The Ethiopian parliament has approved a new electoral bill ahead of its highly anticipated national polls slated to hold in 2020.
All Things Are New
Lawmakers convened in an “extraordinary” session to debate and pass the law, which has been under consideration since President Abiy came into power in April 2018.
Following the signing of this bill, a new head of the electoral board has also been inaugurated in the person of Birtukan Mideks and international partners.
The European Union has also pledged financial support for the electoral process. Additionally, the revised law of political parties registration and electoral ethics has been adopted unanimously by Ethiopia’s parliament.
Nothing Here For The Women
A privately-owned Addis Broadcasting Corporation added that a proposed clause meant to boost the involvement of women in the country’s political space was dismissed by the lawmakers. The concerned clause sought to give priority to women who received equal votes with men during the polls.
Polls Will Hold As Scheduled
The ruling coalition, the Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) has expressed its readiness to organise the polls on schedule. There have been speculations that it may not hold due to the current ethnic and civil unrest plaguing the country.
The EPRDF currently holds all seats in the parliament and, as a result of this, competing parties in the country have asked for the polls to be rescheduled, demanding for the reformation of electoral laws.
New Laws, Fresh Bans
The new electoral law has placed a ban on civil servants participating in politics. One of the main amendments raised the number of signatures required to register a national political party from 1,500 to 10,000. Regional parties will now need 4,000 signatures, up from 750. Late last week, 57 opposition parties said their proposed amendments to the bill were ignored by the ruling party. This makes it extremely difficult for non-partisan individuals to start political careers or contest in elections.
According to Africa News, analysts have expressed concern over rising insecurity which saw Ethiopia emerge the worst in the area of internal displacement due to conflicts.
Ethnic based clashes soiled Abiy’s first year in charge at a time when he was championing widespread political reforms.
