Ethiopia’s 7th General Election Model for Africa, Says Indian Ambassador

Addis Ababa, June 15, 2026 (ENA) — Indian Ambassador to Ethiopia, Anil Kumar Rai, described Ethiopia’s Seventh General Election as a model for other African countries, citing strong voter participation, effective use of technology, and a peaceful democratic process.

In an exclusive interview with ENA, Ambassador Rai said the election demonstrated important progress in democratic participation and electoral management, adding that observer missions had assessed the conduct of the polls positively.

Ethiopia’s Seventh General Election, held on June 1, 2026, was observed by missions from the African Union (AU), the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), and the Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations Election Observation Coalition.

According to Ambassador Rai, the election reflected Ethiopia’s growing democratic maturity and commitment to broadening citizen participation in governance.

“The voter turnout has increased significantly compared to the previous election, largely due to the registration of a substantial number of new voters,” he said.

 

 

Recalling the political reforms introduced in recent years, Rai noted, “Let me take you back to when His Excellency Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed took charge; he mandated his party to reach out to the people and increase enrollment.”

The ambassador stated that the number of votes cast in this year’s election increased by 46 percent compared with the previous electoral cycle. He also highlighted the strong participation of women, noting that nearly 40 percent of registered voters were female.

“This is a huge achievement,” he said.

Rai further underscored the role of technology in improving electoral administration, pointing to digital voter registration systems and other innovations that enhanced the efficiency and transparency of the process.

According to him, international and regional observer missions also commended Ethiopia’s application of technology throughout the election.

“They have mentioned the way technology has been used for voter enrollment and various other electoral processes as commendable,” he stated.

The ambassador said observer missions viewed Ethiopia’s electoral experience as a valuable lesson for countries across the continent.

“They have mentioned that this is a role model for Africa,” he said.

Rai also stressed the importance of African institutions in assessing developments on the continent, noting that both the AU and IGAD deployed observer missions in line with their mandates.

“African issues should be dealt with by African leadership, and by mandate the African Union and IGAD have sent their observers,” he added.

The ambassador emphasized that elections should be evaluated within their broader context, based on findings presented by recognized observer missions, which he said had acknowledged the peaceful, credible, and democratic nature of Ethiopia’s electoral process.