Voting was held in Ethiopia on Monday for parliamentary and regional elections, expected to give Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s ruling Prosperity Party a decisive win, despite widespread unrest across the country.

More than 50 million people were registered to vote, but there was no election in the northern Tigray region, where organisers had cited "unfavourable conditions" in the aftermath of a two-year civil war and amid continuing political turmoil, News.Az reports, citing France24.

Abiy, ​whose party has campaigned ‌on the government's economic record, said there would be more progress to come as he cast his ballot in his hometown ⁠of Beshasha in the Oromiya region.

"The Ethiopian people have demonstrated that they do not need anyone to advise or lecture them in order to build their state and establish a democratic system," he said. "These next five years will be ‌a period where we see many historic turning points for Ethiopia."

The head of the African Union Election Observation Mission, former Kenyan President ⁠Uhuru Kenyatta, said voting was progressing smoothly.

Melatwork Hailu, chairperson of the election board, said 143 polling stations did not open at all due to security reasons.

“In some constituencies of Amhara and Oromiya, voting was interrupted due to security problems,” she said, without giving more details.

Abiy was appointed in ​2018 following mass protests against the long-ruling EPRDF coalition. His Prosperity Party won 410 out of 484 seats in parliament in ‌elections in 2021.

Prosperity Party candidates have touted improved food security and strong economic growth in Africa's second-most populous country that officials project will top 10% in 2026, one of the fastest rates on the continent.

Nearly half of Ethiopia's 135 million population is under 18.

News.Az 

By Ulviyya Salmanli