They say their supporters have been harassed and thousands of voter cards stolen. Election officials have denied the accusations.
The vote is being held later than the rest of Ethiopia, which voted in May, due to security fears and problems reaching the Somali region’s nomads.
The ruling party has already retained its majority in parliament.
“After observing the situation… we have all decided to boycott the election in the region in order to save our people from a disastrous fate,” said a joint statement by the Western Somalia Democratic party, the Coalition of Somali Democratic Forces and Dall-Wabi People’s Democratic Movement.
Joseph Nur, vice chair of the Western Somali Democratic Party, said: “At least 10,000 voter cards have been stolen and many are on sale in local markets.”
The Somali-based parties also accuse officials from the National Election Board of colluding with the government.
Voters in the 23 Somali constituencies are due to go to the polls on 21 August, along with voters in 32 other constituencies where irregularities were found.
At least five people were killed in grenade attacks in the Somali region last month, which have been linked to electoral tensions.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) already has 296 MPs – enough for a working majority in the 547-seat parliament.
However, the national opposition has also complained of electoral fraud and has threatened to go to court.
Despite their anger at the way in which the elections were held, the opposition parties will be greatly strengthened in the new parliament.
They now hold 174 seats – compared with just 14 in the last parliament.
BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/africa/4156872.stm
CUD candidate Ato Desta Kasse told Ethiopian Review today that he will not compete with EPRDF candidate Bereket Simon in the reelection that was called by the Election Board.
Even though Ato Desta won the election, the EPRDF Propaganda Minister Bereket Simon demanded reelection saying his opponent cheated. Without talking to Ato Desta or any of the Bugna woreda residents, the Election Board agreed with Ato Bereket and called a reelection for August 21. The Election Board chairman Ato Kemal Bedri fired all election officials in the Bugna woreda and brought new officials from other regions who are EPRDF cadres.
Currently, under Ato Bereket’s order, EPRDF cadres, supported by Federal police, are rounding up young people through out the Lalibela area and detaining them to preempt any protest ahead of the re-election. People who are suspected of supporting CUD are also being fired from their jobs.
Ato Bereket and his heavily armed cadres are terrorizing the people of Wollo at this very moment. They are crying out for help.
Ato Desta said that under these circumstances, participating in the reelection will be useless.
CUD candidate Desta Kasse is boycotting the re-election in Lalibela
August 15, 2005
Ethiopian Review
CUD candidate Ato Desta Kasse told Ethiopian Review today that he will not compete with EPRDF candidate Bereket Simon in the reelection that was called by the Election Board.
Even though Ato Desta won the election, the EPRDF Propaganda Minister Bereket Simon demanded reelection saying his opponent cheated. Without talking to Ato Desta or any of the Bugna woreda residents, the Election Board agreed with Ato Bereket and called a reelection for August 21. The Election Board chairman Ato Kemal Bedri fired all election officials in the Bugna woreda and brought new officials from other regions who are EPRDF cadres.
Currently, under Ato Bereket’s order, EPRDF cadres, supported by Federal police, are rounding up young people through out the Lalibela area and detaining them to preempt any protest ahead of the re-election. People who are suspected of supporting CUD are also being fired from their jobs.
Ato Bereket and his heavily armed cadres are terrorizing the people of Wollo at this very moment. They are crying out for help.
Ato Desta said that under these circumstances, participating in the reelection will be useless.
Ethiopian Review will conduct a teleconference with Ato Desta tonight (Aug. 15) at 11 PM EST to let Ethiopians around the world hear about the plight of the people in Wollo.
To attend the teleconference, please call 217 322 6922, PIN 1000#. Call 15 minutes early. If you have questions for Ato Desta, please email them to: [email protected]
The Federal High Court on Wednesday sentenced to death Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie, who served as Minister of National and Public Security, and General Leggesse Belayneh, who was head of Central Investigation Department during the former military regime.
The Court has also sentenced other eight convicts in the files of Colonel Debela Dinsa and accomplices from 10 years to life in prison.
Accordingly, the third criminal bench of the court sentenced to life in prison Colonel Teklemichael Armidae who was head of Anti-Rebellion and Police special Investigation Department.
The court has also sentenced to 22 years of rigorous prison terms Colonel Shimelis Alemu, who was Head of the so-called Revolution Guard in Addis Ababa General Council, and Seyoum Woldemichael, who was head of Investigation Team under the Derg regime.
The Court sentenced Dr. Alemu Abebe, who was Chairman and Mayor of the Addis Ababa General Council to 20 years rigorous imprisonment, while it sentenced Colonel Admasu Gessesse, who was Deputy Head of the Central Investigation Department to 18 years in prison.
The Addis Ababa General Council Revolutionary Campaign Coordinating Committee Chairman and Administrator of the former Shoa Province, Colonel Debele Dinsa, and Representative of Uniformed Personnel at the former Ministry of Urban Development and Housing, Major Rondasa Birratu have each been sentenced to 13 years rigorous prison terms.
Another convict named Abera Yemane-ab, the head of Urban Dwellers Associations Organizing Department, is sentenced to 10 years in prison.
While passing the sentence, the court said Colonel Tesfaye Woldeselassie and General Legesse Belayneh have played prominent roles in the inhuman persecution of political dissidents by setting up and coordinating institutions of torture under the so-called Revolutionary Central Investigation and Police Special Investigation Departments.
In one of such institutions which used to be called Bermuda, prisoners were exposed to extremely inhuman tortures, according to the court.
Victims of such excessive tortures were used to be wrapped by plastic sheet to protect the torturers from getting splashed with blood or pus of the victims in successive round of tortures.
Apart from the routine whiplashes and beatings, victims also used to be electrocuted, it was indicated.
After the tortures, victims were used to be covered by a chemically-treated cloth that will lead them suffer extreme eye irritation, to the extent that they could not see for sometime.
Human witnesses have testified to the court that victims that suffered the stated kind of torture were taken out of the prison cells and never returned as they were persecuted to death.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party said it would form a new government on Thursday, despite the opposition’s refusal to accept the results of May elections it says were fraudulent.
The African Union appealed to political parties in the Horn of Africa country to settle any disputes through the courts and dialogue. Opposition parties are due to announce on Thursday how they intend to challenge the election results.
The latest in a slow trickle of results from the May 15 parliamentary poll confirmed Meles on Tuesday as winner of a second term in Africa’s top coffee grower.
Claims of fraud in what was considered Ethiopia’s most democratic poll sparked protests and a military clampdown that left at least 36 people dead.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said in a statement that the opposition was calling for the formation of a national reconciliation government through power-sharing but that this was not acceptable.
“The question of sharing power through negotiation will not be acceptable,” EPRDF said. “According to the national constitution, only the party which wins a majority vote can form the government. Any anti-constitutional move will not be accepted to just quench the thirst of power of the opposition.”
The opposition parties were not immediately available for comment.
In what appeared to be an endorsement of the process, the Addis Ababa-based AU praised Ethiopians’ participation and the nation’s “democratisation” in general.
“The African Union … appeals to all political parties to work together in the national interest and if need be, pursue any outstanding issues through due processes of the law and agreed mechanisms including dialogue,” it said in a statement.
“The African Union wishes to congratulate the people of Ethiopia for having freely expressed their will,” it said.
CONSTITUENCY RESULTS
The latest batch of constituency results announced by the National Election Board gave EPRDF 296 parliamentary seats, past the 274 it needs for a majority.
The two main opposition coalitions, other opposition parties and independent candidates now have 176 out of 547 seats, far more than the 20 they had in the last parliament.
EPRDF affiliates won another 20 seats.
The main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) has said the electoral board was biased toward the ruling party.
It and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) opposition party were to hold a news conference on Thursday to outline how they would challenge the result.
Meles has in the past been feted by Western leaders and was a prominent member of the British-sponsored Africa Commission giving recommendations to the G8 group of rich nations on how to tackle the continent’s problems.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi’s ruling party said it would form a new government on Thursday, despite the opposition’s refusal to accept the results of May elections it says were fraudulent.
The African Union appealed to political parties in the Horn of Africa country to settle any disputes through the courts and dialogue. Opposition parties are due to announce on Thursday how they intend to challenge the election results.
The latest in a slow trickle of results from the May 15 parliamentary poll confirmed Meles on Tuesday as winner of a second term in Africa’s top coffee grower.
Claims of fraud in what was considered Ethiopia’s most democratic poll sparked protests and a military clampdown that left at least 36 people dead.
The ruling Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) said in a statement that the opposition was calling for the formation of a national reconciliation government through power-sharing but that this was not acceptable.
“The question of sharing power through negotiation will not be acceptable,” EPRDF said. “According to the national constitution, only the party which wins a majority vote can form the government. Any anti-constitutional move will not be accepted to just quench the thirst of power of the opposition.”
The opposition parties were not immediately available for comment.
In what appeared to be an endorsement of the process, the Addis Ababa-based AU praised Ethiopians’ participation and the nation’s “democratisation” in general.
“The African Union … appeals to all political parties to work together in the national interest and if need be, pursue any outstanding issues through due processes of the law and agreed mechanisms including dialogue,” it said in a statement.
“The African Union wishes to congratulate the people of Ethiopia for having freely expressed their will,” it said.
CONSTITUENCY RESULTS
The latest batch of constituency results announced by the National Election Board gave EPRDF 296 parliamentary seats, past the 274 it needs for a majority.
The two main opposition coalitions, other opposition parties and independent candidates now have 176 out of 547 seats, far more than the 20 they had in the last parliament.
EPRDF affiliates won another 20 seats.
The main opposition Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) has said the electoral board was biased toward the ruling party.
It and the United Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF) opposition party were to hold a news conference on Thursday to outline how they would challenge the result.
Meles has in the past been feted by Western leaders and was a prominent member of the British-sponsored Africa Commission giving recommendations to the G8 group of rich nations on how to tackle the continent’s problems.
