Ethiopia election results may face further delay – official

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia, June 27, 2005 (AP) — Electoral authorities may again delay the release of results in disputed elections that have sparked deadly clashes in Ethiopia, an official said Monday.

The official said investigations into voting irregularities involving a quarter of the seats at stake are still incomplete.

Police killed at least 36 demonstrators during three days of protests over alleged fraud that started June 6. Police later killed a newly elected opposition leader in southern Ethiopia. Six policemen were arrested for the politician’s death.

Officials originally said results would be released June 8. They later delayed the release by one month to probe electoral irregularities in at least 135 out of 547 constituencies.

Acting registrar Mekonnen Wondiu said the official date to release the results hasn’t changed but he said results may not be complete at that point because of the time the investigations are expected to take.

“It could mean we don’t know who the winner is,” he said.