Ethiopian PM bans demonstrations in Addis Ababa

ADDIS ABABA, May 15 (AFP) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi on Sunday banned all demonstrations in Addis Ababa and its surrroundings for one month after elections the opposition claims were marred by widespread fraud.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi addresses supporters in Addis Ababa. (AFP).

“As of tomorrow, for the next one month no demonstrations of any sort will be allowed within the city and its environs,” he said in a nationally televised address, announcing also that all security forces in the capital would be brought under his direct command.

“As peace should be respected within the city and its environs, the government has decided to bring all the security forces, the police and the local militias, under one command accountable to the prime minister,” Meles said.

The prime minister, whose party was widely expected to win Sunday’s polls, said he had no reason to think there might be trouble but stressed that the steps he was taking were aimed at guarding against post-election violence.

“We are not expecting any big danger but as a government there is a role to play in looking after the peace and harmony of the people,” he said in response to questions posed by journalists following the announcement.

“This action is just simply a precaution to see that no one is endangered for this or that reason,” Meles said.

Ethiopia’s two main opposition groups, which have both claimed they were targets of an organized campaign of intimidation and harrassment, said earlier they believed there had been large-scale ballot fraud and threatened to boycott the election results.