Ethiopia Delays Elections By Two Weeks To August 29

Ethiopia's electoral board said Friday it planned to hold landmark national polls on August 29, nearly two weeks later than an initial timeline announced last month

Addis Ababa, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 14th Feb, 2020 ) :Ethiopia's electoral board said Friday it planned to hold landmark national polls on August 29, nearly two weeks later than an initial timeline announced last month.

The new date still falls in the middle of the rainy season, reinforcing logistical concerns about elections seen as critical to the political transition under Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.

"As per the allowed legal provisions, we've decided to revise the electoral date to August 29," electoral board chair Birtukan Mideksa said Friday.

"We will work with the National Meteorology Agency of Ethiopia to mitigate the impact of the rainy season on the electoral schedule," she said, according to state-affiliated Fana Broadcasting Corporate.

It was not clear how officials planned to overcome the inevitable challenges posed by holding elections at a time when many of the country's roads are impassable.