[1] Incumbent president Girma Wolde-Giorgis was barred from seeking re-election due to term limits.

[citation needed] As a parliamentary republic, most administrative power and the effective ability is vested in the prime minister and his government, rather than the president, leaving the president as primarily a figurehead executive.

However, the president retains significant Reserve powers granted by the constitution.

[3][4] Several persons have been the subject of speculation by various media sources as potential candidates in the election.

The past two presidents, Negasso Gidada, and Girma Wolde-Giorgis, have hailed from the Oromo ethnic group, the country's largest, and thus it has been speculated that the ruling party, the Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front, will again nominate an Oromo candidate.