Ethiopia’s ruling party leads parliamentary elections: preliminary results

ADDIS ABABA, May 25, 2005 (Xinhua) — The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front was leading the May 15 parliamentary elections with 165 seats it secured, according to preliminary results issued Wednesday by the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE).

NEBE said in a statement that it has received preliminary election results of 270 of the 524 constituencies, where the parliamentary elections have taken place.

The statement said the results of 270 constituencies the board received Wednesday until 7 p.m. (1600 GMT) were put in the database of the board after scrutiny.

These preliminary results were dispatched from Oromia, Afar, Tigray, Amhara, South Ethiopia People’s states as well as the cities of Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa, it said.

The largest opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy was in second place with 85 seats, NEBE said.

The United Ethiopian Democratic Forces and the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement were in third and fourth places with 14 and 2 seats respectively, it said.

The Afar National Democratic Party secured two seats while the Somali People’s Democratic Party and the Sheko Menjzenger People’s Democratic Unity Organization secured one seat each.

NEBE is responsible for the administration, conduct and supervision of all elections in Ethiopia’s federal and state constituencies. It is scheduled to announce final official results on June 8.

Ethiopians went to poll on May 15 in the country’s two separate elections to elect representatives to the 547-seat House of People ‘ s Representatives and eight regional councils. Elections in southeastern Somali state will take place in August.

Ethiopia’s has a two-house parliament: the 110-seat upper House of the Federation and the 547-seat lower House of People’s Representatives.