Addis Ababa, May 27 (IANS) Preparations have been finalised to ensure the conduct and integrity of Ethiopia’s general elections scheduled for June 1, the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has said.

Briefing the media, NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu said that the board has completed all necessary preparations and has entered the final phase to ensure the successful conduct of a free and peaceful election.

Data from the NEBE showed that over 50.5 million voters have registered to take part in the East African country’s upcoming seventh general election, while more than 52,000 polling stations have been established across the country.

Special arrangements have been made for internally displaced persons, members of the defense forces and students to ensure their participation in the electoral process, the board noted.

All workplaces in the country will be closed on June 1, with the exception of essential service providers, to facilitate a smooth process for voters to cast their votes, Hailu said.

As part of its broader preparation for the election, the NEBE had introduced the country’s first digital platform, aiming to modernise voter and candidate registration.

Voter registration, which began on March 7 and concluded on April 22, was conducted through a hybrid system that combined digital and in-person approaches.

More than 5.5 million voters were registered through the digital platform, while the majority completed their registration through in-person procedures.

According to the NEBE, women constitute 46 per cent of the registered voters, while men make up 54 percent.

As the country approaches the voting day on June 1, the ruling Prosperity Party (PP) and opposition parties are wrapping up their nationwide election campaign rallies.

On Tuesday, the PP held large-scale rallies and support programs across different parts of the country, including in the capital Addis Ababa, drawing tens of thousands of supporters under its motto, “Transforming Ethiopia into a Model Country.”

In the capital, the party held its main closing rally, attended by senior government officials, party leaders, candidates, and thousands of supporters.

Addressing the rally, Addis Ababa Mayor Adanech Abiebie defended the ruling party’s record in office, pointing to major infrastructure projects and urban transformation efforts underway in the capital as evidence of what she described as “results-driven leadership.”

She pledged that the party would intensify its development agenda if re-elected.

According to the NEBE, 47 political parties have registered their candidates, with more than 10,900 individuals contesting to secure seats in the Ethiopian House of Peoples’ Representatives (HoPR) and various regional councils.

During the upcoming general elections, voters will primarily elect their representatives for the HoPR, the lower chamber of parliament, as well as members for regional state councils.

In line with the Ethiopian constitution, the political party or coalition that secures the majority of seats in the HoPR forms a government and selects the prime minister, who holds the highest executive power in the country.

Briefing diplomats and representatives of international organisations based in Addis Ababa Monday on preparations for the upcoming general elections, Hailu, the NEBE chief, emphasized the country’s commitment to conducting a free and peaceful election.

Emphasising the importance of the upcoming election, Ethiopia’s State Minister of Foreign Affairs Berhanu Tsegaye told the briefing that the seventh general election is a continuation of a series of national elections that have played a crucial role in strengthening the East African country’s democratic system.

–IANS

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