From: Biniam Tekle (biniamt@dehai.org)
Date: Wed May 26 2010 - 08:05:49 EDT
http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/africa/Ethiopia-Opposition-Leader-Calls-for-New-Vote-94908329.html
Ethiopia
Opposition Leader Calls for New Vote
VOA News 26 May 2010
An opposition leader in Ethiopia has rejected the results from parliamentary
elections that gave the ruling party an overwhelming victory and called for
a new vote.
Hailu Shawl, leader of the All Ethiopians Unity party, told reporters
Wednesday intimidation and fraud influenced Sunday's election.
The United States and the European Union have both said the election
appeared to fall short of international standards for a free and fair poll.
The latest results from Ethiopia's election board show the EPRDF coalition
taking at least 499 seats in parliament - 93 percent of the total - compared
to just one seat for the main opposition coalition, Medrek.
U.S. National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer voiced disappointed
that U.S. officials were limited in their ability to observe voting and were
unable to travel outside the capital on election day.
The European Union observer mission also criticized the polls, saying the
conditions for the election were tilted in favor of the ruling party.
An EU statement said government resources were used to help the ruling
coalition, and that state-owned media devoted more than 50 percent of all
news coverage to the ruling party. The EU Chief Observer, Thijs Berman,
also noted the government blocked other news sources, including VOA
broadcasts.
The top U.S. diplomat for Africa, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for
African Affairs Johnnie Carson, said Tuesday the Ethiopian government took
"clear and decisive steps" that ensured it would win the election.
Other opposition leaders have denounced the election results as fraudulent.
They say the ruling party controlled all aspects of the poll.
Sunday's election was the first in Ethiopia since a disputed 2005 vote that
led to violent unrest.
*Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.*
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