Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Ethiopia will hold general elections on June 1, 2026, with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s governing Prosperity Party (PP) widely expected to secure a decisive victory.A fragmented opposition and violence in parts of the country could keep millions from voting.In the capital, Addis Ababa, the ruling party has closed major roads, including Meskel Square in the city centre, to stage large rallies for supporters, while opposition parties say they have been barred from holding comparable gatherings.Henok Gebre-Selassie, a 29-year-old contract courier at a government office, attended a large campaign rally this week after being transported from his workplace in the early hours of the morning, despite his strong misgivings about the administration. He said he felt he would be ostracised at work if he did not join colleagues who were pressured into attending out of concern for their public sector jobs.“This government has waged endless wars while famine remains a major challenge, and yet it is focused on building parks and skyscrapers, while pushing many of us to the outskirts of the city where infrastructure is still poor,” Henok said.Conflict shadows the voteEthiopia’s electoral board says more than 50 million people have registered to vote out of a population of at least 130 million, but critics dispute the figures, saying large parts of the country remain affected by conflicts in regions including Amhara and Oromia, as we …
