The Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party

October 9, 2005

Eight-Point Preconditions to Join Parliament and for Free and Fair Elections in Ethiopia

The 60-member Kinijit Council has unanimously agreed on the following eight-point precondition the Meles regime must fulfill in order for Kinijit to enter Parliament:

1. The Election Board needs to be restructured and be able to operate independently

2. All government controlled media should be free and accesible to all political parties

3. The legal system must be able to operate independently without any coercion by the ruling party

4. An independent commission should be established to investigate the June 8, 2005 killings of unarmed civilians

5. Ensure that the police and the armed forces do not get involved in politics and take sides

6. Recent laws that have been passed at the concluding sessions of the last Parliament that deal with parliamentary procedures and governance of the City of Addis Ababa should be recended

7. All political prisoners should be released, and opposition party offices that had been closed should be opened

8. Establish an independent body that will make sure that the above mentioned conditions are fulfilled

Four members of the Kinijit Executive Committee have been assigned to submit these conditions to the Prime Minister.