Ethiopia’s government accuses opposition of coup plot

Sept 24, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian government has accused opposition groups planning a mass rally next week to protest disputed May elections of fomenting violence and plotting a coup d’etat.

In a statement released late Friday, the information ministry also warned the country’s two main opposition groups that they would held accountable for any illegal acts or violence that result from the planned October 2 rally.

The ministry said the government was “aware of the fact that the political parties in the opposition… had officially adopted an anti-constitutional stance and have the ambition to overthrow the government by violence.”

It said the rally was being planned “with the intention of bringing the government down.”

“The opposition is sternly warn not to engage themselves in illegal activities,” the statement said. “They must be aware of the inevitability of taking responsibility for every illegal step and urged to reconsider their options.”

It also denounced the opposition for refusing to accept final results of the May 15 polls which give the ruling Ethiopian People’s Democratic Forces (EPRDF) victory and demanding the creation of a national unity government to oversee new elections.

Earlier this week, the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) and United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) announced plans for the October 2 demonstration aimed at rallying support for their cause.

They accuse the EPRDF of massive vote fraud and have complained that election authorities ignored their claims which led to protests in June that erupted in deadly violence when police opened fire on crowds during demonstrations in the capital.

The government has repeatedly rejected their calls for a unity government, arguing that such a move would be a rejection of democracy.

CUD vice president Berhanu Nega denied the government’s accusations saying the opposition wanted only to peacefully express its frustration with the election results which they believe are tainted.

“We are trying to exercise our constitutional right, we are not inciting violence,” he told AFP.

According to final election results, the EPRDF — which has ruled Ethiopia for the past 14 years — and allied parties won 370 of the 547 seats in parliament.

The opposition, which held only 12 seats before, picked up 175, but insists that it won the election outright.

(AFP/ST)