Disappointed by Ethiopian elections

By Mary Banotti, The Irish Times

Dec 30, 2005 — On May 15th last I was an official EU election monitor for the Ethiopian elections. The process was remarkably well organised, not withstanding the huge task involved. I met voters who had walked as far as 30 kilometres to vote. Patient people, who queued all night waiting for the polls to open at 6am. I then observed the opening of the ballot boxes at the end of the day and the counting of the votes which went on all night. The local officials scrutinised every vote in a tent lit only by a single candle, reminiscent of a scene from a Rembrandt painting.

Having worked without sleep for over 30 hours the presiding officer then walked over 20 kilometres to deliver the official counts and the sealed container of votes. I subsequently watched the handover of these votes to the provincial authorities. In the area I supervised there was no doubt that the opposition had won the majority of the votes, as they did in Addis Ababa. I would not presume to comment on counts in other parts of the country.

All the monitors present in Ethiopia for this land mark election were hugely moved by the experience and we looked forward to hearing the final result as promised on June 8th.

I write to express my disappointment and concern that the official result has not yet been declared and that many Ethiopian people have lost their lives while demonstrating their concern and anger that the democratic process remains a distant dream in that wonderful and beautiful country. – Yours, etc,

* Mary Banotti, Ringsend, Dublin 4 .