Ethiopian opposition sues

2005-05-31 14:19

Addis Ababa - Ethiopia's main opposition group said on Tuesday it had sued to prevent the certification of disputed provisional results of May 15 polls that show a razor-thin victory for the ruling party.

The Coalition for Unity and Democracy (CUD) rejected a tally released by election authorities on Monday that gave the ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) a one-seat majority in parliament.

In addition, it said it had asked the court to lift what it called an "illegal" one-month, post-election ban on public demonstrations in the capital imposed by Prime Minister Meles Zenawi.

"The CUD has filed a charge in court demanding that the national electoral board desist from issuing election results that include disputed constituencies," the group said in a statement.

"Similarly, CUD has requested the court that the illegal banning of public demonstrations the prime minister has imposed on the people of Addis Ababa ... be lifted," it said.

Provisional results from 463 constituencies released on Monday showed the EPRDF with 274 seats, allied parties with 15 and the two main opposition groups, which had held just 12 seats before, with 174.

The CUD, which claims serious fraud and vote-rigging in 156 constituencies, said the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia's (Nebe) announcement was "incorrect and unacceptable" given its outstanding complaints.

"We want to make it clear to the Ethiopian people as well as the international community that this announcement of results of the board are incorrect and unacceptable," the CUD said.

It maintained that the Nebe announcement was intended solely to keep the EPRDF in power and claimed anew that it would be the winner of the election with 314 seats if its complaints were duly investigated.

The CUD threatened last week not to take up its seats in parliament unless its charges were properly investigated and has warned of the potential for a campaign of civil disobedience to protest the official results which are due to be announced on June 8.

- AFP