At stake in this election:

• 545 seats in the House of People's Representatives

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President NEGASSO Gidada *
• Head of Government: Prime Minister MELES Zenawi
• Assembly: Ethiopia has a bicameral Parliament consisting of the House of Federation with 108 seats and the House of People's Representatives with 545 seats.

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

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by indirect vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the House of Federation 108 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms*. In the House of People's Representatives 545 members are elected by direct vote to serve 5-year terms.

* Members are elected by indirect vote by state assemblies.

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Coalition: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
  • Leader: MELES Zenawi
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 483
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 481
• Coalition: EPRDF-Affiliated Parties, Others and Independents
  • Seats won in last House of People's Representatives election: 65
  • Seats won in this House of People's Representatives election: 66

Last Parliamentary election:

• Parliamentary elections last held: May 7, 1995.

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: 66,443,603 (2000)
• Registered Voters: 20,252,000 (March 2000)

Gender Data:

·         Female Population: 33,134,177 (2000)

·         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: 42 (following the 2000 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: