Ethiopian opposition parties go into elections on June 1, facing threats, insurgencies, near-total state control of the media, and what they see as a pre-determined victory for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed.
While Western media frames Ethiopia's electoral theatre as democracy in action, the reality is a masterclass in performative politics that should concern every African watching their own leaders consolidate power behind constitutional facades. Abiy Ahmed's choreographed landslide isn't just an Ethiopian story. It's the blueprint being refined across the continent, from Kampala to Kigali, where elections have become expensive rituals to legitimize predetermined outcomes. The Horn of Africa's second most populous nation deserves better than this democratic pantomime, and so does a continent still fighting to make the ballot box mean something.
While Western media frames Ethiopia's electoral theatre as democracy in action, the reality is a masterclass in performative politics that should concern every African watching their own leaders consolidate power behind constitutional facades. Abiy Ahmed's choreographed landslide isn't just an Ethiopian story. It's the blueprint being refined across the continent, from Kampala to Kigali, where elections have become expensive rituals to legitimize predetermined outcomes. The Horn of Africa's second most populous nation deserves better than this democratic pantomime, and so does a continent still fighting to make the ballot box mean something.
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![Elections in Ethiopia: Abiy Ahmed's party considered the favorite [Africanews Today]](https://cdn.sanity.io/images/1mj763ul/production/c4f4fab470d765f1a92a113d1f4fe5a741ec5e17-6000x4000.jpg?w=520&fit=crop&q=72&auto=format)
