Lawmakers in Ethiopia have voted to keep Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed in power beyond his current mandate which is meant to end in September.

What This Means for Ethiopia

This move comes after elections planned for August were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Polls will now be held after health authorities determine that it is safe to do so. This is in line with the recommendations submitted by the Council of Constitutional Inquiry, which states that “elections are to be held nine to 12 months after the coronavirus is deemed not to be a public health concern.”

“Not to Be a Collaborator”

On Monday, Keria Ibrahim, Speaker of the House of Federation and a top official in the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF) resigned from her position in protest of this decision. “I can’t be an accomplice when the constitution is being violated, and a dictatorial government is being formed. I have resigned not to be collaborator with such a historical mistake,” she said in a statement.

A Resounding No

Other opposition voices have also pushed back on what they describe as an ‘illegal extension of government.’ The Oromo Federalist Congress and the Oromo Liberation Front, have issued a joint statement rejecting this decision and have warned that violence may arise.

“We would like to express our concern that large-scale mass uprisings which could transform into violence may arise, and this will not only take us back to square one, it will also be difficult to contain for a government already dealing with multiple socioeconomic and public health challenges,” the parties said.

Bottomline for Ethiopia

Ethiopia’s election appears to not only be a casualty of the COVID-19 pandemic but of blooming authoritarianism. In a recent report, Amnesty International documents how security forces under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed continue to commit grave human rights violations, including extrajudicial executions and torture, arbitrary detentions of thousands of people, and the forcible evictions of dozens of families from their homes particularly in the Amhara and Oromia regions.

The extension of the Prime Minister’s term holds no constitutional backing and raises questions about the state of democracy in Ethiopia. Calls for a caretaker or transitional government that will guide the country towards elections have been reportedly turned down by the Mr. Ahmed. This could result in grave political instability, widespread violence and open confrontation with government.

Coronavirus in Ethiopia

In comparison to other African countries like Nigeria, the outbreak in Ethiopia is relatively low, with 2,506 cases and 35 deaths as of June 10, 2020.