ETHIOPIA: OPPOSITION PARTY SAYS INITIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW THEY ARE ON COURSE TO WIN ENOUGH SEATS TO FORM NEXT GOVERNMENT
Record ID:
584719
ETHIOPIA: OPPOSITION PARTY SAYS INITIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW THEY ARE ON COURSE TO WIN ENOUGH SEATS TO FORM NEXT GOVERNMENT
- Title: ETHIOPIA: OPPOSITION PARTY SAYS INITIAL ELECTION RESULTS SHOW THEY ARE ON COURSE TO WIN ENOUGH SEATS TO FORM NEXT GOVERNMENT
- Date: 20th May 2005
- Summary: (W5) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (MAY 15, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. SLV PEOPLE QUEUING TO VOTE IN ELECTIONS; SLV SEPARATE MALE AND FEMALE QUEUES; SLV VOTERS; SCU BALLOT BOX (7 SHOTS) 0.24 (W5) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (MAY 18, 2005) (REUTERS) 2. SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) BERHANU NEGA, VICE-CHAIRMAN OF THE COALITION FOR UNITY AND DEMOCRACY (CUD) SPEAKING AT NEWS CONFERENCE SAYING "We feel this is a very unacceptable measure taken by the government. It is unacceptable because when you look at this together with the decision of the government to ban all public assemblies it is denying us a platform to air our views on the process of this election to the general public. That's dangerous because when such prohibition is applied then it would force people to take measures that none of us want. 1.21 (W5) ADOWA, ETHIOPIA (MAY 15, 2005) (REUTERS) 3. SLV PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI ARRIVING AT POLLING STATION ZENAWI VOTES; ZENAWI WAVES TO CROWD 1.35 (W5) ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (MAY 18, 2005) (REUTERS) 4. (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEGA SAYING "The trend so far clearly indicates that the CUD will emerge as the winner with sufficient seats to form a government, we urge the public must desist from being influenced by the false and unsubstantiated claims and await the final result with vigilance. Any and all attempts to thwart and tamper with the appropriate proceedings in the conduct of the election results and efforts to continue the undemocratic 2.46 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 4th June 2005 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ADDIS ABABA AND ADOWA, ETHIOPIA
- Country: Ethiopia
- Reuters ID: LVA2KIP2XP8SVQLPDTZ80EM5ODH7
- Story Text: Ethiopia's opposition party says initial election
results show they're on course to win enough seats to form
the next government.
Ethiopia's main opposition coalitions said on
Wednesday (May 18) initial election results showed they
were on course to win enough seats to form the next
government, contradicting claims of victory by the ruling
party.
Leaders from the Coalition for Unity and Democracy
(CUD) and the United Ethiopian Democratic Front (UEDF) said
they had "completed preparations" through which the public
would "reverse" any attempt to tamper with the results from
the polls.
The opposition did not specify exactly what such action
might be, although it drew hundreds of thousands of
supporters onto the streets of the capital Addis Ababa in a
rally ahead of last Sunday's elections
The ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic
Front (EPRDF) party claimed victory on Monday, the day
after it imposed a month-long post-election ban on public
rallies.
The opposition claims those are dangerous measures and
denies the opposition a platform to give its reaction to
the election to the general public. It also says it's had problems
gett
ing statements broadcast on national media.
Berhanu Nega, vice-chairman of the CUD, says the steps
taken by the government could force people to take action
which no-one wants.
But he remains confident his party will win.
"The trend so far clearly indicates that the CUD will
emerge as the winner with sufficient seats to form a
government," he told a joint news conference alongside UEDF
leaders.
He said the EPRDF of Prime Minister Meles Zenawi had
requested recounts in constituencies where the opposition
had won to try to tamper with the results.
"Any and all attempts to thwart and tamper with the
appropriate proceedings in the conduct of the election
results and efforts to continue the undemocratic
dictatorial rule would be resisted," Berhanu said.
The government says it has won at least 300 seats in
the 547-seat federal parliament, citing unofficial returns,
giving it a mandate to form the next government.
The CUD says it has so far won 133 seats and the UEDF
70, according to initial results, but says it is confident
of winning a majority when all results are counted.
The Horn of Africa country's electoral board has yet to
endorse any of the results quoted by the various parties.
ENDS
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