Ethiopia’s elections conducted in open, peaceful manner: Chinese observers

ADDIS ABABA, May 19, 2005 (Xinhua) — The Chinese observers’ group said here Thursday Ethiopia’s just-ended national elections were conducted in a free and open manner.

An Ethiopian woman casts her vote at a polling station in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Sunday, May 15, 2005 during the third democratic elections in Ethiopia’s 3,000-year history. (AP).

Song Guoqing, head of the Chinese observers’ group, told Xinhua that the casting of votes was conducted in a peaceful and smooth manner with voters given explanations on the procedures of vote.

Song, who was former Chinese ambassador to Zimbabwe and Spain, said his group visited and witnessed Sunday’s elections in 42 polling stations in the capital Addis Ababa, adding that the elections were held without any problem.

The Chinese observers’ group came here last week with the invitation of the Ethiopian government to monitor the elections, he said.

Song expressed appreciation to the Ethiopian government for its preparation made to enable the elections to be held in open, peaceful and free manner.

The group also expressed admiration to the mass media for their outstanding contribution made to provide news coverage to contesting political parties.

Since its arrival in Ethiopia, the group confirmed that the media had disseminated balanced news coverage to all parties without any partisanship, Song said.

The invitation extended to the Chinese by the Ethiopian government to monitor the elections shows how democracy has further been developed in the Horn of Africa country, he said.

The Ethiopian government is the first among the African countries to invite Chinese observers to monitor the elections, he said, adding that this would further enhance the bilateral cooperation and friendly relations between the two countries.