Ethiopian Prime Minister's term extended as elections are delayed because of coronavirus

June 11, 2020 1:50 PM

Ethiopia’s upper house of parliament has decided to extend the Prime Minister and the government’s term in office because they cannot organise elections due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed

The Ethiopian electorates were to vote in August this year.

This would have been the first election held since Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed came to power in 2018. However, it has been postponed because of the pandemic.

The term of office for Ethiopia’s nine regional governments have also been extended in a binding ruling by the House of Federation.

The ruling suggested that after elections will be held within nine months and a year when the pandemic was no longer seen as a threat to the public.

The decision comes two days after the speaker of the upper house, Keriya Ibrahim, resigned. She accused the government of making unconstitutional attempts to stay in power.

The House of Federation also postponed a national census, which was due to be held this year - the third time it has been delayed.