Campaigns peaceful so far, says NEB

//CORRECTED// Ethiopia's election board chairman said on Wednesday that the country's campaign to date had been peaceful despite some minor concerns. The chairman of the National Election Board (NEB), Kemal Bedri, said rallies held by the government and opposition were proof of growing democratisation in the country. He added that he was taking seriously concerns raised by the EU election observer mission over alleged abuses in the country. He told journalists in Addis Ababa that polling scheduled for 15 May - the third-ever legislative elections in Ethiopia - was a learning experience that his country hoped to build upon. An estimated 25.6 million people are expected to vote on Sunday at more than 30,000 polling stations around the country. Some 319 international observers will monitor the polls, including 200 from the EU. Kemal’s comments came after the EU chief election observer, Anan Gomes, wrote a letter protesting that both government and opposition parties had used "hate speech" and that murders, harassment and beatings had taken place. The EU stated, however, that despite the problems, the overall campaign had been positive. "We take observations from the EU very seriously," Kemal said. "We don't expect this will be the last election. We are learning. We hope to build on that. On balance the process has been peaceful, and that is encouraging." Neither the government nor opposition parties had complained about "hate speech", he added. "We have also called on the parties to have a peaceful campaign and it has been really peaceful." Some 35 political parties will vie for seats in the 547-seat Council of People's Representatives. Voters will also elect representatives in nine regional state parliaments that appoint members of the 112-seat Council of the Federation, Ethiopia’s upper house.