Ahead of Ethiopia’s 7th General Election scheduled for 1 June 2026, the Head of the IGAD Election Observation Mission (EOM), Dr. Speciosa Wandira-Kazibwe held consultative meetings with key stakeholders.

Head of the IGAD Election Observation Mission held the consultative meetings with key electoral and civil society stakeholders, including the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE), the Ethiopian Women’s Federation, and the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations.

During the meeting with NEBE Chairperson Melatwork Hailu, discussions focused on electoral preparedness, inclusivity, election security, dispute resolution, and result transmission.

The Board also highlighted the use of the Mirchaye application for digital voter and candidate registration, as well as initiatives promoting women’s participation and addressing violence against women during elections.

Consultations with the Ethiopian Women’s Federation focused on women’s roles in governance and electoral processes.

The Federation highlighted its peacebuilding and national dialogue efforts and informed the Mission that it has deployed over 10,000 trained women observers across the country.

Discussions with the Consortium of Ethiopian Human Rights Organisations centred on election preparedness, observer deployment, and the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in promoting peaceful, credible, transparent, and inclusive elections.

The consultations form part of IGAD’s broader stakeholder engagement aimed at supporting democratic and credible electoral processes in Ethiopia.