General elections were held in Ethiopia between 23 June and 7 July 1973, to elect all 250 members of the

Chamber of Deputies The chamber of deputies is the lower house in many bicameral legislatures and the sole house in some unicameral legislatures. Description Historically, French Chamber of Deputies was the lower house of the French Parliament during the Bourbon R ...

, the lower house of the Imperial Parliament (the upper house, the Senate, consisted of 125 senators appointed by the Emperor). These were the last elections to be held under imperial rule in Ethiopia.Cowen, Michael, and Liisa Laakso.
Multi-Party Elections in Africa
'. New York: Palgrave, 2001. pp. 62-63 The elections were called after the parliament elected in 1969 was dissolved. Prior to the dissolution of the old parliament, the Emperor Haile Selassie had put forward a proposal for land reform, including a new system of land taxation. Since no

political parties A political party is an organization that coordinates candidates to compete in a particular country's elections. It is common for the members of a party to hold similar ideas about politics, and parties may promote specific ideological or pol ...

were allowed per the 1955 constitution, only independent candidates contested the polls. All Ethiopian citizens aged 21 years and above were eligible to vote. In total the number of registered voters numbered around 7.3 million.
ETHIOPIA
', report by the

International Parliamentary Union The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU; french: Union Interparlementaire, UIP) is an international organization of national parliaments. Its primary purpose is to promote democratic governance, accountability, and cooperation among its members; other ...

Some 4,234,000 registered voters took part in the polls.Shinn, David Hamilton, Thomas P. Ofcansky, and Chris Prouty.
Historical Dictionary of Ethiopia
'. Historical dictionaries of Africa, no. 91. Lanham, Md: Scarecrow Press, 2004. p. 133 The highest voter turnout (around 66%) was noted amongst the younger generation, aged 25 to 35.Keller, Edmond J.
Revolutionary Ethiopia: From Empire to People's Republic
'. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 1988. pp. 87-88 Each electoral district, covering a population of around 200,000, was represented by two deputies. Towns with a population of above 30,000 had an additional deputy and then yet another deputy for every additional 50,000 inhabitants. 1,500 candidates stood in the elections. Candidates had to be Ethiopians by birth, at least 25 years old and registered as residents in the constituency they contested. A candidate also needed to own real property worth E$ 1,000 and personal property of E$ 2,000. 60% of the deputies elected were newcomers to the parliament, as many incumbent deputies either chose not to contest or had been defeated in the polls. Overall, there was a trend of pro-land reform incumbents being defeated and anti-land reform candidates getting elected.Cohen, John M.
Integrated Rural Development: The Ethiopian Experience and the Debate
'. Uppsala: Scandinavian Institute of African Studies, 1987. p. 122 After the elections,

Endelkachew Makonnen '' Lij'' Endelkachew Makonnen (27 September 1927 – 23 November 1974) was an Ethiopian politician. Born in Addis Ababa, his father, Ras Betwoded Makonnen Endelkachew, served as Prime Minister of Ethiopia in the 1950s. Endelkachew Makonnen ...

became Prime Minister of the country. The deputies were elected for a four-year term, which was interrupted by the overthrow of the imperial regime in 1974.

References

{{Ethiopian elections Ethiopia 1973 in Ethiopia General elections in Ethiopia Non-partisan elections June 1973 events in Africa July 1973 events in Africa Election and referendum articles with incomplete results