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Ethiopia: the opposition demands new elections

By on May 28, 2010
The coalition of eight parties of the opposition, the MEDREK, rejected on May 26th the results of the general election taken gained) in an overwhelming way by the party of the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, and demand the electoral Committee to organise a new ballot.

The ruling coalition, since 1991, and the opposition parties are again in wrestling-arm, five years after the previous controversial general election which had turned into a bloody conflict.
“These appeals for a new ballot are completely inequitable “, declared the Prime Minister Meles Zenawi”. If they can prove that 50 % or 100 % of seats were won in illicit way, then they are lucky to take the case to the court, and they have the right to protest or to reject the results, as long as they do not break the law “, added the Prime Minister.
On 536 districts, the “MEDREK” won only a single seat, whereas the EPRDF conquered 499 and several allied parties of the EPRDF gained 36 seats. The Ethiopian National Assembly accounts 547 seats and the definitive results must be published on June 21st.
The opposition received the indirect support of the United States, which criticized on Tuesday the regularity of the ballot, considering that “the elections did not respect the required international standards” had declared the delegate Secretary of State to the African affairs, Johnnie Carson. While the high representative of the European Union for the Foreign Affairs, Catherine Ashton, had congratulated, on Tuesday, the «peaceful progress of the ballot”, just like France which greeted on Wednesday the “efficiency” of the electoral committee.

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