ETHIOPIA: POLITICS - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he's confident his party will win national elections

Record ID: 1538749

  • Title: ETHIOPIA: POLITICS - Prime Minister Meles Zenawi says he's confident his party will win national elections
  • Date: 24th May 2010
  • Summary: CROWD OF SUPPORTERS GREETING ZENAWI (SOUNDBITE) (English) ETHIOPIA'S PRIME MINISTER, MELES ZENAWI SAYING: "When push comes to shove, people vote alone, Nobody can be sure as to how people are going to vote when they are in the voting booth alone. So none of these accusations are going to have any substantive impact in the outcome of the elections. "Imagine a government which has delivered double digit growth rates for over seven years losing an election anywhere on earth. It is unheard of for such a phenomenon to happen." ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (MAY 23, 2010) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF VOTERS QUEUING TO VOTE OUTSIDE POLLING STATION
  • Embargoed: 8th June 2010 03:36
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Ethiopia
  • Country: Ethiopia
  • Topics: Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVADL4M7W45Z1BPXYOU1EUU1ULII
  • Aspect Ratio: 4:3
  • Story Text: Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Sunday (May 23) he expects to win a national election thanks to his party's record on economic development and rejected opposition complaints of intimidation.
    In 2005, riots broke out in the capital Addis Ababa when his ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) was declared winner. Security forces killed 193 protesters and seven policemen also died in trouble that tarnished the reputation of one of the world's biggest aid recipients.
    The opposition felt it had been cheated out of victory five years ago but admits it has little chance of victory this time. It says this is because the EPRDF has tightened its grip on power and routinely intimidates and jails its critics.
    Speaking to Reuters Television after casting his vote in the northern Tigray region, Zenawi, a former rebel leader, said once people were in the polling booth they could vote as they pleased, but remained condient of victory.
    "Imagine a government which has delivered double digit growth rates for over seven years losing an election anywhere on earth. It is unheard of for such a phenomenon to happen," he said.
    Eight different opposition parties came together and formed a coalition called MEDREK, or Forum, that is united chiefly by its desire to unseat Meles and is seen as the greatest threat to Zenawi's party.
    MEDREK is running 421 candidates for the 547-seat federal parliament, not as high as the EPRDF's 521, but enough to form a clear majority should they pull off a shock win.
    Meles became leader of Ethiopia in 1991 when a rebel group led by him ousted a brutal communist regime that killed hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians in a 17-year rule.
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