Opposition candidates and party leaders have described Ethiopia’s 7th Parliamentary and Regional Council Elections as peaceful, free, and democratic as voting continues across the country.

Ethiopians have been casting their ballots since dawn Monday, swarming and queueing in long lines at thousands of polling stations across the country, marking a pivotal moment for the Horn of African country’s democratic dispensation.

A candidate for the Freedom and Equality Party, Jamal Abdullahi, voted at the Madda Walabu polling station in Robe town in Oromia Regional State.

He said the election is being conducted in a free and democratic manner, adding that party members and supporters are voting without pressure or interference.

In Gondar, Chairman of the Qemant Democratic Party (QDP), Awgichew Malede, cast his vote and said the election is participatory and peaceful, with strong voter turnout since early morning at multiple polling stations.

He noted the participation of youth, women, persons with disabilities, and elderly voters, describing the process as more inclusive than previous elections.

He also said the party has deployed observers across polling stations and highlighted the enthusiasm of voters freely expressing their choices.

Meanwhile, other political figures also participated in the vote, including independent candidate Dr. Dima Noggo in Gore town, EZEMA representative Dr. Tilahun Gebrehiwot in Addis Ababa’s Lideta Sub-City, and National Movement of Amhara (NAMA) executive member Yesuf Ebrahim.

Voting continues nationwide as political participation remains active across parties and candidates.