Ethiopia may extend registration deadline of capital elected members
Jan 28, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — The Ethiopia’s National Electoral Board (NEB) would soon deliberate on the issue of extending deadlines for the registration of elected council members of the Addis Ababa City Council, it was learnt.
The head of the body, Tesfaye Mengesha, told The Reporter that his office is making preparations to present the issue to the board at the request at some Councillors. “An ad hoc committee that claimed to represent the elected council members asked the office, in writing, to extend the deadline for registration.
The committee said the quorum needed was not met because of various reasons and urged the board for a second chance,” Tesfaye said.
The administration of the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa, will not be handed to the elected team because elected council members of the opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) failed to register, the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) said in a statement on Sunday 15 January.
The office has notified the House of Peoples’ Representatives of how it was unable to facilitate the handover of the Addis Ababa Administration because of insufficient number of Councillors registered at the office expressing willingness to take over the city.
Tesfaye indicated that there was one EPRDF elected Councillors for the city council and confirmed that he, too, didn’t register.
The board had earlier called upon the elected Councillors to register at the board so that the city could have its elected administration. The move was, however, futile because it was only 54 electees that came and registered, falling short of the required number, 70.
The refusal by CUD councillors to register means the opposition stronghold of Addis Ababa will continue to be run by an appointed transitional administration dominated by the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF).
The CUD, many of whose elected members of parliament are also boycotting the federal legislature to protest alleged massive fraud in the May 15 2005 polls, says it will not take its city council seats until the national government restores certain powers to the body.
The CUD considers unacceptable laws enacted by the government about the city administration.
(The reporter/ST)