Ethiopia Votes With Abiy's Party Expected to Dominate, and Two Regions Left Out

Ethiopia held elections in which the party of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed is widely expected to dominate, according to Al Jazeera. Voting did not take place in the northern Tigray region or in parts of the Amhara region because of insecurity, leaving a significant share of the population outside the process.

The exclusion of restive areas undercuts the credibility of a national vote and underscores how far Ethiopia remains from stability after years of conflict. Abiy's government has presented the election as a step toward consolidation, while critics point to the missing regions and a constrained political space.

Ethiopia is one of Africa's most populous countries and a major recipient of international financing, so its political trajectory affects regional security in the Horn of Africa and the calculations of lenders and investors weighing exposure to the country.