The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia announced that it is extending political parties’ candidates registration timeline by four days.
The board in a statement said the extension came after Oromia, Benishangul-Gumuz, Gambella and Harari Regional States as well as Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa administrations had failed to open adequate candidates’ registration offices and failure of competing political parties to get their candidates registered in time.
Ethiopia will hold its parliamentary election on June 5 this year. The ruling Prosperity Party and more than 50 oppositions, largely ethnically-based political parties which seek more autonomy, are expected to take part in the election.
Africa’s second most populous nation with some 110 million citizens has a federal system and 10 regional governments, many of whom have border disputes or are experiencing unrest.
