Ethiopian opposition fails to beat deadline to takeover capital
April 22, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — Opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party (CUD) elected councillors to the Addis Ababa City Administration failed to come up with the required number of electees to take over the city administration within the extended 21-day period which was recommended by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi and approved by parliament.
The deadline ended on Tuesday 18 April.
Deputy chair of the CUD organizing committee, Ayele Chamiso, told The Reporter that the number of electees who had expressed their willingness to assume administration of Addis Ababa had reached 67 on Monday.
He added that they had sent the prime minister a letter requesting an additional one-week period of registration for the benefit of electees who were not registered owing to their departure to the regions or feeling of insecurity.
Asked about three electees who had applied to the National Electoral Board (NEB) for cancellation of their signatures after they had expressed desire to assume administration of the city, Ayele said that he knew of no such thing.
At least 70 of the 138 electees to the city administration must express their willingness to form the city government.
In the Prime Minister Meles’s recommendation approved by parliament on March 28, it had been decided that members of the CUD elected to the city administration would be granted an additional period of 21 days for registration.
It was also decided that the city’s provisional administration would be dismissed and a care taker administration be put in place for one-year period in the event the electees failed to obtain sufficient votes to assume administration of the city, sub-cities and kebeles within the deadline.
Then a new election would be held after a year to ensure the elected representatives would assume the responsibility of administering the city, sub-cities and kebeles according to the recommendation approved by the House.
(The Reporter/ST)