Ethiopian prime minister’s party easily wins parliamentary election | Elections News
Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party Secures Parliamentary Majority, Abiy Ahmed to Remain Prime Minister
By Al Jazeera Staff
Published: June 21, 2026
Ethiopia’s Prosperity Party has secured a decisive victory in the recent parliamentary elections, affirming Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s position as the country’s leader. This outcome had been anticipated, given the party’s campaign focused on its economic achievements and efforts to enhance food security in a nation grappling with recurrent famines.
Abiy, who rose to power in 2018 following widespread protests against the longstanding Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front coalition, established the Prosperity Party the following year. The party won over 90 percent of the seats in the last parliamentary elections held in 2021.
Initially praised for his reforms, including the release of journalists and political prisoners, as well as the lifting of restrictions on political parties, Abiy was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2019 for fostering peace with Eritrea. However, critics, including human rights advocates, now contend that his government has eroded those early gains, alleging the detention of journalists and the suppression of civil society.
Ethiopia has been plagued by violence in several ethnically defined regions, including Oromia, Abiy’s home region, and Amhara, where the Fano militia has gained control over parts of the countryside since 2023. A devastating civil war in the Tigray region from 2020 to 2022, which arose from a rift between Abiy and the Tigrayan political leadership, reportedly resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths.
While a peace agreement in 2022 was meant to end the Tigray conflict, tensions have resurfaced as the region’s main political party has attempted to reassert its influence, raising concerns about potential renewed unrest. Notably, no elections were conducted in Tigray, with the electoral board citing “unfavorable conditions.”
The Ethiopian government projects an economic growth rate exceeding 10 percent for 2026, positioning it among the fastest-growing economies on the African continent.
