May 21, 2026
Yared Birhanu
Johannesburg ,South Africa
An undemocratic country can hold what appears to be a democratic election, but guaranteeing that it is truly democratic is very difficult. This is because the broader political environment usually shapes how elections function. In a system where power is tightly controlled, the same authorities that restrict freedoms in everyday life often influence elections as well.
For an election to be genuinely democratic, it requires more than just people casting votes. There needs to be open competition between parties, freedom for candidates to campaign, access to unbiased information, and trust that votes are counted honestly. In an undemocratic system, these conditions are often weak or absent. The government may limit opposition parties, control the media, or use state resources to influence outcomes, which undermines the fairness of the process even if voting still takes place.
International norms and standards
Globally accepted election principles, as promoted by organizations such as the United Nations, the African Union, and international election observation missions, emphasize that voter registration should be voluntary, individuals must have unrestricted access to their voting credentials, ballots must remain secret, and all voters should be able to participate freely without intimidation or coercion.
In countries such as Ethiopia, where governance is dominated by a single ruling party, the Prosperity Party, the opposition landscape is often characterized by relatively small parties, including the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice (EZEMA), the Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), the Oromo Liberation Front (OLF), and the National Movement of Amhara (NaMA). These opposition parties are politically constrained or, in some cases, aligned with the ruling party, which creates the appearance of competition while limiting genuine political contestation and thereby reinforcing the dominance of the ruling party.
In 2025, five opposition parties formed a coalition referred to as the “Coalition for Ethiopian Unity” bringing together the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Party (EPRP), All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP), Enat Party, One Ethiopia Democratic Party (OEDP), and the Amhara Gionawi Movement (AGM). This coalition seeks to address the longstanding fragmentation within the opposition by fostering greater unity, strengthening their collective political leverage against the ruling Prosperity Party, and creating a platform for coordinated participation in future elections.
The opposition coalition struggles to receive fair treatment during the electoral process. Conditions such as limited political competition, restricted access to media, constraints on opposition activities, and the influence of the ruling party over electoral bodies, the judiciary, and security forces is significantly disadvantageous. In some cases, members of these coalitions have also reportedly faced arrests during election campaigns, further undermining their ability to organize and compete effectively. As a result, they encounter serious barriers to participating on equal terms, making it difficult for elections to be transparent, genuinely competitive, and widely regarded as credible.
Weak voter rolls
Weak voter rolls refers to a voter registration system that is poorly maintained, inaccurate, or vulnerable to errors and abuse. Credible elections depend on the fundamental principle of “one person, one vote.” This means that every eligible voter is allowed to register only once and cast only a single vote. Voter registration is voluntary, placing the responsibility on individuals to ensure they are enrolled in order to participate in the electoral process.
In the Ethiopian context, reports or concerns about the forced voter registration of government employees, including teachers, raise serious issues about democratic rights and the neutrality of the civil service. While governments may encourage citizens to participate in elections, any form of coercion especially through workplace pressure undermines the principle of free political choice and can be seen as an abuse of authority. In some cases, employees are reportedly pressured not only to register but also to receive multiple voter registration cards which remain in the hands of the voter registration officials, which further deepens concerns about electoral integrity. For teachers in particular, such practices are especially problematic, as the education sector is expected to remain politically neutral and uphold independent civic values.
A system where authorities retain voter cards would generally be viewed as inconsistent with best practice, especially if it affects voter independence. Forced voter registration combined with the retention of voter cards by authorities raises a different and more specific concern than general structural issues. It relates directly to voter autonomy, secrecy, and potential coercion, which are core principles of credible elections.
In the Ethiopian context, there is clear evidence that some eligible voters are being denied access to basic government services if they do not register to vote, raising serious human rights and governance concerns. In particular, farmers have been refused essential agricultural inputs such as fertilisers unless they can show proof of voter registration. This practice creates a coercive environment in which access to livelihoods is directly tied to political compliance, undermining the voluntary nature of participation in elections. Such actions violate fundamental democratic principles and place vulnerable populations under significant pressure, effectively forcing them to choose between their basic needs and their right to freely decide whether to engage in the electoral process.
In addition, in areas not effectively controlled by the government such as large parts of the Amhara region, where it is estimated that up to 85% of territory is outside state control, and in Tigray there are plans to introduce online voting mechanisms. This raises further concerns about the legitimacy and credibility of the electoral process, as the lack of uniform administration and oversight across the country already undermines equal participation. Introducing alternative voting arrangements in these regions, without consistent safeguards and transparency, risks deepening perceptions that the process is fragmented and compromised, thereby further weakening public trust in the overall integrity of the election process.
The key risks of multiple registration cards is multiple voting or ballots stuffing. Furthermore, when the conditions listed above are considered together: forced registration, voting cards held by authorities, and the presence of multiple cards per individual, can contribute to a system that undermines electoral integrity. Such a setup risks placing voters in a position where they are registered without genuine consent, lack control over their own voting credentials, and may be vulnerable to manipulation. Ultimately, this combination creates an environment where duplicate or misused votes become possible, weakening transparency, accountability, and public trust in the electoral process. In such a context, resources invested in the process may not translate into a genuinely free and fair outcome, instead raising the risk of an exercise that appears legitimate on the surface but is vulnerable to manipulation in practice.
Yared Birhanu is Chairperson of Provisional Executive Committee, United Amhara Alliance of Africa (UAAA)
Editor’s Note : Views in the article do not necessarily reflect the views of borkena.com
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