Ethiopia Begins New Five-Year Government Term as Parliament Opens

What changed

Ethiopia opened a newly elected House of Peoples’ Representatives on October 5, 2026, beginning a new five-year federal government term. The June 1 election involved 42 parties, 10,438 candidates and more than 54 million voters; the Prosperity Party won 438 seats, securing the majority needed to form and lead the federal executive.

Why it matters

This is the point where Ethiopia’s election becomes governing authority. The House is constitutionally the federal government’s highest organ, and its majority now gives the Prosperity Party the mandate to organize the executive rather than simply campaign for power.

The near-term outlook is institutional continuity: the same party that won the parliamentary majority will lead the next federal government. What remains unclear is who will fill the executive and which policies the new term will prioritize.