Board prepares to digitize national election
Following the call by the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed (PhD) to opposition parties residing outside the country to organize their struggles in a different form; the head of communication of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), Tesfalem Abay told The Reporter that none of the parties that have returned have appeared for the registration purposes.
There are numerous parties who have returned home to conduct their political activity in the country following the call by the government. We are also working with them so as to create an awareness regarding the registration process, the criteria to be registered as a political party, and other related matters in line with the existing political parties registration proclamation, Tesfalem further noted.
Though we are providing the relevant information and the criteria’s in which the parties need to fulfill before they appear to the board for registration. So far, among the returned parties, no one has approached the board to undertake the registration process and to obtain the license from the board, Tesfalem highlighted.
The leaders of some opposition parties who returned home have approached the board and presented their questions in order to understand the procedures and criteria’s of registration from the board. In this regard, the board has provided the information in line with the existing proclamation, Tesfalem said.
Apart from the number of members in the parties, based on the registration proclamation to establish a regional and national party; the founders of the parties should also be citizens of Ethiopia.
In a related news, the board is starting a preparation to digitalize the process of the upcoming national election. In this regard, a committee both from the board and Ministry of Science and Technology is established and is conducting a research on how to conduct the voter and candidate registration, result notification based on technologies, Tesfalem told The Reporter.
