Opposition Parties Reject “Unaudited” Digital Election System As National Vote Approaches

With the seventh national elections only months away, a coalition of opposition parties has issued a scathing critique of a newly implemented digital voter and candidate registration system, arguing it was launched without a meaningful technical audit by party leadership.

In a joint statement issued on January 23, 2026, eight opposition parties, including the Hibir Ethiopia Democratic Party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), and the Wolayta National Movement (WNM), expressed grave concerns regarding the National Election Board of Ethiopia’s (NEBE) neutrality.

The coalition blasts the board for uncoordinated increases in council seats and a lack of transparency, and the parties claim the current trajectory shows a blatant disregard for a peaceful and democratic power transition.

The parties also contend that the “vague and non-transparent” design of a newly implemented voter and candidate registration system, which mandates unique email addresses and digital birth certificates, ignores Ethiopia’s current technological reach and creates a “systematic political conspiracy” aimed at excluding competitors from the field.

The coalition warns that the digitalization process is widening the digital divide and depriving the public of a genuine democratic choice by enforcing requirements that are nearly impossible for rural and tech-deprived populations to meet.

Condemning the introduction of the digital system for candidate and voter registration, the statement said the system does not provide party leaders with a meaningful opportunity to technically audit or approve it, beyond a basic briefing.

A statement issued by the coalition also cited network issues as a setback for proper verification, noting that frequent network interruptions make digital ID verification impossible.

It also condemns the system as it allows candidates to withdraw themselves from the race only using their phones. The parties argue that the system was deliberately designed to create loopholes that “allow the ruling party to force candidates to withdraw through bribery, threats, or imprisonment”.

The coalition urged the government to enter into “genuine negotiations” with competing parties to establish a transparent and credible competitive arena free from undue influence.

“The government must engage in honest negotiations with competing parties to ensure a level playing field free from the influence of ruling party cadres,” reads the statement, calling for the civil society, the media, and the international community to stand with the council to ensure fair elections.

The joint statement concludes with a series of urgent demands directed at the NEBE and the federal government to ensure the upcoming vote does not repeat the failures of the past.