Ethiopia’s House of Federation has decided that parliamentary elections in several disputed areas between the Amhara and Tigray regional states will be conducted outside the administrative jurisdiction of the Tigray region.

The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced the decision in a statement issued today.

The Board recalled that on January 22, 2018, it had published the list of constituencies and polling stations where voter registration was being conducted, in accordance with the schedule for the 7th General Election.

Following the release of this list, the House of Federation sent a letter to the Board on January 25, 2018, stating that five electoral districts contested by the Tigray and Amhara regional governments would be deferred until the dispute is resolved.

According to the House’s decision, the constituencies of Humera, Adi Remets (Adirabet), Korum Afla, Tselemet, and Raya Alamata will participate in elections for the House of People’s Representatives separately and directly outside the Tigray Regional State.

The House further indicated that elections for the respective regional councils in these areas will be conducted at a later date, once the territorial dispute has been resolved through constitutional mechanisms.

In line with the House of Federation’s directive, the National Election Board stated that it will proceed with the 7th General Election in accordance with the applicable legal framework and the above decision.