The House instructed the National Election Board of Ethiopia to oversee federal parliamentary polls in Humera, Adi Remets, Tselemti, Korem Ofla, and Raya Alamata without involvement from either the Tigray or Amhara regional administrations. The stated rationale was that the districts remain "contested,” and that electoral management must remain neutral until administrative ownership is formally adjudicated.

In a detailed letter addressed to both institutions, Tigray Democratic Solidarity argued that the ruling exceeds the House’s constitutional authority and "destabilizes the core principles of Ethiopia’s multinational federation.” The party referenced Article 62 to argue that the chamber may interpret constitutional questions but cannot impose interim administrative arrangements on territories whose status has not been settled. Any such decision, it said, must follow the Article 48 referendum process.

The five districts have remained under armed actors aligned with the federal government and the Amhara Regional State Government since the onset of the Tigray war in 2020, with rights groups—including Human Rights Watch—documenting ongoing displacement, forced expulsions, and persistent restrictions on returning Tigrayan residents. Despite the Pretoria Peace Agreement, humanitarian conditions in Western Tigray remain dire.

Several political organizations in Tigray argue the House’s directive makes a credible election structurally impossible. They highlight the absence of the original population in key constituencies, unresolved territorial control, and the collapse of local administrative institutions. NEBE’s proposal to allow internally displaced persons to vote from camps has been criticized as separating voters from their communities and undermining representational integrity.

NEBE has stated it will implement the national election schedule according to the House’s instructions. Tigray Democratic Solidarity warned that unless the ruling is reversed and displaced civilians are able to return home, participation in the election "would amount to legitimizing disenfranchisement rather than democratic choice.”