How are members of Ethiopia's two legislative houses chosen?

Ethiopia’s legislature is a bicameral body consisting of the House of Peoples’ Representatives and the House of the Federation. The selection processes for these chambers are as follows:12

• House of Peoples’ Representatives (Lower Chamber): Members are directly elected by the public to serve five-year terms. Universal suffrage is granted to all Ethiopian citizens aged 18 and older.23
• House of the Federation (Upper Chamber): Members also serve five-year terms. They are selected by state councils, though state councils have the option to hold direct elections for these seats instead. Each nation, nationality, and people in Ethiopia is guaranteed representation by at least one member in this house.23

Both houses play a role in the selection of the country's leadership; the House of Peoples’ Representatives elects the prime minister, while the president is nominated by the lower house and must be approved by at least a two-thirds vote in a joint session of both legislative houses.2