A bill that outlines the procedures for handling disputes and grievances which may arise during the election has been tabled to the parliament. The election-related cases will be reviewed at the benches established under the Federal Supreme Court. Drafted by the Federal Supreme Court, the bill has been sent to the Legal, Justice & Democracy Standing Committee of the parliament for review.  The new bill deals with the procedures for reviewing disputes that may arise in voter and candidate registration, candidates' electoral symbols, ethical misconduct, voting and election results. Although electoral issues by their nature are matters of civil law, a separate legal procedure was needed considering the special circumstances that elections present. Disputes related to the election will go through the polling station grievance hearing committee, the constituency grievance hearing committee and then to the Electoral Board. The Board will then push the case to the benches. The Federal Supreme Court established electoral benches at all levels of federal courts in March of last year. The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has scheduled the sixth national election to take place on June 5, 2021, while other preparation activities have been underway since late December 2020. Over the past week, NEBE has approved the electoral symbols of 45 political parties.

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