Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed gestures at the House of Peoples Representatives in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on Nov 30, 2020. (PHOTO / AFP)

Ethiopia will hold general elections on June 5, 2021, after delaying a planned vote in August due to the coronavirus pandemic.

READ MORE: Ethiopian PM says govt in full control of Tigray capital

Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s fiercest opposition, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front, in September went ahead with the vote in defiance of the federal-government’s decision, and later triggered a military conflict when it attacked a military camp in the region.

“Tigray’s schedule will be announced later on. This schedule does not include it,” said Solyana Shimeles, the spokesperson for the Ethiopian National Electoral Board. The region is currently under an interim administration appointed by the federal government.

The ballot will be a test of Abiy’s pledged reforms and his promise to make the country more democratic. Administrative elections for the cities of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa will be held on June 12, 2021.

ALSO READ: Rocket damages airport in Ethiopia's Amhara state