Seventh General Election Peaceful, Orderly and Transparent, Says EWLA

Addis Ababa, June 21, 2026 (ENA) —The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association has reaffirmed that Ethiopia’s Seventh General Election, held on June 1, 2026, was conducted in a peaceful, orderly, transparent, and inclusive manner.

Speaking at the official election results announcement ceremony organized by the National Election Board of Ethiopia today, EWLA Executive Director Hiberet Abahoy said the election was free, fair, and peaceful in the areas observed by the association.

Hiberet noted that EWLA implemented extensive election observation and protection measures throughout the electoral process to promote women’s participation and safeguard their rights.

“We successfully carried out our planned activities to prevent violence against women during the election period and to create a safe environment where women could exercise their democratic rights without fear,” she said.

According to the Executive Director, EWLA monitored the electoral process at 136 polling stations across the country and found that voting was conducted in a free, peaceful, orderly, and transparent manner.

She stated that voter turnout was encouraging and that the calm and secure environment enabled women to participate confidently in the election process and freely exercise their democratic rights.

Hiberet further emphasized that the orderly conduct of the election and the active participation of women reflected meaningful progress toward a more inclusive, credible, and representative democratic process.

She added that EWLA worked closely with government institutions, civil society organizations, development partners, and other stakeholders to ensure that women were able to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights without intimidation or discrimination throughout the election period.

Commending the efforts of NEBE, Hiberet said the measures undertaken by the Board from the pre-election period through polling day were encouraging and contributed significantly to enhancing women’s safety, participation, and confidence in the electoral process.

As part of its election observation mission, EWLA monitored 136 polling stations nationwide on election day. The association’s findings indicated that a significant number of women cast their votes for political parties they believed would best safeguard their security, wellbeing, and interests.

The observation report also revealed that 92.5 percent of the polling stations observed were accessible to pregnant women, nursing mothers, older persons, and people with disabilities, demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusivity and equal participation.

Hiberet underscored that the successful conduct of the Seventh General Election was made possible through the coordinated efforts of civil society organizations, development partners, government institutions, election officials, and other stakeholders.

“The success of the election demonstrates the importance of collaboration among all actors involved in the democratic process,” she said.

She concluded by stressing that continued cooperation among stakeholders will be essential to further strengthening Ethiopia’s democratic institutions and promoting inclusive participation in future elections.