ADDIS ABABA – The House of Peoples’ Representatives passed with sweeping votes a COVID-19 induced resolution yesterday postponing election 2020 schedule as presented by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia.
Speaking at the House’s 15th Regular Session, Board Chairperson Birtukan Midheksa said tasks scheduled for the month of March and April such as voter registration, election executives recruitments, voter education, the distribution of election gadgets, among others, were not able to be executed due to the effects of the pandemic.
Further, she said despite the Board’s ardent task to execute the works on time, the efforts come to pause owing to COVID-19 local and global emergence that has brought mobility of people to a halt.
The government has also taken measures that included urging most of the public servants to work from homes. Various governments have also canceled elections and other plans, according to her.
On top of this, international partners that support the Board have made their staffs work from homes while some of them retain only a few workers here and took the rest to respective countries, she elaborated.
The Board also made discussions on the matter with the executive branch, senior public health experts of the Ministry of Health, political parties, and international partners in addition to making survey with its consulting experts to lay a strong foundation to the resolution.
She said the Board will come with another schedule when the threat of COVID-19 phased out and conditions become enabling to the tasks.
She also hinted that the Board keeps on works that boost its election execution capacity focusing on those that would not be impacted by the pandemic.
Meanwhile, MPs approved four other loan agreements. And also, the House referred one proclamation for further scrutiny to the concerning standing committee after a long discussion.
The Ethiopian Herald May 1/2020
BY ABDUREZAK MOHAMMED
