IGAD Election Observation Mission Confers with Electoral Board, Civil Society Ahead of Polls

Addis Ababa, May 29, 2026 — The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) has announced that its Election Observation Mission held consultations with the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) and Civil Society Organizations ahead of Ethiopia’s upcoming general election.

According to a social media post of the organisation, the head of the IGAD Election Observation Mission, Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe, said the mission conducted a series of consultative meetings with key electoral stakeholders and civil society representatives as part of its pre-election assessment activities.

She noted that the discussions focused on the overall election preparations, the role of stakeholders in ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process, and efforts being undertaken to strengthen democratic participation.

The discussions, which included leadership from the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the Ethiopian Women’s Federation, and the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations, focused on election preparedness, security, and ensuring a peaceful, inclusive, and credible democratic process.
According to a social media post by IGAD Secretariat, during the meeting with NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu, discussions focused on electoral preparedness, inclusivity, election security, dispute resolution, and result transmission. 
The Board also highlighted the use of the Mirchaye application for digital voter and candidate registration, as well as initiatives promoting women’s participation and addressing violence against women during elections.
Consultations with the Ethiopian Women’s Federation focused on women’s roles in governance and electoral processes. The Federation highlighted its peacebuilding and national dialogue efforts and informed the Mission that it has deployed over 10,000 trained women observers across the country.
Discussions with the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations centred on election preparedness, observer deployment, and the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in promoting peaceful, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.
The consultations form part of IGAD’s broader stakeholder engagement aimed at supporting democratic and credible electoral processes in Ethiopia.