Ethiopia electoral body says CUD merger “technically closed”
Nov 19, 2005 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopian National Electoral Board (NEB) said that the issue of opposition CUD merger is technically closed, this decision is justified by the absence of legal representatives to discuss the merger with them or their refusal of merger.
The Addis Ababa based the Reporter reported that the NEB was willing to discuss the document of merger, presented by CUD on October 28 and had tried to contact the CUD representatives of 3 political parties but it did not success to establish contact with.
“We have phoned them, there was no response; we sent our people to their offices, they were closed. There is no one to discuss issues with. No one appeared and said they represent the CUD. So the file is temporarily closed,” Mekonnen added.
The arrested 24 opposition leaders brought to court 7 November, including Coalition for Unity and Democracy chairman Hailu Shawel and vice chairman Berhanu Nega, were ordered held another 14 days.
On the other hand, only three demands of merger carry the stamps, namely documents presented by the All-Ethiopia Unity Party (AEUP), Rainbow Ethiopia-Movement for Democracy Social Justice and the Ethiopia Democratic League (EDL). The Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party-Medhin (EDUP- Medhin) didn’t put its stamp and the one that was on the document of merger was a fake one counterfeited without any permission of the board, the NEB said.
In this context, the body yesterday 18 November decided that the document of merger of the four allied parties was incomplete, the official concluded.
Mekonnen Wondimu, head of political parties registration office at the NEB told The Reporter that EDUP-Medhin wrote two letters on November 14 and 16 telling the board that the party never asked for legal accreditation and also that it was not signatory to the act of merger of the CUD.
The official added that the NEB recognizes Ato Lidetu Ayalew as the acting chairman of the EDUP-Medhin.
Ato Lidetu Ayalew was the Secretary of the EDUP-Medhin and vice-chairman of the CUD.
As Ayalew resisted to the merger, he was sacked from the CUD direction. Nowadays, the EDUP-Medhin is divided on the issue.
(The Reporter/ST)