Ethiopia holds June elections as insecurity limits voting in Amhara and Tigray

Ethiopia election Prosperity Party Amhara insecurity Fano militia Tigray voting suspension

Ethiopians will vote on June 1 in parliamentary and regional elections, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s Prosperity Party expected to dominate. More than 50 million citizens are registered to vote for 547 seats in the House of People’s Representatives and regional representatives.

Voting will not take place in the northern Tigray region and will be suspended in at least eight constituencies in Amhara due to armed clashes. The Amhara region, home to 137 parliamentary seats, faces ongoing attacks by the Fano militia; ACLED recorded over 1,600 attacks this year, resulting in more than 4,800 deaths.

Local observers described a climate of fear and coercion. One voter said, “I will vote. I already have my voter card and I know who I will vote for,” while another noted the lack of campaign activity: “Those who will vote are mainly public‑sector employees or people dependent on the government.”

The elections come after a period of political opening, a 2019 Nobel Peace Prize for Abiy, and a 2022 peace deal that ended the Tigray civil war, but concerns persist about human‑rights abuses and the pursuit of Ethiopia’s “existential” goal of sea access.

Results are expected by June 11.