Polling for Ethiopia’s third federal and regional parliamentary elections proceeded peacefully throughout the country yesterday, as an estimated 90% of the electorate turned out to vote. Foreign observers welcomed the massive queues as a sign of people’s faith in Ethiopia’s polls, described by former US President and election observer Jimmy Carter, "as good as any we have seen."

Over the course of election day there were some complaints from some polling stations of delays in the process, due to the large voter turnout and a shortage of voter-marking ink, although additional booths were set up in crowded stations to speed up the process and supplies were provided from neighbouring polling stations.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia also reassured voters that while the polls closed at 6pm, anyone still remaining in the queues inside and outside the polling station at that time would be allowed to vote, after having patiently waited at the crowded stations to cast their ballot.

The Chief European Union election monitor, Ana Gomes, called the election a “victory for democracy and a credit to all parties who participated.” The EU Election Observation Mission will be making an official statement on the overall election process on Tuesday.

Results have started coming in from the 31,000 polling stations from across the nation. More information will be posted as and when we get it.

ENDS