Over 4mln candidates to contest coming elections

The Reporter (Saturday, 16 February 2008 ) - While some opposition parties are raising concern over “unfair” election procedures, 25 political parties are preparing to field over four million candidates for the upcoming elections, which would be held in April this year.

According to information gathered from the National Electoral Board, except for the Somali Regional State, all candidates are expected to contest elections across the nation.

Eight parties in Addis Ababa, seven in Oromia, six in the Southern Region, four in Amhara, three in Afar and Dire Dawa respectively have fielded their candidates. Tigray and Gambella are represented by single - party candidates.

In Addis Ababa, EPRDF is preparing to compete at all levels of the administrative ranks but other opposition parties are looking for vacant seats both in parliament and the city council. None of them has assigned candidates for Kebele councils with the exception of the ruling party.

The Ethiopian Democratic Unity Party-Medhin, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement, the Oromo National Congress, the all Ethiopia Democratic Movement, the Oromo National Liberation Party, Tigri Worji, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy Party, led by Ayele Chamiso, and EPRDF compete in Addis.

Some two weeks ago two opposition parties, the Oromo Federalist Democratic Movement and the United Ethiopian Democratic Front, had complained that their members and candidates were facing extreme harassment by cadres and supporters of the ruling party. They said that that was an attempt by the incumbent party to stay in power through means that violate the constitution.

In their joint statement the two parties said the ruling party had losed branch offices, detained candidates, intimidated candidates to withdraw and forcefully enlisted them as members of the ruling party, levying hefty taxes on farmers and traders who are considered to be opposition supporters, firing government employees from their jobs if they are believed to be supporters of opposition parties and barring students who had come of age from voter registration for being supporters of the opposition.

However, the ruling party vehemently denied the opposition’s allegations and insisted that it abide by rules and regulations of the nation in order to carry out the election in a democratic manner.

Tesfaye Mengesha, head of secretariat of the Electoral Board said last week the number of registered voters is expected to reach 29 million.


 

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