Ethiopia’s ruling party, the Prosperity Party, has claimed a decisive victory in national elections held this week, with early results showing it winning 95 per cent of parliamentary seats. The outcome, widely expected, comes amid growing fears that the country could slide back into civil war. Opposition parties boycotted the vote, citing a lack of transparency and fears of state repression.
In the Tigray region, where a brutal two-year conflict ended only last year, turnout was negligible. Many residents said they were too afraid to vote. “The peace is only on paper,” said a teacher from the regional capital Mekelle, who asked not to be named.
“On the ground, we see soldiers everywhere and hear gunshots at night.” The government insists the elections were free and fair, but international observers were not allowed in. The United Nations has expressed concern that the result may deepen ethnic divisions.
For ordinary Ethiopians, the victory of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s party means little change. Inflation is running at over 30 per cent. Bread prices have more than doubled in a year.
A security guard in Addis Ababa told me his wages cannot cover food and rent. “We voted for peace last time,” he said. “Now we need to eat.
” The real test is not the ballot box but whether the government can deliver jobs, food and security to a nation exhausted by war.