Ethiopia ruling party wins nearly all parliamentary seats

May 26, 2010 (ADDIS ABABA) — Vote results in Ethiopia’s Sunday election are heading toward a return of a one-party state as country’s ruling EPRDF party wipes out almost all parliamentary seats after staying almost two decades in power.

The country’s election board released provisional results indicate prime minister Meles’s party, the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front, won 534 of 536 seats, with the results for 11 seats still unannounced.

The European Union’s observation mission chief, Thijs Berman, on Sunday praised the vote as “peaceful and calm”. Africa Union observer’s mission on Wednesday congratulated Ethiopian people for conducting peaceful and free election despite irregularity claims by Forum Party, country’s biggest opposition coalition.

A coalition of Ethiopian civil society groups also called the elections “free, fair and democratic”.

However, the New York based Human Rights Watch harshly criticized the electoral process as opposition claim vote-rigging.

Ethiopian government and ruling party officials intimidated voters and unlawfully restricted the media ahead of the May 23, 2010 parliamentary elections, Human Rights Watch said on Monday.

In assessing the polls, international election observers should address the repressive legal and administrative measures that the Ethiopian ruling party used to restrict freedom of expression during the election campaign, HRW said.

Millions of members and supporters of the governing EPRDF party on Tuesday rallied across nation chanting slogans against Human Rights Watch allegations, which has documented an extensive harassment and intimidation campaign against the opposition groups.

The United States on Tuesday spoke-out on Ethiopia’s election saying the electoral process failed to meet international standards.

The limitation of independent observation and the harassment of independent media representatives during the parliamentary elections in Ethiopia on Sunday were “deeply troubling,” the White House said late on Tuesday.

While commending the people of Ethiopia for peaceful behavior during the balloting, the United States is concerned that “international observers found that the elections fell short of international commitments,” said the statement from National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer.

“We are disappointed that U.S. Embassy officials were denied accreditation and the opportunity to travel outside of the capital on Election Day to observe the voting,” Hammer said.

An environment conducive to free and fair elections was not in place even before Election Day, he added.

“In recent years, the Ethiopian government has taken steps to restrict political space for the opposition through intimidation and harassment, tighten its control over civil society, and curtail the activities of independent media,” Hammer said.

“We are concerned that these actions have restricted freedom of expression and association and are inconsistent with the Ethiopian government’s human rights obligations.” As voting concludes and the results are announced, “we call on all parties to reject violence,” he said.

“We await the final assessments of the electoral process from independent observers, and encourage the government to address in good faith and impartially any concerns and disputes that are raised.”

(ST)