ADDIS ABABA – The Coalition of Ethiopian Civil Society Organizations for Elections (CECOE) released its “Monitoring Report: Nomination, selection, and appointment process of the new members of the National Election Board of Ethiopia.” The report provided an in-depth, assessment of the NEBE’s 2025 board member appointment process, which concluded on June 12, 2025.
The report identified both the commendable aspects and the deficiencies of the recent selection and appointment procedure. On the positive side, CECOE acknowledged the process’s strengths, including the successful utilization of diverse public outreach channels to solicit a wide range of nominations. The report also highlighted the notable ethnic and religious diversity among the shortlisted candidates as a positive step towards fostering an inclusive electoral institution.
However, the analysis also pointed to several critical areas for improvement. A central finding of the report was the lack of transparency surrounding the shortlisting phase, specifically the insufficient public disclosure of the exact criteria that were used to narrow the pool of over 1,000 nominees. Furthermore, the report noted a significant overrepresentation of candidates with legal backgrounds, suggesting a need for greater emphasis on candidates with varied technical and managerial expertise to ensure a more balanced board.
In its concluding section, CECOE provided a series of specific, actionable recommendations. These proposals were directed at key stakeholders, including the Nomination Committee, political parties, and Civil Society Organizations, with the aim of promoting greater transparency, enhancing the diversity of skills, and strengthening the overall integrity of future appointment processes for the NEBE.
The report is available at: https://cecoe.org/download/monitoring-report-nomination-selection-and-appointment-process-of-the-new-members-of-the-national-election-board-of-ethiopia/
