Opposition parties to boycott Somali region polls

Ethiopian opposition parties declared on Tuesday that they would boycott upcoming elections in 23 seats in the remote eastern Somali region, alleging that thousands of voter cards had been stolen and were on sale in local markets. The region's three main parties also claimed the armed forces had taken control of some polling stations and impounded ballots and registration books ahead of national and regional elections scheduled to take place on Sunday. "We have decided to boycott the elections because of the serious violations that are taking place," Joseph Nur, vice chairman of the Western Somali Democratic Party (WSDP), told a news conference in the capital, Addis Ababa. Nur claimed that in one town, 10,000 voter cards had been stolen and were on sale in local markets for the equivalent of US $3. The WSDP, the Somali Democratic Alliance Forces and Del Wabe People's Democratic Movement had planned to field 43 candidates for the federal parliament, and 273 candidates for the regional parliament in the provincial capital, Jijiga. The Somali region elections were delayed by insecurity and heavy rains; elections were held in the rest of the country in May, but were marred by claims of widespread election malpractice. At least 36 people were reportedly shot dead by security forces after protestors took to the streets to demonstrate over alleged election fraud in the poll, which saw Prime Minister Meles Zenawi's ruling party retain a parliamentary majority. "These elections cannot be free. The election board is aware of this but appears to be doing nothing," Nur said. He also alleged that at least six people had been killed in the past month during clashes between opposition and government supporters in remote towns in Somali region. However, the deputy head of the National Electoral Board of Ethiopia, Tesfaye Mengesha, said the opposition parties should address their complaints through proper channels. "We have complaints panels in place and they should report the claims to them," he said. "In the past, many of their complaints have proved not to be true." Somali region - with a population of around four million - is one of the poorest in Ethiopia. Most residents are nomadic herdsmen who eke out a living from goats and camels in dry, dusty conditions. The region has often experienced skirmishes between rival ethnic groups and government forces. At least five people were killed in July in a grenade attack in Jijiga. A political analyst and conflict expert, Medhane Tadesse, said the decision would further undermine faith in the elections. "Allegations of irregularities will not help the future stability of the region, one that has enjoyed no peace, and there is widespread corruption among regional authorities," he said. Meles' Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front won 296 seats in the 547-member chamber, while its allied parties won 22 seats. Opposition parties won 161 seats, up from just 12 in the last parliament. Ethiopia's largest opposition group, the Coalition for Unity and Democracy, also said it was withdrawing 10 of the 17 candidates it was fielding in Somali region because of harassment.