Controversy over new Ethiopian electoral law will fade

Subject

Reform of Ethiopia's electoral law.

Significance

The Joint Council of Political Parties, representing 107 opposition groups, warned on September 3 that they may boycott the planned May 2020 elections unless changes are made to new registration requirements for political parties under a revised electoral law. This came ten days after parliament, which is fully controlled by the ruling Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) coalition, unanimously approved the law. While the law seeks to arrest the extreme proliferation of political parties, it will result in the exclusion of existing and would-be parties.

Impacts

• Fewer registered parties would reduce the already significant logistical burden of organising the elections.
• Efforts to transform the EPRDF into a single, unified national party will face internal resistance, notably from Tigray.
• The salience of identity politics for most parties may hinder pre-electoral coalition building, but pragmatic alliances could form later.