Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis
• Head of Government: Prime Minister HAILEMARIAM Desalegn
• Assembly: Ethiopia has a bicameral Federal Parliamentary Assembly consisting of the House of Federation (Yefedereshein Mekir Bete) with 110 seats and the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete) with 547 seats.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is indirectly elected by parliament to serve a 6-year term.*
• The Prime Minister is elected by parliament.
• In the House of Federation (Yefedereshein Mekir Bete) 110 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms**. In the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete) 547 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.***

* Maximum of 2 terms.

** Seats are apportioned to each region in proportion to its number of millions of citizens. Each region (i.e. "Nation, Nationality, or People") has a minimum of one seat. Members are elected to these seats by regional councils. Regional councils may opt to hold direct elections, but none currently does.

*** 22 constituencies are reserved to nationally recognized "Nationalities and Peoples."

Main Candidates:

• Mulatu TESHOME

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 94,558,374 (2013)
• Registered Voters: 31,926,520 (2010)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 47,364,217 (2013)

·         Is Ethiopia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (8 July 1980)

·         Has Ethiopia ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 September 1981)

·         Gender Quota: No

·         Female candidates in this election: No 

·         Number of Female Parliamentarians: 152 (following the 2010 elections)

·         Human Development Index Position: 174 (2014)

·         Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High (2014)

Disability Data:

·         Is Ethiopia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)

·         Has Ethiopia ratified CRPD: Yes (7 July 2010)

·         Population with a disability: 14,183,756 (est.)