At stake in this election:

• 547 seats in the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President GIRMA Woldegiorgis *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi
• Assembly: Ethiopia has a bicameral Parliament 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.

* The President is elected by indirect vote by the House of People's Representatives to serve a 6-year term, renewable once.

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by indirect vote to serve a 6-year term.
• 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.**

* 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 parties in the electoral race:

• Party: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)*
  • Leader: MELES Zenwani
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 499
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 327
• Party: The Somali People's Democratic Party (SPDP)
  • Leader: Mouhamoud DIRIR
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 24
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: The Benishangul Gumuz Peoples Democratic Party (BGPDP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 9
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: Afar National Democratic Party (ANDP)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 8
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: The Gambela People's Unity Democratic Movement (GPUDM)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 3
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: The Harari National League
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: The Argoba People Democratic Organization (ADPO)
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Party: The Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (EFDUF) / Medrek
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0
• Alliance: Independent
  • Leader: N/A
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 1
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 0

* Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) is composed of the Amhara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), Tigrayan People's Liberation Front (TPLF), and Southern Ethiopia People's Democratic Front.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 87,561,814 (2010)
• Registered Voters: 29,170,867 (May 2010 )

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 43,864,521 (2010)

·         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: Yes 

·         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: 12,785,600 (est.)