Ethiopian electoral panel rejects complaints from 75 constituencies

ADDIS ABABA, July 20 (AFP) — Ethiopia’s national election board on Wednesday rejected complaints from 75 constituencies of alleged mass fraud in disputed May elections, after opposition parties called the probes a “complete failure”.

The National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said the complaints, most of which were lodged by the opposition parties, were thrown out because of insufficient evidence.

“The complaints were rejected since they were not substantiated with convincing evidence,” NEBE official Mekonnen Woundmu was quoted as saying by the state-run Ethiopian News Agency.

On Tuesday, the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) said the probes into alleged vote fraud had been a “total failure” and accused the government of harassing witnesses to the irregularities.

The parties claimed one witness was killed and 11 others were arrested on Sunday after testifying before a panel set up by the national election board.

“The environment in which the panel conducted the investigation was too flawed to ascertain that there was no vote rigging,” CUD vice chairman Berhanu Nega said on Tuesday.

“CUD and UEDF strongly believe that the investigation process was a complete failure,” he said in a statement also signed by UEDF vice-chairman Beyene Petros, which claimed that opposition witnesses were being routinely ignored.

“Ninety percent of our complaints are going in favor of the ruling party,” Beyene said. “We are being favored in only six percent of what we complained (about), this is one indicator how the NEBE is favouring the ruling party.”