At stake in this election:      

• The 547 seats in the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete)

Description of government structure:

• Chief of State: President Mulatu TESHOME*
• Head of Government: Prime Minister Hailemariam DESALEGAN
• Assembly: Ethiopia has a bicameral Federal Parliamentary Assembly consisting of the House of Federation (Yefedereshein Mekir Bete) with 112 seats and the House of Peoples’ Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete) with 547 seats. 

*The House of Peoples’ Representatives shall nominate the candidate for President. The nominee shall be elected President if a joint session of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation approves his candidacy by a two-thirds majority vote. However, no person shall be elected president for more than two terms.[1] 

Description of electoral system:

• The President is elected by indirect vote to serve a 6-year term.
• In the House of Federation (Yefedereshein Mekir Bete) 112 members are elected by indirect vote to serve 5-year terms*. In the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete) 547 members are elected by plurality vote in single-member constituencies to serve 5-year terms.**

* Seats are apportioned to each region in proportion to its number of millions of citizens. Each region (i.e. "Nation, Nationality, or People") has a minimum of one seat. Members are elected to these seats by regional councils. Regional councils may opt to hold direct elections, but none currently does.

** 22 constituencies are reserved to nationally recognized “Nationalities and Peoples.”

Main parties in the electoral race:

• Party: All Ethiopian Unity Organization (AEUO)
  • Leader: Ato Abebaw MAHERI
• Party: Ethiopian Peace and Democratic Party (EPDP)
  • Leader: Ato Seid YIMER
• Party: Ethiopian Democratic Party (EDP)
  • Leader: Dr. Chane KEBEDE
• Party: All Amhara People's Organization (AAPO)
  • Leader: Ato Shewangizaw G/SELASSIE
• Party: Geda System Advancement Party (GSAP)
  • Leader: Ato Workneh TADESE
• Party: All Ethiopian Democratic Party (AEDP)
  • Leader: Ato Seman AMDELA
• Party: United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF)
  • Leader: Dr. Merera GUDINA
• Party: Ethiopian National Unity Party (ENUP)
  • Leader: Ato Eshetu W. TSADEK
• Party: All Ethiopian National Movement (AENM)
  • Leader: Ato Mesafint SHIFERAW
• Party: Coalition for Unity and Democratic Party (CUDP)
  • Leader: Ato Ayele CHAMISO
• Party: Ethiopian Democratic Unity Movement (EDUM)
  • Leader: Ato Guesh G/SELASSIE
• Party: Welene People Democratic Party (WPDP)
  • Leader: Ato Abdi TEMAM
• Party: Ethiopian Justice and Democratic Forces Front (EJDFF)
  • Leader: Ato Girmay HADERA
• Party: All Oromo People Democratic Party (AOPDP)
  • Leader: Ato Tesema HUNDUMA
• Party: Ethiopian Raie Party (ERP)
  • Leader: Ato Teshale SEBRO
• Party: Ethiopia Federal Demecratic Unity Forum     (Forum)
  • Leader: Prof. Beyene PETROS
• Party: Blue Party (Blue)
  • Leader: Eng. Yilakel GETENET
• Party: New Generation Party (NGP)
  • Leader: Ato Asfew GETACHEW
• Party: Unity For Democracy and Justice Party (UDJP)
  • Leader: Ato Tigistu AWELU
• Party: Ethiopian Somali People's Democratic Party (ESPDP)
  • Leaders: H.E. Ato Mohanned RESHEID, Ato Elyas MOHAMMED
  • Seats won in last election: 24
• Party: Benishangul Gumuz People's Democratic Party (BGPDP)
  • Leader: H.E. Amb. Misganew ADMASU
  • Seats won in last election: 9
• Party: Afar National Democratic Party (ANDP)
  • Leaders: H.E. Ato Esmiel Ali SERO/ Ato Mohammed KEDIR
  • Seats won in last election: 8
• Party: Gambela People's Unity Democratic Movement (GPUDM)
  • Leader: H.E. Ato Gatluwak Tut KOT
  • Seats won in last election: 3
• Party: Harari National League (HNL)
  • Leaders: H.E. Ato Murad ABDULAHI, Ato Yasin HUSSEN
  • Seats won in last election: 1

Political Parties that Formed Fronts:

• Front Name: Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
  • Parties: Tigrayan Peoples Liberation Front (TPLF), Amahara National Democratic Movement (ANDM), Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO), Southern Ethiopia Peoples' Democratic Movement (SEPDM)
  • Leader: H.E. Ato Hailemariam DESALEGN
  • Seats won in last election: 499
• Front Name: Ethiopia Federal Demecratic Unity Forum (FORUM)
  • Parties: Ethiopian Social Democracy-Southern Coalition Unity Party (ESD-SCUP), Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC), Union of Tigrians for Democracy & Sovergnty (UTDS), Sidama Liberation Movement (SLM)
  • Leader: Prof Beyene PETROS
• Front Name: Ethiopia Justice and Democratic Forces Front (EJDFF)
  • Parties: Ethiopian Democratic Union (EDU), Unity of Southern Ethiopan Democratic Forces (USEDF), Oromia Liberation National Party (OLNP)
  • Leader: Ato Girmay HADERA
• Front Name: United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF)
  • Parties: Ethiopian Social Democracy-Southern Coalition Unity Party (ESD-SCUP), Oromo Federalist Congress (OFC)
  • Leader: Dr. Merera GUDINA

Last election:

• The last election for the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete) was held on 23 May 2010.  There were 31,926,520 registered voters for the election.  The Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) won 499 seats, the Somali People's Democratic Party (SPDP) won 24 seats, the Benishangul Gumuz Peoples Democratic Party (BGPDP) won 9 seats, the Afar National Democratic Party (ANDP) won 8 seats, the Gambela People's Unity Democratic Movement (GPUDM) won 3 seats, the Harari National League won 1 seat, the Argoba People Democratic Organization (ADPO) won 1 seat, the Ethiopian Federal Democratic Unity Forum (EFDUF) / Medrek won 1 seat, and an independent candidate won 1 seat. 

Population and number of registered voters:

• Population: Total Population: 87,952,000 (2014 est.)[2]
• Registered Voters: 34,900,000[3]

Gender Data:

• Female Population: 43,748,000 (2014 est.)[4]
• Is Ethiopia a signatory to CEDAW: Yes (8 July 1980)
• Has Ethiopia ratified CEDAW: Yes (10 September 1981)[5]
• Gender Quota: No
• Female Candidates in this election: Yes
• Number of Female Legislators: 152[6] (28%)[7] of 547 seats in the House of People's Representatives (Yehizb Tewokayoch Mekir Bete)
• Human Development Index (HDI) Position: 173[8]
• Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: High[9]

Disability Data:

• Is Ethiopia a signatory to CRPD: Yes (30 March 2007)
• Has Ethiopia ratified CRPD: Yes (7 July 2010)[10]