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The National
Electoral Board of Ethiopia (NEBE) has announced that local
election and by-elections to fill vacated seats in legislative
bodies would be held this year. Various activities have
subsequently been underway.
NEBE has thus
recently invited the various political parties and given
orientation on the election. It has also requested the parties
to comment on the tentative timetable for election.
The Ethiopian
Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) responded to
the request by expressing its readiness to run for the
election in accordance with the timetable set by the Board,
yet clearly stating that it has no objection to a reasonable
extension of the election if rival parties request for
additional time.
However, the Union
of Ethiopian Democratic Forces (UEDF), the Oromo Federalist
Democratic Movement (OFDM) and Coalition for Unity and
Democracy (CUD) in a joint press conference they held on
27 October
2007, declared that they reached on a decision on whether to
take part in the election or not by citing various reasons.
Among the reasons
they stated include the closure of party offices, imprisonment
of members, lack of sufficient media coverage and the
implementation of subsidy for parties. They also demand the
presence of foreign observers.
It is a well known
fact that there is no restriction whatsoever on political
parties and their members who are legally operating in the
country. Such an accusation is therefore inappropriate because
it is public knowledge that this right has been ensured not
only to those who have seats in parliament, but also to the
ones who are granted pardon after being convicted and
sentenced by independent court for attempting to violently
raze the constitutional order.
The accusation
concerning media usage is also inappropriate since the views
of the MPs have been transmitted live to the public on many
occasions and at a time when the Ministry of Information, in
consultation with rival parties and National Electoral Board,
did not even come up with time allotment proposal.
The amended
Ethiopian electoral law states that the government may invite
foreign observers when it deems it necessary; and it is not
common to invite foreign observers to local elections.
The opposition
parties know that financial subsidy of parties is left for
negotiation among parties. The delay in the process was
obviously created by the opposition as they boycotted and
resumed discussions at whim. Hence, no one, save the parties
themselves, can be held responsible for the problem.
EPRDF realizes that
the press conference of the three opposition parties was meant
to blame others for their lack of preparation for the
election. The postponement of the election to this year
followed the request of the parties last year and their desire
to drag their feet in the face of the upcoming election only
exposes their fear of acceptance by the electorate.
EPRDF firmly
believes that the constitutional rights of the people to be
governed by their elected representatives could not be stalled
by the fear of lack of acceptance on the part of some parties.
It should be clear that the people would establish their
institutions by conducting the election and pursue their
development and democratization endeavors, whether the parties
take part in the election or not.
Therefore, EPRDF
calls on the parties to refrain from concocting excuses and
take part in the election abiding by the new electoral law
which was endorsed with their participation.
Ethiopian Peoples’ Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF)
October 28, 2007 |
