Ethiopia Postpones Landmark Polls As Logistical Woes Pile Up

Addis Ababa, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 15th May, 2021 ) :The head of Ethiopia's election board said Saturday it would be impossible to hold parliamentary elections as planned on June 5, due to mounting logistical issues, without giving a new date.

When Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power three years ago, he promised to break from Ethiopia's authoritarian past and hold the most democratic elections the country has ever seen.

The elections had already been delayed from last August due to the coronavirus pandemic, and problems have only mounted since, with a conflict in the northern Tigray region and brutal ethnic violence in several areas.

"The vote will not happen on June 5 .

.. we can't tell you the date as the board has to examine the inputs it received from parties," said election board chairwoman Birtukan Mideksa.

She cited a plethora of logistical delays, such as finalising voter registration, training electoral staff, printing and distributing ballot papers.

"Practically, it became impossible to deliver all these at the originally slated dates."Mideksa said the new date would take into account the rainy season -- which runs from about June to September.

With just weeks to go to the election there had been few signs of campaigning, and several opposition parties planned to boycott the vote, describing it as a "farce".