Answer: The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia issued a statement on April 2, 2020. The main purpose of the statement is to announce that it will not be able to hold the election on the scheduled date of August 29, 2020. It has conducted a study to reach this decision. The National Election Board of Ethiopia is accountable to the House of Representatives and has informed the House of Representatives of its decision. It did not give an extended election date but that it could not hold the election due to problems beyond its capacity. The Board can only notify the House of Representatives, to which it reports.
The key decisions of the Board in the statement issued are as follows:
-Realizing that it is not possible to hold the election in accordance with the schedule set by the Board due to COVID- 19, to cancel the schedule, and temporarily suspend tasks to be performed according to the schedule.
-The Board will re-evaluate the situation when the threat of the epidemic subsides and will initiate a new election operation plan.
-The Board must continue to carry out activities that are not threatened by COVID- 19, increase the readiness of the Board to hold an election, and create conditions that will enable the institution to conduct the elections properly when the situation returns to normal;
-That House of Peoples' Representatives recognizes that the Board cannot hold a general election one month before the expiration of its term in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution.
Therefore, if there is any decision to be made in this regard, the Board's survey document should be forwarded to the House of Representatives for use as a starting point.
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