Ethiopia’s northern region of Tigray should pause plans to hold elections next month, as these would further poison relations with Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s government and may lead to conflict, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said Friday.
However, in March the electoral board announced polls would be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and a new date has not been set.
Opponents of Abiy, winner of last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, accuse him of capitalizing on the pandemic to extend his time in office beyond the expiration of the government’s mandate in early October.
Among Abiy’s most vocal critics is the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), which dominated Ethiopia’s ruling coalition for nearly three decades before anti-government protests led to Abiy’s appointment as prime minister in 2018.
Relations between Abiy and the TPLF have declined steadily since Abiy took office in April 2018.
Ethiopia had been scheduled to hold landmark national elections later this month.
However, in March the electoral board announced polls would be delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic and a new date has not been set.
