The National Election Board of Ethiopia held a discussion with political parties on the impact of the Corona virus pandemic in relation to election operations as well as the alternative measures to be taken.

45 political parties, including the ruling party, participated in the two-round discussion on the issue and the NEBE has presented to political party leaders, the impact the current national and international situation is going to have on the preparation of voter registration because it affects major activities like voter education, poll workers training and material distribution as they highly require movement of people. The Board further announced that if the epidemic persisted, it would continuously evaluate its impact on the election timetable and detail implementations and possible situations in collaboration with political parties and relevant government bodies.

Political parties also said they understood the potential impact of this national and international problem on the electoral process and shared their ideas on the measures to be taken. Additionally, they advised that The Board observes these situations and continue to make decisions based on discussions with the relevant government bodies in light of the changing nature of the situation. The Board also announced that it will continue to hold a series of similar discussions.