From 60 founding members to a national coalition
CECOE was founded in 2019 by Ethiopian civil society organizations determined to give citizens a credible, independent voice in elections. This is how the coalition has grown, one electoral process at a time.
A coalition built by its members
CECOE is a non-profit coalition of Ethiopian civil society organizations, licensed by the Authority for Civil Society Organizations (registration no. 4748) under Proclamation 1113/2019.
Why we exist
A long-term civil society voice in elections
CECOE was created to coordinate civic engagement and citizen participation not only in one election, but across the electoral cycle: voter education, election observation, preventing electoral conflict and supporting member organizations.
How we are governed
- General Assembly of all member organizations, the highest decision-making body.
- Board of seven elected members providing strategic leadership.
- Auditor overseeing financial and property administration.
- Secretariat, led by the Executive Director, with regional focal organizations.
Our networks
Connected regionally and globally
CECOE is a member of the East and Horn of Africa Election Observers Network (E-HORN), the African Election Observers Network (AfEONet) and the Global Network of Domestic Election Monitors (GNDEM), which links monitoring organizations in more than 88 countries.
Vision, mission and values
The same commitments that brought our founders together in 2019 still shape every mission, campaign and partnership.
Vision
Uphold democratic values to create a well-informed, empowered, responsive Ethiopian society.
Mission
- Engage in voters’ and civic education, peacebuilding and dialogue.
- Monitor and observe elections through the coordination of Ethiopian CSOs.
- Promote free, fair, peaceful and transparent elections that contribute to democratization.
Values
Six values, above all strict neutrality
Our journey since 2019
Key moments in CECOE’s growth, drawn from our annual reports, strategic plans and observation reports.
Founded
After a consultative workshop with NEBE and the civil society regulator on 1 March 2019, about 60 Ethiopian civil society organizations decide on 20 May 2019 to form CECOE, led by a seven-member interim committee, to coordinate the role of CSOs in voter education, election observation and preventing electoral conflict.
First CSO invited to observe a referendum
Invited by the National Election Board of Ethiopia, CECOE observes the Sidama Referendum on 20 November 2019, the first referendum observed by a civil society coalition in Ethiopia.
Officially registered
CECOE receives its certificate of registration (No. 4748) from the Authority for Civil Society Organizations and adopts its first three-year strategic plan (2020–2022). A two-person secretariat works from partner offices.
First nationwide partnership
A cooperative agreement with the National Democratic Institute funds CECOE’s observation of voter registration and, later, comprehensive citizen observation of the 6th General Election through December 2021.
A full-time Secretariat
Abera Hailemariam, Project Coordinator since July 2019, becomes Executive Director. After the elections are postponed because of COVID-19, CECOE keeps members engaged through online webinars on the pandemic’s impact on the electoral calendar.
Voter registration observation and I-Vote
117 observers monitor 1,209 voter registration centres. With IRI and Zeleman Production, the I-Vote campaign carries voter education in four languages, while a nine-person Media Monitoring Unit follows media coverage and hate speech.
Observing the 6th General Election
CECOE observes the full electoral cycle, from voter registration to the post-election period, in every region where voting took place, as well as the South West Ethiopia Peoples’ Referendum, with 143 observers. Observers report by coded SMS through the Apollo data system. For the September polls CECOE fielded 956 stationary and 37 mobile observers, including a team in the Qoloji IDP settlement in the Somali region.
A home of its own
After working from partner offices and shared co-working spaces, CECOE opens its own office in Addis Ababa.
From findings to advocacy
The 6th General Election final report is published in Amharic and English, alongside assessments of NEBE directives on voter education and local observers. CECOE convenes a forum on the role of CSOs in the National Dialogue and validation workshops with about 150 participants, and 100+ members enrol in the online Master’s in Electoral Policy and Administration.
Members take voter education to the referendum
With ECES support, CECOE invites member CSOs accredited by NEBE to run creative voter education, from songs and drama to short videos, in local languages across the six zones and five special woredas voting in the South Ethiopia referendum.
Five-year strategic plan
Validated with more than 40 member organizations and approved by the General Assembly, the 2023–2027 Strategic Plan sets five goals: civic and voter education, free and fair elections, electoral legal framework reform, capacity building, and collaboration and resource mobilization.
South Ethiopia referendums
CECOE observes the South Ethiopia referendum and the Wolaita rerun, with a situation room providing real-time reporting, then shares lessons and launches the final report in Arba Minch. On the February polling day alone it deployed 434 stationary and 76 mobile observers.
A stronger, decentralized coalition
With the Embassy of Ireland, CECOE establishes regional focal organizations in six regions, builds its M&E system, safeguarding policy and advocacy strategy, supports four war-affected member CSOs in Tigray, and helps nine members produce 27 organizational manuals.
By-elections and re-runs
CECOE observes the outstanding elections and re-runs in Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, Central Ethiopia and Somali regions, after monitoring the appointment of the new NEBE chairperson earlier in the year.
Balancing the scales for women in politics
Through the EU-funded Balancing the Scales project with NIMD (2023–2025), CECOE runs the weekly Ye’esua Dimts radio programme, hosts public debates on electoral gender quotas, celebrates Women’s Month and monitors how the media portray women.
New partnerships and research
CECOE leads an AFD-funded consortium with EWRA and Bright Future to promote democracy, civic engagement and human rights, and publishes research on NEBE board appointments, barriers to women’s political participation and electoral constituency arrangements.
Preparing our largest mission
CECOE adopts its observation plan for the 7th General Election, choosing proportional deployment across all regions, and expands its regional structure to 21 focal organizations after an open call that drew 23 member applications.
Learning from peers abroad
Study and exchange visits take CECOE staff to citizen observers and election bodies in Malawi, Kenya, Zambia and Nigeria, bringing lessons home ahead of the 7th General Election.
Informing voters and the media
The I Vote Ethiopia campaign returns on 13 radio and 6 TV stations in five languages. CECOE trains 45 journalists from 35 media organizations with a new Election Reporting Manual and opens a Media Desk for the election period.
The 7th General Election, our largest mission
CECOE observes from voter registration through election day and publishes registration, mid-day, preliminary and final reports. On 1 June 2026 its midday statement drew on 2,258 stationary and 891 mobile observers, who could work without restriction in 99% of polling stations. The I Vote Ethiopia campaign runs from February to June, and with FCDO support CECOE strengthens NEBE’s electoral early warning system.
Biqu Zega launched
CECOE launches the Biqu Zega civic e-learning platform in Amharic, Afaan Oromo and English, with community learning hubs in Mekele, Adama, Wolayta Sodo, Awash 7, Bahir Dar and Assosa. The Embassy of Ireland also funds a new two-year project on community civic education and electoral reform advocacy.
Sharing the findings
From 13 October, workshops in Adama, Hawassa and Addis Ababa present the 7th General Election findings and recommendations to political parties, civil society and the media.
The story continues with our members
Explore our five strategic goals or read the reports behind each milestone.