Oh dear. This wasn’t a great outcome for Prime Minister Abiy. He will almost certainly (why say almost?) win a massive victory. After all, he controls Addis Ababa and some urban centres.
However:
- Many opposition parties were banned, sidelined, or substituted by government fakes
- Voting did not take place in large areas of the country, including Tigray and rural areas of Amhara and Oromia
- The media (Ethiopian and international) were severely constrained or intimidated
- The electronic voting system failed leaving many unable to vote
- There was evidence of ballot box stuffing by Prosperity Party cadres
As an Ethiopian friend told me: “There is no public appetite for an election that everyone knows who will win. Multiple videos have been circulating showing election supervisors filling out votes in bulk.”
Another friend explained to me how even in Addis voters were kept waiting long into the night as the electronic voting system did not work.
So why bother? The “democratic mandate” PM Abiy will have won keeps the international community satisfied, even if most of them have a fairly good idea of how it was obtained.
Martin Plaut 
Dear Mr. Plaut,
Thank you for this important update.
I have never witnessed an election as deeply flawed and discredited as this one in the history of our country, not even during the era of the military dictatorship under the Derg. I say this as someone who grew up and observed “elections” during those years in one of the most remote parts of what is now the Amhara Region, then known as Wollo Kifle Hager.
I recently spoke with my younger brother, who resides in one of the woreda towns in Amhara region. According to him, it is the only kebele (lowest administration in the government structure) currently under government control, individuals were reportedly issued multiple voter registration cards, with some possessing as many as ten cards per person. He also told me that he had received the fewest cards(five) compared to his colleagues. More troubling still, these cards were allegedly kept in the hands of local officials rather than the voters themselves.
Even more astonishing are reports that ballot papers had already been marked and transported to the zonal capital, Dessie, before the official election date. Such practices completely undermine the credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process.
Never before have I seen such a shameful mockery of an election. Unfortunately, I am also aware that the international community often turns a deaf ear to the grievances of marginalized and suffering populations, mainly for the Amhara poor. As a result, despite these serious irregularities, the election results will likely be recognized regardless of the circumstances under which they were obtained.
I strongly ask your team to keep my contact and name confidential as I am living in Ethiopia and for the sake of my family’s safety.
I highly appreciate the dedication you and your team have following Ethiopia’s situation.
Best Regards,