Ethiopia electoral body consults on financing of political parties
July 23, 2009 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Ethiopian electoral body engaged consultations with the political parties over their financing before adopting the final regulation in this respect.
The National Electorate Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) started to distribute a draft of political parties financing to the political forces in order to collect their positions before adopting the final resolution on this sensitive issue.
In 2010 Ethiopia will hold general elections in the country, the government which is facing accusation of working to prevent change in next year’s elections pledged to ensure the 2010 elections are “free and transparent” and that everything is done to prevent the deadly post poll unrest of 2005.
NEBE Chairperson Merga Bekana told the official ENA on Wednesday that the drafted regulation has been handed out to the parties to enable the parties comment on it. The board called on the parties to discuss on the regulation on the coming Friday July 24, he added.
The regulation has been written in accordance with the Ethiopian constitution and the amended proclamation of political parties taking into account experiences of more than 100 countries.
Merga invited all political parties that did not receive the draft regulation to contact the electoral board in order to have a copy.
There are 91 registred political parties in Ethiopia. Some 25 of them are national and the remaining regional parties.
(ST)