Simegnish “Lily” Mengesha/CPJ Guest Blogger - Committee to Protect Journalists

Simegnish "Lily" Mengesha is a journalist, media consultant, and translator, who has served most recently as director of the Ethiopian Environment Journalists Association. An outspoken advocate for freedom of expression, she has worked with foreign news outlets such as Wall Street Journal, Voice of America, and the BBC. Mengesha is currently a Reagan-Fascell Democracy Fellow at the National Endowment for Democracy.

A rally for the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front in Addis Ababa. The general election is on May 24 but with a diminished press, many voters struggle to find independent information. (AFP/Zacharias Abubeker)

With limited independent press, Ethiopians left voting in the dark

May 22, 2015 4:17 PM EDT

On Sunday Ethiopians go to the polls in the country’s fifth general election since the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front came to power more than 20 years ago. Citizens are expected to choose the right party to lead them for the next five years. To do so, they need to have a clear understanding…