Ethiopia’s electoral board has postponed until September elections in two of the country’s federal states – Somali and Harari. The voting – which is due in 10 days’ time – will also not take place in Tigray, where there is currently a conflict.

The authorities said irregularities and problems with the printing of ballot papers were behind the delay.

“For some constituencies the election will be done in a second round on 6 September,” the Reuters news agency quoted Birtukan Mideksa, the chairwoman of the National Electoral Board, as saying.

No date has been set for elections in Tigray region.

The poll was initially to be held in August last year but was postponed because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was then set for 5 June and again pushed forward by just over two weeks.

The initial postponement of the election last August was one of the triggers for the ongoing conflict in Tigray region.

About 37.4 million registered voters – out of a population of over 100 million – are eligible to vote in the national and parliamentary polls.