, stating that the election demonstrated a shared national commitment to stability, constitutionalism, and democratic progress while advancing the country's electoral modernization efforts. "The election observation mission commends the people of Ethiopia, the Government of Ethiopia, the National Election Board of Ethiopia, and other electoral actors for conducting successful elections and for their collective commitment to a peaceful electoral process," Kazibwe said.