New Government Takes Shape as Ethiopia Opens New Parliamentary Term Today

Addis Ababa, October 5, 2026 (ENA)—Ethiopia is set to enter a new five-year political and institutional chapter this afternoon as the newly elected House of People’s  Representatives convenes, formally opening the new parliamentary term and setting in motion the constitutional process for forming the federal government.

The transition follows the June 1 Seventh General Election, one of the largest electoral exercises in Ethiopia’s history, in which more than 54  million citizens cast their ballots, according to the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).

The Board has confirmed a decisive victory for the ruling Prosperity Party.

The election brought together 42 political parties and 10,438 candidates, with the Prosperity Party securing a parliamentary majority and, under Article 56 of the Constitution, the mandate to organize and lead the federal government.

As the ballot box gives way to governance, however, the significance of the transition goes beyond the formation of a new cabinet.

The incoming administration is expected to translate the electoral mandate into functioning institutions, policies and national priorities while addressing some of Ethiopia’s longstanding political and social questions.

A central element of that agenda is the implementation of the outcomes of Ethiopia’s National Dialogue.

On October 3, the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission formally handed over its consolidated agenda items and recommendations to the House of Peoples’ Representatives, the Federal Government and regional governments. The process reached consensus across eight thematic pillars before moving to the harmonization and consolidation of recommendations.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said he attended and oversaw the formal handover, describing it as an important milestone in the country’s National Dialogue process.

The handover marks a significant shift from nationwide deliberation to institutional consideration and implementation of recommendations emerging from a process that brought together participants from diverse sections of Ethiopian society.

On his part, Chief Commissioner Professor Mesfin Araya said the dialogue demonstrated that Ethiopians can engage in civilized dialogue, bridge differences and build consensus around shared national concerns. He stressed that implementation is now the critical next step.

The recommendations therefore reach the incoming government at a consequential moment, placing alongside the responsibilities of governance the task of translating the outcomes of the national dialogue into concrete policies and institutional action.

Meanwhile, the institutional architecture of the incoming administration is taking shape.

The Council of Ministers has approved a draft proclamation defining the organization, powers and duties of federal executive organs and referred it to Parliament for consideration.

The proposed legislation is expected to establish the institutional framework for the new administrative term, while the formation of the cabinet will proceed through the constitutional process, with the Prime Minister submitting ministerial nominees to the House of Peoples’ Representatives for approval.

Several senior institutional appointments have already signaled changes accompanying the transition.

Former Irrigation and Lowlands Minister Abraham Belay was appointed Commissioner of the Ethiopian Nuclear Energy Commission on September 14, while former Urban and Infrastructure Minister Chaltu Sani was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Housing Corporation on September 28.

The opening of the new Parliament, therefore, marks more than the beginning of another legislative term.

It is the point at which Ethiopia’s electoral process moves into a new phase of executive governance—bringing together a fresh parliamentary mandate, a new institutional framework and the recommendations of a national dialogue aimed at addressing some of the country’s most persistent differences.

The immediate task for the incoming administration will be to turn these parallel processes—election, institution-building and national dialogue—into effective governance, implementation and tangible national outcomes.