Addis Ababa, May 29, 2026 (FMC) – Robust work has been done in creating a platform where political parties present their policy options to the public in the 7th General Election, said Melatwork Hailu, Chairwoman of the National Election Board of Ethiopia.
She noted that 47 competing political parties registered a total of 10,934 candidates for the 7th General Election and presented their policy options widely to the public through various media outlets.
According to her, the National Election Board of Ethiopia organized 19 rounds of debates, which were made accessible to the electorate through multiple media and digital platforms.
Ms. Melatwork Hailu stated that significant work had been carried out to establish a structured platform enabling political parties to present their policy options to the public in an organized manner throughout the electoral process.
She further explained that voters were provided with training on election campaigning and debate-related skills to support informed decision-making at the ballot box.
She also highlighted that data collection efforts aimed at assessing the differences and similarities among political parties’ policy alternatives were carefully conducted with the support of policy research scholars and professionals.
She added that, in order to enhance the effectiveness of the debate process, political parties engaged in a series of consultations with media and communication professionals, which resulted in a debate format that differed from traditional models.
She noted that the debates also created opportunities for higher education students and representatives of independent institutions to raise questions to political parties on various national issues.
According to Ms. Melatwork, this approach enabled political parties to better understand public needs through direct questions raised by participants and the audience.
She further explained that experienced media and communication professionals who served as debate facilitators provided continuous feedback to ensure fairness and impartiality throughout the process.
She added that competing parties in the 7th General Election were able to help voters gain sufficient understanding by clearly presenting their policy positions and program objectives.
Ms. Melatwork emphasized that citizens should reflect on their voting choices at home, while political parties should remain attentive to the conduct and overall atmosphere surrounding candidates during the election period.
She reaffirmed that the National Election Board of Ethiopia is working to ensure that the election process remains free, fair, credible, and independent.