House to Deliberate on Election 2020 Postponement

Addis Ababa, April 29/2020(ENA)The House of Peoples'Representatives (HPR), in its 15th regular session tomorrow, will discuss on recommendations of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on election 2020.

NEBE announced that it was forced to postpone the upcoming general elections scheduled to take place on August 2020 due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.

In its statement the board indicated that it cannot be able to conduct election preparation including observers and voters registration, among others under the pandemic

Stating that it conducted detailed assessment about the impact of COVID-19 on its operation, the board decided to drop the current electoral calendar and suspend elections operations.

NEBE, in a statement it issued last month, said there were many activities that needed to be completed in March.

After weighing different scenarios and consulting health officials as well as political parties, the board concluded that it is impossible to continue with the election as scheduled, the statement further elaborated.

Thus, NEBE had sent its decision to the House of Peoples’ Representatives, whose mandate will also terminate in September 2020.

The House is now expected to deliberate on the issue and refer it to the pertinent standing committee for further discussion.  

Elections around the world have been impacted by COVID-19, and forced many countries to postpone elections, including Ethiopia, Poland, South Korea, Serbia, Sri Lanka even the United States of America.