Civil societies plan to deploy 3,000 observers for Ethiopian polls

ADDIS ABABA, March 4 (AFP) — A group of civil societies plan to deploy some 3,000 Ethiopian observers to oversee May 15 general elections in Ethiopia, the third poll since 1991 when dictator Mengistu Haile Mariam was toppled, officials said.

The observers will come from 37 non-governmental organisations and civil society organisations, according to Abegebe Teffera, a member of Christian Relief and Development Association (CRDA).

“Instead of observing individually like for the previous elections, we decided to create a network of 37 NGOs and CSOs to have a collective observation report and send 3,000 monitors to different regions of Ethiopia,” said Abegebe, the group’s coordinator.

If deployed, the team would be the largest ever of civil society observers to oversee polls in Ethiopia since 1991.

Abegebe said they plan to deploy teams to the field five days before election date in order to facilitate efficiency.

The European Union has pledged to send 150 observers, with some expected to start arriving around April 15, while others will jet in a few days before voting day.

Some 13 donor nations have given six million dollars to fund the polls, but will not cover observers’ expenses.

There are 32,000 polling stations spread around 547 constituencies in Ethiopia, a nation of 70 million.

Ethiopia’s electoral commission Vice President Tesfaye Mengesha said they are ready to cooperate with any number of observers.

“The board will allow the observers. There are no restrictions on the number of observers, whether there are 3,000 or 10,000 we would accept it, and it is good because they can cover a wide area,” he said.

About 25 million Ethiopians have registered to vote for a two chamber house: a 110-seat upper house and 547 seats in the lower house. Fifty-five parties will participate in the polls.