Alemahyu Tegenu and Shimels Kemal are the few absent from the May election

Minister of Water Irrigation and Energy and Central Committee member of the Oromo People's Democratic Organization (OPDO) Alemayehu Tegenu is absent from Addis Ababa.  Joining Alemayehu are Shimeles Kemal, Deputy Head of Government Communications Affairs Office, Abraham Tekeste (PhD), Finance and Economic State Minister, Yacob Yala, Trade State Minister and Belaynesh Teklay, Deputy Director of the Ethiopian Revenues and Customs Authority. One minister and four state ministers are going to contest in Addis Ababa for the May Elections. In that regard, Aster Mamo, Minister of Civil Service with the rank of Deputy Prime Minister, Tadesse Haile, State Minister of Industry, Yohannnes Bekele, former Chief Executive Officer of Bole Sub City and the current Head of the Industry Office of the Addis Ababa City Administration, Ali Siraj, State Minister of Trade, Firehiwot Ayalew, Head of the Addis Ababa Communications Office, Bisrat Gashawtena, former President of the Ethiopian Athletics Federation and the current CEO of the Amhara Development Association have been fielded by the ruling party. Among the 23 constituencies in Addis Ababa, Woreda 17 or Bole area is expected, to entertain a head-to-head encounter between the representative of the ruling party and those in the opposition block. In this constituency, EPRDF is represented by Yohannnes Bekele. He will face opposition bigwigs including President of Ethiopian Raey Party, Teshale Sebro, Head of the Public Relations of Semayawi (Blue) Party, Yonatan Tesfaye and Wendwesen Tesema, Public Relations Head of Ethiopian Democratic Party. Another face-off is also expected at Wereda 8, a constituency located around St. Paul Hospital. Two opposition figures, Tigistu Awelu, President of Unity for Democracy and Justice Party (UDJ) and Weretaw Wase, Head of Finance Department of Blue, are expected to battle it out. By the same token, other opposition party leaders will face each other in Wereda 10, around Semien Mazegaja area. In this constituency, Asfaw Getachew, President of Addis Teweled Party and Ayele Chamiso, President of Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), will go neck-and-neck .

President of All Ethiopian Unity Party (AEUP) Abebaw Mehari, another prominent opposition figure, will also run for parliament in Wereda 24 around Torhailoch area.

Regarding the lists of candidates fielded by the EPRDF, 15 are first-timers while seven candidates are rerunning to represent the party.

The individuals, who will not be rerunning in Addis Ababa are replaced by Ali Siraj, Dagmawit Moges, Deputy Head of Addis Ababa City Capacity Building Office, Nigatu Dagnachew, Deputy Head of Children, Women and Youth Affairs Office of Addis Ababa, Mitiku Mada, Deputy Head of Addis Ababa Justice Office and Meheret Minaseb  . Source ( Reporter )