Electoral Board Rejects Tigray Region’s Poll Request
ADDIS ABABA – Election board has rejected Tigray region request to hold the national election which has been delayed at the national level due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier this month, the region announced it would proceed with elections, ignoring the electoral board’s postponement of nationwide balloting and placing its administration on a collision course with the federal government.
In a statement issued today, the Ethiopian National election board confirmed that it has received a request from the region to hold the election as per the previous schedule.
The regional state also requested the board to accept its decision and make the necessary preparation, including manpower and logistics, to conduct the elections.
The board, however, replied to the request saying it will not conduct the election in any part of the country until a re-assessment of COVID-19 pandemic, which caused the 6th general election to be postponed, is made and favorable conditions are created to hold polls.
The board also rejected the request stating that “it has no legal ground to deploy manpower and provide logistics and other materials support for the election”.
National elections, which had been scheduled for August, were postponed in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The vote is expected to be between 9 to a year. Earlier this month, lawmakers whose mandate was set to end in October voted to extend their and regional council’s terms until the poll takes place.
