ADDIS ABABA, June 21 (Xinhua) -- The National Election Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) on Sunday declared the ruling Prosperity Party the winner of the country's seventh general election, clearing the way for it to form a new government.
Announcing the official results in Addis Ababa, the NEBE said the Prosperity Party secured 438 of the 486 contested seats in the House of Peoples' Representatives (HoPR), the lower chamber of Ethiopia's parliament, in the June 1 general election.
Under Ethiopia's constitution, the political party or coalition that wins a majority of seats in the HoPR forms the government and nominates the prime minister.
According to NEBE data, the Prosperity Party's victory came after a contest involving 42 political parties, which fielded more than 10,000 candidates for seats in the HoPR and various regional legislatures, alongside independent contenders. ■