EPRP Demands Media Protections, Release Of Prisoners Ahead Of National Elections | The Reporter Ethiopia

The Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP) is demanding an immediate end to hostilities and the commencement of genuine government negotiations with armed groups to safeguard the integrity of the upcoming national elections.

The party specifically highlights the escalating pressure on the press, noting that journalists currently face significant hurdles that prevent transparent reporting on the country’s volatile political landscape.

To ensure a truly democratic process, the EPRP insists on the unconditional release of all political prisoners and the presence of international observers to prevent the election from becoming “a joke.”

Abraham Haimanot, president of the EPRP, outlined these demands during an interview with The Reporterfollowing the party’s recent call for public protests across major cities.

In his remarks, Abraham emphasized that the country stands at a critical crossroads, arguing that the government’s willingness to release detainees and engage in dialogue will serve as the primary litmus test for its commitment to a peaceful transition.

He asserts that while the party remains involved in the electoral process for now, its future participation hinges on the state’s ability to create a conducive and free environment for all political actors.

According to Abraham, the planned demonstrations aim to pressure the administration into addressing deep-seated systemic crises before the polls open. By mobilizing citizens in a peaceful struggle, Abraham said that his party seeks to prevent a “total national collapse”.

“The main objective of the demonstration is, primarily, for the war to stop and for the government to come to the negotiation table,” he told The Reporteradding that the government should be committed to genuine negotiations.

In a latest statement issued on April 8, the EPRP accused the government of using the upcoming national election as leverage to prolong its term in power, warning that the act will cause the existing system of oppression to continue.

The party warns that the current political environment, characterized by the systematic suppression of independent media and the ongoing detention of activists, makes a credible election impossible.

According to the party’s statement, media and democratic institutions have fallen under intense government pressure, transforming into “praisers of a single entity” rather than objective observers of the truth.

It added the lack of international oversight and the exclusion of key regions, including Tigray, Amhara, and parts of Oromia, threaten the very foundations of national unity. According to the statement, citizens in these regions are being lashed by war and lack representation, rendering any upcoming poll undemocratic and unfair.

EPRP is mobilizing protests across ten major cities, including Addis Ababa, Mekelle, and Bahir Dar, on May 8, 2026, according to the statement.