Ethiopian observers lose out

2005-04-11 21:47

Anthony Mitchell

Addis Ababa - Electoral authorities have imposed tough rules that effectively bar thousands of local observers from monitoring Ethiopia's third-ever democratic election next month, an official said on Monday.

Authorities will only accredit monitors who were registered as poll observers when their organisations were first set up, said Netsanet Demissie, head of the organisation for social justice.

Poll monitors must also prove they are independent under rules announced last week, said Netsanet, whose group had planned to deploy 3 000 poll observers in elections set for May 15.

Only a handful of organisations hoping to monitor the elections would have originally registered as observers because the idea is a new phenomenon in Ethiopia, Netsanet said.

"This is definitely a setback for holding free and fair elections," told The Associated Press.

Kemal Bedri, chair of the national election board, said the new rules are intended to weed out organisations allied to political parties.

Political parties, however, will field accredited observers.

"Domestic observers have a stake in the outcome of the election," Kemal said.

"We know that there are organisations who are a front for a political party, governing or opposition."

Ethiopia had come under fire last month for expelling three American organisations promoting democracy, claiming they were operating illegally in the only African nation not to be colonised.

More than 25 million of Ethiopia's 71 million people have registered to vote.

Opposition parties already have accused the government of not providing a level playing field for the elections in which the ruling coalition is expected to prevail over the small, fragmented and under-funded opposition.

- AP