Ethiopia's Parliament Reconfirms Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister for Second Term

What happened

Ethiopia's House of Peoples' Representatives re-elected Abiy Ahmed as prime minister on October 5, 2026, according to the Ethiopian outlet The Reporter. The vote took place during what the House described as the government-formation session of its newly elected seventh parliamentary term, allAfrica reported.

Abiy, nominated by the ruling Prosperity Party, took the oath of office the same day, formally opening a second five-year term as head of the federal government, according to allAfrica's coverage of the swearing-in. Abiy has led Ethiopia's government since April 2018.

The June election behind the reappointment

The reappointment followed Ethiopia's general election held on June 1, 2026. According to a Wikipedia summary of the official results, the Prosperity Party won 438 seats, the Ethiopian Citizens for Social Justice party won 13, and the National Movement of Amhara won 6, with the remaining seats split among 17 smaller parties and independents.

Sources differ on the exact number of seats that were contested. The Wikipedia page on the election states that voting covered 486 of the House's 547 seats, with turnout at 95.7% of registered voters. The Reporter Magazine, citing Ethiopia's National Election Board (NEBE), reported that voting was conducted in 501 constituencies, with results for six further seats — in the Central Ethiopia and Sidama regions — still pending re-runs at the time of its report.

The Wikipedia page on the election states that no voting was held in the entire Tigray region, 38 seats, which it attributes to the region's recovery needs after the Tigray war. It also reports that eight constituencies in Amhara and several in Oromia did not vote because of security concerns, and that security incidents disrupted polling at an estimated 143 stations in conflict-affected areas.

Ongoing conflicts frame the new term

allAfrica's report on Abiy's swearing-in described renewed fighting in Tigray, with federal forces said to have consolidated control of the regional capital Mekelle after the Tigray People's Liberation Front withdrew, and airstrikes and artillery fire continuing elsewhere in the region.

The same report said Ethiopia has accused Eritrea of backing a new rebel alliance, an allegation Asmara denies, and noted that seven Ethiopian armed groups have formed a coalition opposed to the federal government. It also described continued fighting between federal forces and local insurgents in the Amhara region, alongside rising tension with Egypt, Somalia and Sudan.

According to allAfrica, Abiy said Ethiopia would continue to assert its national interests and strengthen its regional role, including pursuing sea access, and stated that the country was prepared to confront security threats.

Background

Abiy Ahmed became prime minister in April 2018 and was first confirmed for a full term after the 2021 general election. His government has described its second-term administration as the "Medemer Government," a reference to his stated philosophy of cooperation, according to allAfrica's report on the swearing-in.

Under Ethiopia's parliamentary system, the prime minister is chosen by the House of Peoples' Representatives and the role carries executive authority, including command of the armed forces; the position's term is tied to that of the elected House.