Ethiopian opposition leaders, US congressman discuss poll crisis

ADDIS ABABA, Aug 15, 2005 (IRIN) — A senior US legislator met rival Ethiopian political leaders for closed-door talks on Monday against a continuing stalemate over results of the disputed 15 May national election, officials said.

Republican congressman Chris Smith held talks with Prime Minister Meles Zenawi just days after his party won a majority in parliament in polls marred by allegations of massive electoral fraud.

Smith also met with key opposition leaders, who have warned that further violence could erupt in the impoverished nation if the political impasse is not resolved.

The country’s two main opposition groups – the Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) – have also said they may contest the election results in court.

Violence flared up a month after the polls, with Ethiopian security forces accused of shooting some 40 demonstrators protesting alleged election fraud.

Smith also held closed-door talks with Kemal Bedri, chairman of the National Electoral Board.

Meles’ ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front won 296 seats in the 547-member parliament, while its allied parties won 22 seats.

The electoral board said CUD won 109 seats while the UEDF won 52 seats. Opposition parties held just 12 seats in the last parliament.

A release by the US State Department had said Smith would discuss “voter rights violations” during his visit.

Ethiopia’s donor community has also called for calm following the release of the final results. In a statement issued on Friday and signed by 21 envoys, the donors called on political parties to help avoid further bloodshed.

“We note reports of irregularities in the process, but we await the publication of the findings of the international observer missions, which will provide a basis for working with all parties to strengthen the democratic system further,” they said.

Ethiopia is due to repeat elections for 31 seats and hold one by-election on Sunday. It is also preparing to hold elections for 23 constituencies in the remote eastern region of Somali, where heavy rains and security concerns delayed the poll.

The elections were seen as a key test of Meles’ commitment to greater democratic reform in the country he has ruled for 14 years. The US and the European Union have urged the government to respect human rights, and have called for an independent inquiry into the killings.

Smith was later due to travel to Sudan, where he would tour camps for displaced people in war-ravaged Darfur.