After six independent Ethiopian print publications closed in the past year due to government harassment, many fear that the harsh restrictions within their media will greatly impact the May elections. According to Human Rights Watch, At least 22 journalists, bloggers, and publishers were criminally charged and over 30 journalists fled the country in fear of being arrested under repressive laws. As the May elections approach, deputy Africa director Leslie Lufkow speaks of her concern about the public being misinformed:
"Ethiopia’s government has systematically assaulted the country’s independent voices, treating the media as a threat rather than a valued source of information and analysis. Ethiopia’s media should be playing a crucial role in the May elections, but instead many journalists fear that their next article could get them thrown in jail."
Researcher Felix Horne says the harassments come in stages. It begins with threatening phone calls, text messages and in person visits attempting to get the person to edit the writings to adhere to government perspectives. It then leads to threats and harassment against family members. If none of these tactics work, the next step involves criminal charges. He also says the repression has resulted in an alternate view of the upcoming elections and the truths are rarely discussed in the media. He states:
“It is crucial and critical that there will be a vibrant and flourishing independent media that can contribute to the political discourse and the political dialogue within the country that can provide critical information and critical analysis about the political issues of the day. But sadly, given the decimation of private media that we’ve seen since 2010, that’s just not happening.”
The ruling party EPRDF, which has been in power since 1991, has won over 99 percent of the votes in the 2010 elections. According to Ethio Media writer Shiferaw Abebe, the chances of a win by any opposing party is slim. He describes a win by any other party as "something miraculous" and "farfetched."
The rising media repression will significantly affect the media setting for the May elections. Lefkow says:
“The government still has time to make significant reforms that would improve media freedoms before the May elections. Amending oppressive laws and freeing jailed journalists do not require significant time or resources, but only the political will for reform.”
As the censorship continues and the elections grow nearer, government reform does not seem realistic. Information will still be retained from the public and the ruling party is anticipated to be the unanimous winner in May.