People wait to cast their ballots in Addis Ababa in the first electoral test for Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, who rose to power championing a democratic revival in Africa's second most populous countryADDIS ABABA - Voters in Ethiopia cast ballots Monday in a delayed national election taking place against the backdrop of war and famine in the northern Tigray region and questions over the poll's credibility.
Abiy, a Nobel Peace laureate who freed political prisoners, welcomed back exiles and ended a long cold war with neighbouring Eritrea before sending troops to confront the dissident leadership of Tigray late last year, has promised this election will be Ethiopia's most competitive in history, free of the repression that marred previous ballots.
"As a young Ethiopian, I hope for the future of my country, and believe voting is part of that," she said before slipping her ballot papers into a purple plastic box for the national vote and a light green one for the regional election. Security was ramped up for the election, with police marching in force in Addis Ababa over the weekend, and reinforcements deployed across the country.The election was twice delayed -- once for the coronavirus pandemic, and again to allow more time to organise the ballot across a huge nation.
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