AFRICA/ETHIOPIA - Growing expectation for results of May 15 election: both majority and opposition claim victory. Official results on 8 June

Addis Ababa (Fides Service)- In Ethiopia there is growing expectation for the results of parliamentary elections on May 15. “The results will not be announced until June 8 but all the political groups have already claimed victory” a local source told Fides. “However it would seem that the only certain result is that the Opposition has won in the regional parliament of Addis Ababa”.
“To describe the atmosphere in Ethiopia, it is enough to say that the daily newspaper of the party Ethiopian Peoples Revolutionary Democratic Front Party EPRDF led by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said the party leadership committee had met to discuss government policies, taking for granted its victory in the vote” the sources told Fides.
In the meantime the Opposition threatens to boycott the new parliament unless its accusations of electoral fraud and serious irregularities in 139 voting stations are not investigated and another election is called.
“At the moment we see that fair and free elections are in danger. We have presented proof of the irregularities noted at 139 polling stations", said Hailu Shawel leader of the Coalition for Unity and Democracy CUD. Shawel warned that there could be a civil disobedience campaign if the government party goes ahead and forms a government before the results have been checked.
“In view of these tensions the international community has called on Ethiopia’s political groups to remain calm” Fides sources said. “So far international monitors have presented only partial reports on the regularity of the election. They are waiting for the results to be published to give a more complete report on the election. On the basis of the findings of the international observers the vote was repeated in 6 polling stations. However this decision will have a little impact on the final results since the number of polling stations was 35,000 over this vast territory”.
With regard to the country’s future Fides sources said “one problem still to be solved is the question of relations with Eritrea. The Opposition rejected a peace treaty backed by the Prime Minister. If the Opposition were to win the elections the question of relations with Eritrea would have to be re-examined”.
After yet another border war between Ethiopia and Eritrea from 1998 to 2000 in which at least 100,000 were killed at every border crossing between these neighbour countries an international peacekeeping force was deployed. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 24/5/2005 righe 38 parole 433)