Ethiopia’s Zenawi urges opposition to abide by constitution
Oct 15, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi urged opposition leaders on Saturday to discharge the responsibilities due on them in enforcing the constitution.
Meles also urged them to commit to their constitutional duties by taking the peaceful avenue as the only option.
In a nationwide televised address, Meles said now that the parliament has passed decision taking away the impunity rights of those leaders of opposition political parties boycotting parliament, the government will be able to take the appropriate measures, should they opt for any more of their campaign of violence and force.
He referred to those MPs from the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD), who failed to be present at the first session.
Meles said the oppositions had initially come on board competition in the elections to join parliament with whatever votes they might have won, not to boycott it by posing preconditions as they have done now from an afterthought.
Meles said there was no other alternative than for them to accept and make use of the votes they have managed to secure in the free election. He indicated the need for the opposition leaders to abandon to play double standards, and rather to contribute the roles expected of them in ensuring that the constitution is respected in addition to committing themselves to it.
He said the decision, the parliament passed to take away the impunity rights of those boycotting parliament, was not as rumored to make the ruling party to crumble and imprison their elected representatives, but only for the government to be able to take the appropriate measures whenever they are found guilty of what might have been any criminal act.
He said the parliament also passed decision to prolong the existing government of the Addis Ababa city after they failed to take over power.
On Monday, Ethiopia’s lower House of People’s Representatives ( HPR) opened for the first time since the May 15 parliamentary elections and re-elected Meles Zenawi as prime minister for a third five-year term.
The final election results indicate that Meles-led Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Party (EPRDF), which has ruled the country for the past 14 years, has won 327 seats of the 547- seat lower house of parliament, enough to form the federal government.
Ethiopians went to poll on May 15 in the country’s national elections to elect House of People’s Representatives.
(Xinhua)