Dessalegn Chanie, a sitting member of the House of Peoples' Representatives elected from Bahir Dar in 2021, announced he will not contest the upcoming general election, citing the absence of conditions necessary for a free, peaceful, and fair vote.
In a statement addressed to his constituents and the wider public, Dessalegn said he had considered running through a political party or as an independent candidate before concluding that neither path was viable under current circumstances, according to Addis Standard.
The announcement comes as the National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) presses ahead with large-scale preparations for the vote. On 21 February 2026, NEBE unveiled the official symbols of 48 political parties registered to compete, according to Addis Standard. All 48 parties signed a candidates' Code of Conduct intended to ensure a peaceful and transparent electoral process.
NEBE Chairperson Melatework Hailu said the publication of party symbols was meant to help voters identify political organizations and make informed choices,
Addis Standard reported.
As of 19 February 2026, materials for approximately 22,000 of 52,720 polling stations had been prepared, according to Melake Alula, NEBE's head of logistics, as reported by Addis Standard. Materials are being assembled in warehouses in Addis Abeba and will be distributed via land, air, and river transport, including up to 500 heavy-duty trucks. Special delivery arrangements are planned for remote constituencies such as Akobo. Regional governments are expected to support logistics, though NEBE retains full operational control.
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Dessalegn did not announce plans to join a broader boycott effort or indicate future political intentions beyond his decision not to stand, according to the report. His withdrawal is an individual decision, and no sourced evidence points to a coordinated opposition pullout from the election.
The juxtaposition — a sitting lawmaker declining to run on democratic-credibility grounds while the election board scales up operations for nearly 53,000 polling stations and 48 registered parties — illustrates the competing narratives surrounding the vote. NEBE's logistics rollout and code-of-conduct process represent the institutional case that the election is on track. Dessalegn's statement represents a counter-signal from within the elected political class.
Dessalegn Chanie is associated with the Amhara nationalist political space, including the former National Movement of Amhara (NaMA). His constituency, Bahir Dar, is the capital of Amhara Regional State, where an armed conflict between federal forces and Fano militias has persisted since mid-2023 and a state of emergency has been in effect for extended periods. The security environment in much of the Amhara region has raised questions — including from international observers — about the feasibility of campaigning and voting in affected areas. Opposition withdrawal from Ethiopian elections has precedent: major parties boycotted or pulled out after the disputed 2005 vote, the 2020 election was postponed amid the COVID-19 pandemic and regional instability, and the Balderas for True Democracy party faced constraints ahead of the 2021 poll. Whether Dessalegn's decision remains an isolated case or signals a wider pattern among Amhara-region political figures is a question the coming weeks may answer.
