Ethiopia marks anniversary of disputed elections
May 15, 2006 (ADDIS ABABA) — A sharply divided Ethiopia marked on Monday the anniversary of disputed elections that sparked deadly unrest and a crackdown on dissent, showing clearly that a year later rifts are far from healed.
The ruling party hailed the polls as a “great step forward” for democracy in the Horn of Africa nation, while opposition supporters vowed to boost their fight against the official results of the May 15, 2005 polls.
“Ethiopians, exactly one year ago, participated in fair, free and democratic elections,” the information ministry said in a statement, recalling the massive turnout and largely peaceful conduct of the polls.
“Remembering this day after one year, the Ethiopian government believes that the democratic system has greatly improved in the country,” it said, calling the polls “a great step forward in the development of democracy in Ethiopia.”
Opposition backers, by contrast, launched a new website ( www.addisvoice.com ) devoted to building support for the “defeat of tyranny,” and condemning what they say were fraudulent elections.
“The primary aim of the website is to intensify the bitter struggle for freedom, justice, democracy and equality,” the site said in an inaugural editorial.
International monitors praised the conduct and massive turnout on polling day but later criticized the government and the national election board for failing to adequately deal with the fraud allegations.
In its statement Monday, the government criticized opposition leaders — many of whom are on trial, accused of plotting a coup — for refusing to recognize the results.
“In Ethiopia, unfortunately some forces have been acting to overthrow the democratic system in an unlawful manner,” it said. “This kind of attempt is an obstacle for the development of the democratic system.
“The Ethiopian people must struggle against those forces who are against the economic and democratic development of the country,” the ministry said, painting the opposition as “anti-peace forces.”
Although it made substantial gains in the polls, the main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) maintains that the ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Party (EPRDF) stole the polls to retain its 15-year hold on power.
At least 84 people were killed — many by police — in two eruptions of post-election violence in June and November during CUD-led demonstrations against the election results.
Prosecutors have charged 111 people, including nearly the entire CUD leadership, with conspiring to overthrow the government with the backing of a previously unknown Eritrean-backed rebel group.
Even with opposition figures in prison, violence has continued with a string of unexplained explosions rocking Addis Ababa and provincial towns since the beginning of the year, killing at least 11 people.
On Friday, nine blasts killed at least four people and wounded more than 40 in Addis Ababa.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks but Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has said material for the bombs came from arch-rival neighbor Eritrea, a charge denied by Eritrean authorities.
On Monday, the government said the blasts showed “that the acts of the anti-peace forces are getting worse.”
“These kind of forces who are targetting civilians as well as government and public property are hopeless and purely terrorist forces,” it said, adding that the results of an investigation into the blasts would be announced soon.
But the Ethiopian opposition denies any involvement in the bombs attacks across Ethiopian capital and says suspecting the government for planning and carrying out these attacks to tarnish the image of the opposition.
(ST)