More than 8,200 candidates have registered for the upcoming sixth Ethiopia general elections, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) announced on Thursday.

The NEBE disclosed that 8,209 candidates and 47 political parties have registered to participate in the upcoming sixth general elections which is scheduled to be held in less than three-months' time, reported state media outlet Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation (EBC).

Out of the 8,209 candidates, 125 are standing as independent candidates, with the rest standing as representatives of various political parties.

Ethiopia was initially slated to hold its sixth general elections on August 29, 2020.

However, the Ethiopia House of Federation (HOF), the country's upper house of parliament, approved a recommendation in June 2020 to postpone the national elections citing the health threat posed by the COVID-19.

In December, The NEBE tentatively set June 5, 2021 as the date for the sixth general elections.

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