This archive report was first published on 7 May 2020.
On May 7, 2020, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed expressed concerns that opposition politicians were trying to exploit the uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to seize power, potentially destabilizing the country.
Abiy, the 2019 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stated in a recorded speech posted on Facebook that those pushing for unconstitutional ways to grab power would be punished by law.
"Young people should not die, mothers should not cry and houses should not be demolished just so politicians can take power," Abiy emphasized.
With the national elections initially scheduled for August, Abiy hoped to gain a mandate for wide-ranging political and economic reforms. However, the election board announced in late March that it would be impossible to organize the polls on time due to the pandemic.
As a result, elections will not take place before lawmakers' mandates expire in October, creating a political crisis in the country. Ethiopia's constitution does not specify how the postponement should be handled, leading to concerns that Abiy's government may soon face legitimacy issues.
Lawmakers in parliament's lower house have formally asked the upper house to provide a "constitutional interpretation" that could offer a way out of the impasse. However, this move has drawn objections from opposition politicians, who claim it leaves them without a voice in the process as parliament is dominated by the ruling party.
Jawar Mohammed, a leading opposition politician, described Abiy's latest comments as "a threat to silence, a threat to intimidation." He added that the threat was unwelcome and unproductive, and that it was Abiy and his party who were attempting to grab power unconstitutionally.
The once-dominant Tigray People's Liberation Front has announced plans to hold elections in the northern Tigray region regardless of what happens elsewhere in the country, further escalating tensions.
International Crisis Group analyst William Davison warned that the current political climate creates fertile grounds for the opposition to question the government's legitimacy, which could lead to more instability.
