The campaign for Ethiopia's June 1st parliamentary elections has officially begun. The vote will pit the opposition EZEMA party against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed's Prosperity Party, against a backdrop of persistent armed violence and political restrictions.
The main opposition party, the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (EZEMA), launched its election campaign in Addis Ababa. Its leadership is promoting a political platform based on citizenship, in contrast to the ethno-linguistic dynamics that have traditionally structured Ethiopian political life. The party also advocates for democratic federalism and emphasizes the need to strengthen social justice.
The election will pit EZEMA against the Prosperity Party, which has been in power since 2019 and is led by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who has been in office since 2018. In the 2021 parliamentary elections, the ruling party won 485 of the 502 seats in competition.
On the ground, EZEMA also seeks to distinguish itself by the place given to women, with a high number of female candidates in the legislative and local elections in Addis Ababa, as well as positions of responsibility within its structure.
Despite this organization, the opposition remains largely weakened. Twenty-three parties are registered for the election, but most are considered close to the government or have little political autonomy. Several opposition figures are not actively participating in the campaign: some are in exile, others are in hiding, according to observers.
The electoral environment remains marked by security tensions in several regions. Insurgencies have been reported, particularly in the Oromia and Amhara regions. In Amhara, 30 out of 137 constituencies saw the vote annulled. The armed group Fano declared that it would consider participating voters complicit and threatened armed action.
The electoral authority has indicated that voting will not take place in the Tigray region, where approximately one million people have been displaced as a result of the civil war. The Tigray People's Liberation Front remains at odds with the federal government.
