Sidama referendum: Over 98% vote 'YES' for Ethiopia's 10th regional state

Ethiopia is due to have its tenth regional state after a landslide ‘YES’ vote in a referendum held for the Sidama zone located in the country’s south.

The National Elections Board of Ethiopia, NEBE, announced the official results which showed that over 98% of people who voted wanted the creation of a new regional state.

Out of a registered voter population of 2,280,147, those that voted YES were 2,277,063, representing 98.52 percent whiles the remaining 1.48 percent voted NO. The turnout was 99.86 percent the NEBE added.

Breaking: Sidama referendum results per Electoral Board

- Registered voters 2,280,147, voted 2,277,063, invalid 18,351
- The turnout was 99.86 percent
- Remain 1.48 percent , Independent Sidama 98.52 percent #Ethiopia #SidamaReferendum https://t.co/wVWY1IwTId

— Abel Abate Demissie (@Abele_a) November 23, 2019