EHRC Reports No Human Rights Violations in Ethiopia’s 7th General Election So Far

Addis Ababa, June 1, 2026 (FMC) — The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) says it has not observed any human rights violations so far during Ethiopia’s 7th General Election, as voting continues across the country.

Ethiopia is holding its 7th General Election, with more than 54 million registered voters participating in the process to elect representatives to the federal parliament and regional state councils. Polling stations nationwide opened at 6:00 a.m. as citizens cast their ballots across the country.

The Commission is conducting field monitoring of voting conditions and the protection of voters’ rights as part of its nationwide election observation mandate.

A monitoring team led by EHRC Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adelo visited polling stations in Arba Minch and Jimma to assess the conduct of the election on the ground.

Following the visits, Chief Commissioner Berhanu Adelo said voters were able to access polling stations without restriction, including men, women, and persons with disabilities.

He stated that, based on field observations so far, the electoral process has been conducted in line with applicable electoral and human rights standards.

The Commission further reported that the voting process has remained peaceful and orderly, with no human rights violations observed to date.

According to the Chief Commissioner, polling stations opened on schedule at 6:00 a.m., with voters and observers present as voting commenced.

The EHRC is monitoring the electoral process across 175 constituencies and more than 2,700 polling stations nationwide.

It also noted that election-related complaints are being tracked through a dedicated grievance monitoring system established for the process.

The Commission said it will continue monitoring both election-day activities and the post-election period as part of its mandate to oversee human rights conditions during national elections.